GoRV - Digital Magazine Issue #98 | Page 91

FREEDOM CAMP OF THE MONTH
WOW! WOULD YOU CAMP HERE?

Gwalia Museum is an epic free camp on a gold mine, near a ghost town within Western Australia ' s Goldfields region!
It is very deceptive from the photos, but when you’ re camped at this site, you’ re sitting high on a plateaued car park with views to the ghost town on one side and the active gold mine deep down the other side.
Register at the museum, located between the two. We highly recommend a self-tour. If you want a bit of luxe and boasting material, you can sleep where Hoover did.
American geologist and mining engineer Herbert Hoover became the mine manager at Sons of Gwalia Mine at just 23 years of
age. He designed the mine manager’ s house, contracted a migrant workforce, and ended up a partner in the British company that had controlling interest in the mine. He then became the 31st president of the United States!
There is also a cafe at Hoover House Bed and Breakfast. We arrived too late for the scones – order by 2.45pm to avoid the same disappointment. Camping is free, but you pay a donation to visit the museum. Make sure you see the mine from the lookouts, and explore the ghost town below.
The history of the gold mine is intriguing. After going bust, it reopened in 2008 to become the deepest underground gold mine in Australia.
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