Kalgoorlie

boreds11

Has anybody any experience of living in Kalgoorlie long term? I might end up working here for 1 year plus but I won't be on FIFO I will be a resident. Just wondering is it really isolated or much to do or much nightlife? Flights to perth on a friday evening and back to Kal on a Sunday are very expensive starting at €400 upwards.

Stinicker

I don't know much about living there however it is a mining town so you might pick-up work there with something attached to it. Last year I drove out to "Kal" from Perth and it was a hell of a drive at around 400miles, you can fly but as you say it is expensive.

You can also take a train from Kalgoorlie to Perth and if I remember right it was around AU$150-160 return to Perth and as there was a four of us it was cheaper to rent a car and drive, plus more fun and better sightseeing. There was a good few Irish in Kal and the nightlife there was mighty and despite there only being a few bars in the small town it was mighty craic, in some of the bars the barmaids go topless; which is some sort of Kal tradition :eek:.

It is a bit like a wild west town really with miners, drunks, loads of money and even legalised brothels! I only spent the one night there but it was well worth the 1,000km+ drive. It can get nippy there in July and when I asked one lad in a bar does it ever snow there it was like an episode out of the simpsons when they all started laughing.

mikedragon32

In fairness Stinicker, it's on the edge of the Great Western Desert!

Was there for a couple of nights, again, drove out from Perth and then came back via Norseman.

Great little town, great pubs, but some are seriously rough too! My cousin worked there for a while for one of the mining firms but it can be pretty tedious if you're there for a long term, I'd imagine. The Wild West comparison is bang on. Hell some of the pubs even have butterfly doors!

mandrake04

If you have torrent try downloading Kalgoorlie cops.

jackbhoy

Haven't lived there either but lads are spot on in descriptions. It gets a bit mad as lots of miners come in for days off to blow a chunk of their pay packets and let off steam. There are skimpy bars and (apparently) brothels but a few nice, normal pubs too. It has all supermarkets and services of decent sized town too so say it'd be ok to live in if it was only short term enough.

The Superpit mine, which you can visit there, is some sight. The scale of it is jaw dropping!

ellaq

Haven't lived there but it is always a possibility in the future. That train ride takes around 6 hours to get to Perth. Unfortunately those flights are always going to be expensive as they are the most popular times. We did recently get one on Sunday morning to Perth for $120.

skipz

Have lived there, grew up there and spent 11 years in lovely Kal! Kalgoorlie has the nickname the "wild west" as it is!
Most people who work in the mining sector reside in the town or towns of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and FIFO isnt really what most companies look for.
As for the night life, its fairly crazy with pubs, drugs, nightclubs and hookers! The town is a hard town but all you need to live a normal life in the semi desert is there. The town has everything you need, shopping centres, swimming pools, schools, golf coarse's......everything!
Jesus when i look back at it now it was a rough ass place but a great place too, some of the best memories i have are from Kalgoorlie!

I would highly recommend moving to Kalgoorlie for the year, seriously!:D

Forgot to add, its not all work and blow off steam. You can live a normal life if you wanted.

Lu Tze

skipz wrote: »

Have lived there, grew up there and spent 11 years in lovely Kal! Kalgoorlie has the nickname the "wild west" as it is!
Most people who work in the mining sector reside in the town or towns of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and FIFO isnt really what most companies look for.
As for the night life, its fairly crazy with pubs, drugs, nightclubs and hookers! The town is a hard town but all you need to live a normal life in the semi desert is there. The town has everything you need, shopping centres, swimming pools, schools, golf coarse's......everything!
Jesus when i look back at it now it was a rough ass place but a great place too, some of the best memories i have are from Kalgoorlie!

I would highly recommend moving to Kalgoorlie for the year, seriously!:D

Forgot to add, its not all work and blow off steam. You can live a normal life if you wanted.

Only visited but this sounds about right - compared to the likes of Newman its a sprawling metropolis.

Cooperspale

Only visited myself but a brother lived here for 3+ months and a pal lived here for over 3 years.
Brother worked hard and played harder, lots of drinking acting the larrikin, said it was the roughest place he has been in, Naples coming second to it (and he was almost killed by a Senegalese gang there). Having urine tests at dawn was a major pain after a night on the beers. Besides that he found it very expensive for day to day stuff. He did lose the plot for awhile but saved enough to travel for 6months. Don't think he'd go back.

Pal, married and both worked for BHP, bought a house within the first year. Said there was very little nightlife outside of the skimpy spots and restaurants shut by 9pm. The wife used to walk the dog at 5am to avoid the heat in summer. They drove souped up cars and had satellite sports tv to avoid the tedium. Think they went to Perth every 4-6weeks. And having worked hard, saved a heap they have since moved and bought around Perth.
Yeah it's possible for a year, but it will be tough by yourself.

kiwipower

Stinicker wrote: »

and even legalised brothels!

Prostitution has been legal in NZ since 2003. Each Australian State or Territory has its own rules on Prostitiution. Leaning more towards acceptance and de-criminalisation.