The Best Mine Site Tours In Western Australia

Western Australia may often be overlooked in favor of the East, but it has a lot to offer that should make you think about what you’ll miss out on. If you love nature, Western Australia has endless blue skies, sandy beaches, and incredible rock formations in mountains and canyons. With the latter comes an even more unique experience: the presence of well-reserved mine sites to get you into the gold rush.  

As local Aussies call it, Fossicking gives you an authentic experience of the mining sites, plus the bonus of bringing home gemstones. Getting around is relatively easy, even without your vehicle, as there are tour operators and luxury coach hire services like Northfleet to keep you comfortable on the road. This is a trip, something truly worth including on your bucket list.  

Below are Western Australia’s best mine sites for tours to venture into while in the region.  

1. Searipple Village, Karratha

First on this list is Searipple Village, on the coast of Karratha in Western Australia. It’s a campsite around 15 minutes away from nearby mine work sites. Searipple Village gives a very localized feel to a mining village, with its inhabitants comprising mainly of mine workers.  

Those traveling with families and their pets would love to hear how Searipple Village is highly rated for having comfortable and pet-friendly accommodations. Cap off the night with a trip to its local bars to get a taste of craft beers.  

2. Boddington Gold Mine, Bannister

At the Boddington Gold Mine in Bannister, tourists will be able to have that mine-to-mint experience in Australia’s largest and oldest operating gold mine. The adventure starts at The Perth Mint, where guests are greeted by a local Boddington resident as a guide, kicking off with a history of Western Australia. Guests then indulge in stops at quaint cafes and restaurants before putting on their safety gear, ready to start the mine tour.

The experience truly isn’t like any other. The Perth Mint boasts of turning doré from mines to gold with a purity of 99.99%, so seeing every bit of that process is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

3. Super Pit, Kalgoorlie

The Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia is one of the best for fossicking. Head to the visitor center, where you’ll have guides to all the gold fields tourists can visit. Moreover, local mining folks are willing to share and talk about the mining history in the area.

In Kalgoorlie, you’ll come across the largest gold-producing mine in Australia, the Super Pit. The experience is as real as possible, with your tour group traveling through the same roads as hundreds of dump trucks on site. During the trip, be prepared to see the old miner’s shafts, huts, and a mix of modern-day mining machinery.

4. Warribanno Chimney, Kalbarri

The Warribanno Chimney was constructed in the 1850s for the smelting of lead. Its ruins stand at a majestic 50 feet high, right along the Ajana-Kalbarri road, making it a sight not to miss. Today, it’s one of the region’s influential icons representing the prosperous mining industry that was once in the area.  

5. Hannans North Tourist Mine, Kalgoorlie

Every visit to this region would only be complete with stopping by the Hannans North Tourist Mine, one of the first registered mines in the area. When it was decided to establish a new visitor attraction in the Eastern Goldfields region, shafts were examined to see which ones could be developed. Tunnels and shaft workings were explored by down-hole cameras, which resulted in Hannans North being in the best condition.

Hannans North holds displays from the Hainault Mine, pegged in 1893 and stayed as a working mine until 1968. Visitors also get to read and see historical records and equipment of mining activities around the area.

6. Mount Sheila, Ashburton

Mount Sheila is a very small town in the Western Australian region, with an average of around 1,100 residents. Picture staying in a peaceful, quaint, rural area without the hustle and bustle of city life, which you may already be trying to escape.  

Mount Sheila may be small, but the lodging options include tent-like accommodations and camps. It’s like you’re in the middle of nowhere, only that you’re surrounded by the best experiences nature has to offer. There’s also a hint of history, with Mount Sheila distinguishing itself as one of the best mining destinations in Western Australia.

The Bottomline

Australia is a dream destination for many, particularly Western Australia. One reason is because it offers unique experiences beyond beautiful views and landscapes, like mine sites. However, it’s essential to remember that Australia is one of the oldest inhabited countries in the world. Because of this, precious artifacts may be uncovered during fossicking. Leave those in place, know what you can and can’t bring home, and start planning your itinerary to any of the mine sites above.

UnusualPlaces Field Notes

Location

Multi-stop Western Australia mine and mining-heritage guide: Searipple workforce village in Karratha, the Boddington mine area, Kalgoorlie-Boulder (Super Pit lookout and Hannans North), Warribanno Chimney near Northampton, and Mount Sheila near Tom Price. No single statewide map point represents these destinations.

Access

This article combines separate sites across Western Australia; do not enter active mine areas without an authorized booked tour. Searipple Village in Karratha is a workforce accommodation village for resource-sector guests, not a public tourist mine site. Go West Tours currently marks its Boddington Gold Mine tour unavailable, and the regional Boddington visitor listing says the operating mine is not open for general public tours. In Kalgoorlie, the Super Pit offers a public external lookout and Northern Star says booked KCGM site tours have recommenced; Hannans North Tourist Mine is a separate above-ground self-guided attraction. Near Tom Price, book the official 90-minute Rio Tinto mine-site tour through the Tom Price Visitor Centre. Mount Sheila is a different viewpoint: the Rio Tinto rail-access road requires a permit and 4WD. Warribanno is a fragile heritage ruin; use the heritage listing’s described road approach and confirm present land access locally before entering the site.

Admission

There is no Western Australia-wide mine-tour ticket. Current Hannans North Tourist Mine admission is A$20 adult, A$17 concession, A$10 for ages 4–15, and free for ages 3 and under; its family pass is A$54 for two adults and two children. The external Super Pit lookout is a separate public viewing point, not entry to the working mine. KCGM and Tom Price mine-site tours require individual bookings; check the operator for current prices and availability. The Perth Mint’s separate gold-history tour in Perth is A$26 adult, A$16 child (5–15), or A$23 Australian concession. Boddington’s general public mine tour is currently unavailable. No fee or public-tour ticket is published here for Searipple, Mount Sheila or Warribanno; their access conditions differ.

Time needed

There is no single duration for this statewide route. Hannans North recommends 1.5–2 hours for its self-guided above-ground site. The Shire of Ashburton lists a 90-minute duration for the bookable Tom Price Rio Tinto mine tour. The Perth Mint’s separate Gold Tour lasts 60 minutes. Allow additional travel between widely separated regions, and confirm the duration of a KCGM public tour when booking; do not use these individual examples as a total itinerary estimate.

Best season

No one season suits this guide’s widely separated sites. Kalgoorlie’s winter and spring are reported as its main visitor season; Hannans North warns that summer there can be very hot and dry, so bring water, sunscreen and a hat. For the Pilbara, check local weather, road conditions and seasonal wildflower information before traveling. This is regional planning advice, not one statewide mine-tour season; the Perth Mint is an indoor option with tours scheduled through the week and weekend.

Opening hours

There are no shared hours for Western Australia’s mine sites. The Super Pit’s external lookout is open daily 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., but it may close temporarily for nearby blasting or safety. Hannans North is open seven days with seasonal hours: May–October, Monday–Saturday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. and Sunday 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.; November–April 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.; it also lists holiday and stocktake closures. The Perth Mint Gold Tour has departures 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. daily and is closed on specified public holidays. Mine tours at KCGM and Tom Price are booking-based; Searipple is workforce lodging, Boddington’s public mine tour is unavailable, and no public timetable was found for Mount Sheila or Warribanno. Recheck live operator calendars before travel.

Facts checked

2026-10-01

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