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Kalgoorlie

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===South/East towards [[Esperance]], [[Port Augusta]], [[Adelaide]], [[Sydney]]===
Just three blocks up from the main shops, Hannan St ends in a T-intersection with the Bypass, a kindof kind of highway running roughly north-south along the eastern side of Kalgoorlie. Along Hannan St, just before the Bypass there are some old shops/buildings with angle parking out the front of them which is often not full and provides a good place for cars to pull over. Pick a good spot with some space closeby close by and stick your thumb out.
A sign saying 'South' might help you at the corner, but you'll probably get at least a lift to the edge of town with or without. There aren't any good places to stand along the Bypass until you get to the edge of Boulder (Oroya St), or the big BP Truck Stop on Celebration Rd, so ask for these if you are just getting a short lift out of town.
To get a lift, stand in the same spot at the corner of Hannan St and the Bypass, as for hitching South/East, but take cars turning left towards Menzies and Leonora (a sign saying North may help... but it may be fine without).
  ==Hitching In==
Coming from the west ([[Perth]], [[Merredin]], [[Southern Cross]]) a driver wishing to bypass Kalgoorlie might drop you on the edge of town, at the traffic lights of Great Eastern Hwy/Anzac Dr. Just walk across the lights along Great Eastern Hwy a few metres and there is a large shoulder to the road, where cars coming into town can pick you up. You should quickly get a ride into town.
[[File:Kalgoorlie1.jpg|300px|thumb|left|The delightful billboard along Graeme St. Its a happening spot.]]
 
==Places to Visit==
Visit the Mt Charlotte Lookout. At the top of a (man/mine-made) hill at the top end of Hannan St, left on the Bypass and right at the first sign. At the top of the hill there is the reservoir of the town's water, where it is collected after its 600km journey through C.Y. O'Connor's pipeline from the hills of Mundaring to sustain the good folk of Kalgoorlie (an engineering feat in its beginning in 1907; unfortunately he was so ridiculed for his brave idea that he comitted committed suicide from the pressure just 4 hrs before the water came through). More beautiful to the eye, there is a panorama over the whole city which is spread out flat before you. In the daytime it is nice to see, at nighttime it is a beautiful spread of twinkling lights under the also bright stars. At night, you may want to not go alone, however, and be careful about yourself and your stuff if other groups are about.
If you have a car at your disposal, a quick 5min drive out of town will take you away from all of the light pollution of Kalgoorlie sufficiently to see the Milky Way stretched over your head with such brighness brightness (on a clear night) as you won't be able to find anywhere in fluorescent Europe. From the top end of Hannan St, turn left onto the Bypass. Drive out of town for about 5 mins, once you pass by the Speedway track, the road bends to the right, and just at the bend there is (hard to spot; slow down) a dirt track off to the left. This is the Firebreak, a long, spacious double dirt strip where you can have some space and look at the stars, without getting run over by the side of the road.
For those even more interested in having a look at these gorgeous stars, local guy Peter Mikula (the wonderful father of user [[User:Dear sarah|Dear Sarah]] :) has a self-built, 2m Dobsonian Telescope which he loves to bring out upon request. Stargazing and also Sun-Gazing (with appropiate appropriate solar filters) are a wonderful way to spend some time and see something amazing, send him an email through his contact form [http://www.mikulageotechnics.com/contact.php here] to ask if something is possible while you're in town.
On the way into Kalgorlie from Perth there is Coolgardie Camel Farm, along Great Eastern Hwy about 20min drive. You can have yourself a nice bumpy ride about the farm on one of these misplaced animals, which are busy destroying the nature in the centre and north of the country with their overgrown herds storming through our lovely bushland.
Unfortunately this section could probably be as long as the 'Places To Visit'. Kalgoorlie is a bit of a rough town sometimes, it has the infamous reputation of being the most racist town in Australia. There are a lot of problems with alcohol and drugs among people living on the fringes of the town and society, and with antisocial youth. Take care at night, not all places to avoid are listed here. Try to keep from walking alone unless you are familiar with your area, and be aware that most places where there are pubs, service stations, shops or large streets could have people hanging about them. Some suburbs are pretty quiet and safe at night, you should ask the advice of locals. On the upside, it is more likely that someone passing by will give you help should you be in trouble, than in big cities, and if you find yourself somewhere undesirable at night, talking to people at a shop/pub or by their cars might get you a lift to another part of town.
Take care at the top end of Hannan St at night, and along dark back roads branching out from Hannan St. Hanging around outside pubs can put you near drunk and unpredictable people sometimes. The best advice is to ask about your area from people at your accomodationaccommodation, or people you meet in town. Don't be unfriendly to people who might give you trouble, just keep things calm and move on.
==Accommodation and Sleep==
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