Surrounded by golden wheat fields in a country setting, the Peak Hill Open Cut Mine is one of the more unusual attractions you may encounter if you are a visitor from the city. The main pit is essentially a huge hole in the ground with a narrow snaking road chiselled into the side of the walls around a dark lake coloured by some sort of mineral or oxidation in the rock. The pits are fenced off so there is no danger of kids mucking around & falling in. Each of the 3 pits has a viewing platform & several vantage points along the track to look at the hole from there are 3 walking tracks all of which are not too hard. Viewing such an unnatural sight doesn’t sound like much excitement but peering down into the depths of the huge man made hole & chiselled road reminds you of the potential of human achievements as well as lengths man will go thru for the funny yellow metal. The car park is just off the main street in this sleepy country town that seemed fast asleep. It is a good chance to stretch the legs & to mix up a trip with a free stop at this former gold mine.
Walking around the abandoned Peak Hill gold mine you could feel the echoes of two era's . The gold rush days of the 19th century - simple and almost unintrusive on the landscape compared with the ruthless late 20th century ruthless and scarring abuse of the country. Worth a stop between Dubbo and Parkes . The fossil show at the caravan park is worth a look too
short walk to the open cut mines.We stopped at the nearest one. The colour in the walls and the water were beautiful. Old machinery around the walk track too. We stayed at the Club Hotel in town. Clean comfortable cheap accommodation and friendly owner and staff. Also went to the Fossil Hut at the caravan park. Good display but not all Australian/local fossils and most were well made replicas.
On a recent Road Trip, with no set agenda, I saw a sign for the Open Cut Experience, and decided to take a look, and I'm really pleased I did.Now, I'm actually not a great fan of industry that literally RAPES our environment, but what's been done in the past is history, and they've actually done a good job of turning this in to a nice walk, with a bit of documentation about how it all worked.I actually chose to do the walk right around both open pits, which took me about an hour or so - and I was ambling quite slowly, enjoying the warmth and the sunshine. There's a few lookouts for different aspects of both pits, which gave nice views. The colours of the pit walls are quite astounding, too. There's one lookout that can easily be accessed by wheelchairs and strollers, as well as a few other lookouts that are just a short walk. Or you can go right round both.There's signs warning about the prevalence of snakes, and even though I know they're venomous, I actually wanted to see one in the wild!!! I know... I'm strange. So, I was a little disappointed that I didn't... Maybe next time. there were a few people in the carpark, and looking from the main lookout, but I think I was the only person doing the entire rim walk that day.Interesting, and a good 'recharge" if you're on a fairly long drive.
This is a free self guided tour. The area used to be a gold mining town and the site has been setup as a tourist thing to see what they did there and what an open cut mine looks like.Initially, we thought yeah ... ok ... but then started reading the information about the site and the history ... and then did the walk and the self guided tour. The mine when they finished turned the site into a tourist thing ... given that it was free you couldnt complain, did I think I would be interested to spend more than 30 minutes there ... no ... 4 hours later after we wander around and stumbled across a 2 meter Goanna in a tree ... it was a really good morning.We ran into other familys starting their trip and told them where the goanna was ... its not that often you get to see Australian Wildlife in the actual wild !!!!!
When you first come to it you would think that it wouldn't be very large and more of a shop of sorts. But it's not like this at all. On the edge of a small country town in a bush setting there is a gigantic hole. There are plenty of signs telling you everything you want to know and more. If you pass Peak hill it would be a good idea to venture out here.
There are some good bushwalking trails around the open cuts. Unfortunately, you cannot get into them, but views of from the edges are fine. The largest open cut is only a few minutes walk from the car park, so even if you are not so fit, you can enjoy a view of the great open cut. Because the admission is free and a toilet is available (also close to the car park), it is a good idea to take a rest here, if you are on a long drive.
About a 50 metre walk up a tree-covered slope, the main open cut mine can be viewed from a covered platform. Pictures and stories on the walls tell the history of the place. The open cut is just as spectacular as the photos and turned out to be the highlight of my trip. Follow the track round to the left of the mine and you get a good view of the township of Peak Hill and the surrounding plains. There are smaller open cuts as well, but with it being such a hot day and having a toddler in tow, we unfortunately didn't get to see them. Plenty of parking, and a flush toilet to the left inside of the entry. Easy to find, just a short drive off the main street, tar all the way. Look for the sign on the Information Centre that points the way if coming from Dubbo or turn right at the ex Services club if coming from Parkes. Free entry. Take water and a hat if going in summer. Tip; Cino 86 in the main street is a great place to go for lunch and Peak Hill Golden Peaks Motel has clean budget accommodation if planning to stay overnight.
We stopped in and did the short circuit walk. None of the group had seen an open cut mine soon person so it was quite interesting. The walk is reasonably steep so is good to get the heart rate going. When you're driving past it is worth calling in, but I wouldn't drive for hours to see it.
Wow what a place to have a close look at what the open cut gold mine at Peak Hill is like. % different open cuts and lots of great signs to tell you all about it. And the Sunset view from the top is breathtaking.