For many of us, a school holiday getaway involves travelling up or down the coast, cooling off in blue waters and the allure of a laid-back beach lifestyle. But a new destination is becoming popular among Perth holiday makers, and it involves getting away from the water and going inland.

Kalgoorlie, 550km east of Perth, has shed its previous reputation to become a true tourism destination. Kalgoorlie has long been known as WA’s heart of mining. More than 2,600 people living in Kalgoorlie are employed within the resources sector and a further 861 business receive direct support from the industry. Hot off the back of its recent 125th year anniversary and significant gold finds, families are flocking to the town for its balmy Spring weather and the hopes of striking it lucky like the prospectors of yesteryear.

In the past year alone, searches for Kalgoorlie have increased 235% on online accommodation booking site Wotif, making Kalgoorlie the second most searched holiday destination in WA, after Perth, in the Spring months.

And it isn’t just families that are singing Kalgoorlie’s praises. The region has recently taken out the GWN7 Top Tourism Award 2018 for a town with a population over 5000. It’s easy to see why, with a number of attractions sure to please everyone in the family.

Whilst in Kalgoorlie, stop and take a look around. The town is surrounded by a unique environment that is treasured and protected through a number of monitoring programs supported by the resources sector. If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a rare species such as the Greater Bilby.

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Hannan’s North Tourist Mine, gives history buffs the chance to walk through some of the original mine site buildings from the early days and see how prospectors lived during the gold rush of the 1890s. The Kalgoorlie Golf Course is known for its lush greenery among the desert landscape. Nearby, you’ll also find the ‘ghost town’ of Gwalia, where mine manager and US president, Herbert Hoover once lived. You can even stay in his house for the night.

So, if you’re looking to experience a new holiday destination for the whole family, you’ll find Kalgoorlie is as good as gold.