Sunday,10th September,2006

Kalgoorlie.600 odd kms east of Perth. Site of one of Western Australia’s most historic mining towns,blah blah blah

Let’s get to the crux of what the most interesting thing about Kalgoorlie is.
There’s a street named Hay Street, and it has a whole block of brothels on it!
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/hayst.jpg


And that was the route of my first run on this mammoth journey across the continent. Driver Dick mad me run past it twice

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/haystrun.jpg

Right past one of the oldest brothels in Australia.
A couple of doors down, there are a couple that have a much swankier frontage (ie brick and tinted windows)

But this one has so much character!
At night ,the girls sit in each of the holding pens, on display for the punters to make their selection. You really have to see it at night to appreciate the neon pink and red lights bouncing off the corrugated walls and fencing.

And,it’s nice to see some progress in this town! It wasn’t too long ago that the girls didn’t have much shelter at al and just sat in the open.Now there’s at least a glass panelling which should protect them from any rain, wind and errant bodily fluids.

I must admit, I did think about picking up a stick and running it along the corrugated fencing.
I imagined running past,and seeing some of the girls standing behind the glass in various French inspired garments,and feather boas,and maybe one dressed in a chicken suit (cos the world is made up of all different sorts of peple)
And they’d all tap on the glass and happily wave good morning ,and I would flash back a Doris Day smile and wave and say ‘Good morning hoors!”

But,there was no one going in,or out (in any sense of the word,because it doesn’t open until 2pm)

Interestingly enough,the other big attraction in Kal. is this mining site,where someone had the brilliant idea to take mining out of hiding under the ground and to just rip open a giant hole and keep burrowing down until the earth had relinquished every bountiful morsel it had to offer.
They then built a little pine platform nearby so visitors could pop over and gawk at what is now known as ‘the super pit’!

Is it just me who sees the connection?

Next stop: Baledonia




2.40pm

I can’t believe the roadhouse in Baledonia sells beef jerky called ‘Roadkill”
Blind Freddy could see it looks more like petrified poo.

We’re now on the straightest bit of road in Australia. Not one curve or change in gradient.
174 kms of dead straight road
Driver Dan is driving with his knees as he expounds on the proliferation of old people clogging up the highway with their winnebago’s

Next stop; numb-bum Eucla.

Song of the Day: Already Gone-The Eagles