Roadtrip – 0 km – Kalgoorlie
Another quiet night has passed. It was just 05:00 when I woke up. I couldn’t sleep anymore. Maybe because I had a late nap yesterday. It got colder today, and it was still raining. Just eleven degrees this morning, and the rain would stop in the afternoon. Andrew was already up, and Sam was at work since 05:00 in the morning. A coffee, some breakfast, and at 08:30 we left. Andrew made an appointment for 09:00 at Boulder Parts & Towing for a new window. Within an hour, they put the window in.
All went well, and the car had a new side window. It was time to visit the Gold Museum. Kalgoorlie has a lot of Gold History.
At 10:30, a tour started, going down into the vault. They have Gold and nuggets there for 5 million AU$. The vault was protected by a huge armored door.
It was time for another coffee. We dropped in at Vienna Coffee Lounge. A comfortable place to sit and chat, and watch people. We strolled around town for a while, then walked into a Chinese Restaurant for lunch. Still had time before the famous brothel tour in Kalgoorie at 15:00. So we dropped into a shopping center and got some ice cream at Woolworths. My first ice cream in Australia. Somehow, I could manage not to eat chocolate daily since I am in Australia, OK, some biscuits sometimes.
Next stop would be the old Town Hall with its War Museum. Australian soldiers were part of several wars, the First and Second World Wars, the Vietnam War, Korean War, because Australia was part of the British Empire.
The brothel tour was really interesting. There were 25 brothels in earlier times when the city was really busy. Carmel was the Madam of one of these brothels. Now she is 87 years old and a really funny and charismatic woman, such a good speaker.
Kalgoorlie’s Hay Street is home to one of the world’s oldest working brothels. Questa Casa has been in operation for over 120 years. It was born out of necessity because of the sheer number of unaccompanied men who flocked to the Eastern Goldfields in the search for gold.
Also known as “THE PINK HOUSE”, Questa Casa is the only remaining brothel from Kalgoorlie’s gold rush era, built over 120 years ago. This historical brothel offers tourists the unique opportunity to glimpse life from a bygone era.
Questa Casas’ “STARTING STALLS” were world famous for the scantily clad ladies standing in the doorways. Still operating, the doors open at night when the girls are here.
Entry is through the starting stalls at the front, where the ladies first talk to the gentleman (sometimes they are caught doing other things!!), and through the rooms which the ladies use at night whenever they are here; the same rooms that have been used since this house was established. These cramped rooms, which were freezing in winter and stifling hot in summer, give a unique insight into the life of those who frequented these world-famous ‘contained’ houses.
All in all, a relaxed sightseeing day.
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