DIARY OF AN AUSSIE WOMBAT

HELLO COOBER PEDY

OPAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!

We arrived in Coober Pedy after a lovely bush camp stop over. This is the place where many people live underground, in their dugouts.. don't be misled! There are heaps of great things about living underground, I should know, I am a wombat! The dugouts might look a bit shabby from the surface, but go 'deeper' and you can find 2, 3 and up to 6 bedroom dugouts, complete with power, gas, and even a swimming pool! As the temperature outside in Summer here can get to 48-50 in the shade underground is the way to go as it always remains at a constant temperature of 24 degrees Celsius so no heating or cooling bills, and on top of that quite possibly the cheapest and the cleanest drinking water in Australia! Caravans and holiday fossickers are always welcome...If you want your tank filled with drinking water it only costs 20 cents for 80 liters! The houses being sandstone no real dust to gather so cleaning is easy. Concrete floors with tiles and or carpet. The other really good thing about living underground is that this part of Australia is prone to dust storms... and I mean really big ones! So come inside, shut the door and wait until the storm is over. The other thing is the cost... about $70,000 for a two to three bedroom house. But don't expect a garden... rocks is probably all you'll get.

We stayed at Oasis Caravan Park (above ground) yes folks, they have above ground houses too. The temperature here is cold! down to 2 degrees at night.. and only 16 in the day time... very unseasonal! We took a bus tour and Rudy the tour guide had been here since 1964, and while opal mining has made a good living for him he said it didn't make his fortune but he loved the life and the community. There are Australians, Greeks, Italians, Serbians and of course Aborigines here. First Nation Aborigines do not mine underground as they believe the Earth Spirits will get angry however Rudy told us and 1/2, 1/4 etc have no issue of trying their luck at opal mining.

Did you know that a 14 year old boy named Willy Hutchinson was travelling with his father and another group looking for gold in Coober Pedy? They didn't find gold, and their attention turned to finding water. They left Willy in charge of the camp but after a while Willy got bored and went for a walk... He kicked the stones with his feet while he walked and discovered the biggest opal fields in Australia, and he also found water! His father was very angry with Willy when he returned to find the camp fire out and cold then in the distance Willy came up to him and said "How did you do dad?" Willy's father started to yell at him but Willy had a big smile on his face.. and showed him the billy full of water and threw down a bag. His father wasn't angry with Willy when he opened the bag! That is why the main street in Coober Pedy is named after Willy "Hutchinson Street"

We went into churches, a mine and a house with mum taking a few pictures. the glass windows and the sculptures in the rock inside is very beautiful. Unfortunately we couldn't go 'noodling' for opals as it was just too cold out on the plains. The cold winds whipped through us like a hot knife through butter.

enjoy the pics.

Until next time... and then the last time

Tahune xx