Western Australia is heaven: perfect weather, glorious countryside, white beaches and great restaurants. But when we announced a trip to the mining town of Kalgoorlie, everyone expressed bafflement, even horror. Why? It’s miles. It’s Outback. You’re mad. No, we weren’t. The skies, gum forests, vast wheatfields, cattle ranches, bush, silent and empty, were beautiful. Kalgoorlie’s open mine – a vast hole in the ground half a mile deep, a mile wide and two miles long – was fascinating. From above, the diggers look like ants, diligently servicing super-ants (dump trucks), each taking three loads to fill. Close up, both trucks and diggers prove to be the biggest in the world, four times the height – and width – of a man, with a truck tyre weighing five tons and costing £40K. They run 24/7, driven largely by women, with one driver jumping off as the next jumps on. Every year...
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