I visited to see the exhibition of the 50 million dollar gold coin made by the Perth Mint. It was exceptional to see such a prized piece of solid gold on display in the shape of a coin. Queen Elizabeth's image was on one side of the coin and a Kangaroo on the other side. It was stunning and gloriously gold!!!

Tours run about every half hour. If you're not interested in the tours, there are shop displays of coins, gold nuggets and jewellery that you can view and purchase. Or you can stop for refreshments in the Cafe.

I purchased the tour for about $19 and it was exceptional. It was excellent value for money and very interesting. A guide takes you on a journey of the history of gold discovery and mining in Australia, particularly the Coolgardie region of WA that is rich in history. You have a physical journey around the Mint to see the various displays.

What I loved the best was watching the demonstration of melted gold being poured into a cast to create a gold bar. The traditional furnaces weren't used to melt the gold but extreme gas temperatures in a furnace were used instead. The demonstrator put on protective clothing and emptied the pot of gold into the cast. It was amazing to watch the gold being poured. It was set in a tub of room temperature water and within a couple of minutes it was solid gold again in the shape of a bullion.

Another highlight was being able to touch a block of real gold through a hand screen. It felt a bit oily and was smooth to the touch.

A further feature was being able to hop onto a set of scales that measured your weight in gold ounces. For the first time ever I didn't mind being a bit overweight!!! That meant I was worth more in gold.

I was also very happy with the machine that stamped the imprint of the Perth Mint on a coin. You inserted $2 coins into a slot and for this price you got to watch a plain gold coin being imprinted by machine with the Perth Mint logo. You got to keep this coin and take it home as a souvenir. That's a great gift idea if you want to give several people a souvenir from your visit.

Another facility was designing your own coins with special messages and images and these could be stamped onto a gold or silver coin. The gold coins were $22 and would make a lovely, unique gift for someone, a coin engraved with a personal message.

What I liked best about the tour was being allowed to take photos. I thought it would be prohibited but photos were allowed and encouraged. I like to retain photographic memory. I took a video on my phone of the gold pouring as it was such a unique experience.

There's something about gold - you almost want to eat it, it looks delicious. Maybe because they wrap chocolate in it...

I really enjoyed the tour and it was well worth the money and time. I have nothing to fault about it.

The Perth Mint is located on Hay Street, in the Perth CBD and is easy to find. You can catch the free CAT buses that take you around the City's CBD tourist destinations. Otherwise it's walking distance of 5-10 minutes from the central area.

The Perth Mint is a "must do" if you are visiting the city. Steeped with history and a very informative tour guide makes the tour fun. The Devonshire tea at the café was delicious.

A very interesting place to visit. Lots to see & lots of history here. They also buy gold & have some beautiful jewellery & gifts for sale.