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AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDERAUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 89 | 89

DESTINATION KALGOORLIE

STORY AND PHOTOS: PAUL SAUNDERS

T

he countryside around

Kalgoorlie is not known for

its outstanding beauty or

interesting scenery, but with

a bit of research and by cha ing to the

locals, I have found a 230km ride which

encompasses some beautiful historic

buildings, a couple of old pubs with

plenty of character, and the remains of a

lot of Australian history.

Summer temperatures around

Kalgoorlie can get pre y toasty so

unless you are really into heat stress, I

would avoid the months of November

to February. As with most interesting

places in Oz, the ride includes about

75km of good dirt which I found easy

on a 15-year-old Honda CB750/4 and a

breeze on a newer GS BMW. The road

is well maintained and there are only a

few patches of loose stuff and almost no

corrugations.

This area is home to a range of

wildlife and it is always a good idea

to slow down if you see anything on

or near the edge of the road. My past

encounters with emus have convinced

me that they have the IQ of a boiled

cabbage and when these jumbo chooks

are spooked, it is funny watching their

antics from a stationary bike but bloody

scary if you are moving fast.

The ride starts in Kalgoorlie and heads

west for 40km to the old mining town

of Coolgardie, which has some beautiful

sandstone buildings and a few impressive

pubs which seem to be surviving.

Coolgardie is also home to a keen group

of restorers and it is easy to spend a

few hours going over some beautifully

restored old cars, trucks and buggies in

the local museum.

I always fi nd it interesting comparing

the mechanical bits and pieces that

were developed a century ago to the

modern vehicles running around today —

sometimes the ingenuity of our pioneers

was truly amazing.

Anyway, I am ge ing side-tracked.

A er a stop for a cappuccino and a

burger, the turn-off to Ora Banda is near

the west end of town and heads north,

winding through the local hills and the

view from the top gives you a chance to

see the surrounding countryside as well

as giving you an idea of what lies ahead.

The tar runs out about 25km north of

Coolgardie and it isn’t long until the ghost

town of Kunanalling is reached, which in

1898 had a population of 488 residents and ►

■ The map doesn’t do the ride justice

■ A roo mincer rolling along the road

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