Stand beside Kalgoorlie's Super Pit and gaze open-mouthed into one of the largest open-cut mines on Earth and the biggest gold mine in Australia. About 900,000 ounces of gold are harvested here each year, making a total of 50 million ounces since it started operating in 1989. The hole is approximately 3.7 kilometres long, 1.5 kilometres wide and around 480 metres deep - big enough to bury Uluru. The Super Pit sits just outside Kalgoorlie. Flights, TransWA trains and extended tours depart daily from Perth, or you can hit the Great Eastern Highway for a seven-hour drive from city to outback. To get your head around how this mining giant operates, pull on a hardhat and take a guided tour. Alternatively, take in the spectacle for free at the Super Pit Lookout, off the Goldfields Highway. Access to the lookout is restricted during blasting times, contact the Kalgoorlie Goldfields Visitor Centre for details. The Super Pit now incorporates the historic Golden Mile, marking the spot where Irishman Paddy Hannan first struck gold and sparked the great gold rush of the late 1800s. You can learn more about his famous discovery and Goldfields history on a visit to this unmissable landmark.
