The view from the Super Pit Mine Site at Kalgoorlie-Boulder is amazing

The Super Pit or Fimiston Open Pit is a huge opencast mine, big enough to be seen from space. While it’s not possible to enter the pit, which operates 24 hours a day, you can still get a feel for it’s enormity from the nearby lookout platform. The view is amazing – giant mining trucks the size of a house with tyres taller than the average person look more like Tonka toys as they transport tons of gold ore to the processing plant making it an awesome sight. The pit is built in steps, to make it stable.

The Super Pit at Kalgoorlie-Boulder

This huge operation was the idea of Alan Bond who tried to buy up all the leases in this area. Before this, the area called the Golden Mile was scattered all over with small companies running their own mines. KCGM manages the Pit for two owners, Newmont Australia Ltd and Barrick Gold of Australia Ltd.

This massive operation forms part of the 'Golden Mile', reputed to be the richest square mile of gold bearing earth in the world.

What became known as the Golden Mile is now incorporated into the giant Super Pit. Since 1883, when Irishman Paddy Hannan first made his famous discovery, more than 50 million ounces of gold have been harvested from the Golden Mile. The Kalgoorlie Goldfields is the largest gold-producing region in Australia, and only the fourth in the world to have produced more than 50 million ounces of gold.

The open mine is currently at approximately 3.5km in length, 1.5km across and approaching 400m deep. At this depth it is now below sea level! The Pit will eventually stretch 3.8km’s long, 1.4km wide and reach a depth of over 500m.

KCGM produces up to 900,000 ounces of gold every year and its operation far outweighs any other mining centre in Australia. The Pit is the biggest gold open pit mine in the country.

The company's operations ensure Australia holds its place, behind South Africa and the USA, as the third biggest gold producer in the world.

Have a look at our holiday to Tasmania where our last tour stop is the Super Pit mine site at Kalgoorlie-boulder.

Or our tour to Tamworth where it is the first stop on our tour.