Coober Pedy 11/2 - 12/2

Having arrived early afternoon in Coober Pedy which is the Opal Mining capital of the world, we went on a 4 Wheeled Drive sunset tour with a private guide to see the Breakaways which are just north of the town.



The Breakaways are an area of land that used to be covered by a massive inland sea.



The area has been used as a location in several films such as Prescilla Queen of the Desert, Mad Max III and Pitch Black, plus the mini tv series Stark.



The rocks below are known as the two dogs. The aboriginies have a number of names for various rock formations based on their 'Dreamtime' legends but you often need some imagination to recognise them.



The longest fence in the world is the 'dog fence'. At 5300 km long it runs from the Eyre Highway in South Australia to the Gold Coast in Queensland. The fence is designed to prevent Dingoes from killing sheep and some sections are now over 100 years old. Each part of the fence is still maintained today and the person responsible for this particular area has about 320km to look after.



The area turned very eerie as the sun was setting because you felt so isolated and could see nothing but land for miles. We both felt much happier being with a local guide who knew the area very well. The sun eventually set over the Breakaways and we headed back into Coober Pedy.



Coober Pedy is a desolate and dry place. Its looks like a film set or a place in North Africa. When we arrived on a Sunday afternoon we saw only a few aboriginals.



No large companies are allowed to mine the area only individuals. You only need a Prospectors Licence for about £20 to start, plus about £50,000 of equipment. There is no need to replace what you have dug up so large conical piles of dust and earth scatter the landscape.



This is the easier way to find Opal. The machinery sucks up the mined material and drops it out of the bucket onto a conveyer belt. The mined material is scanned in the little cabin under ultra violet lights and if Opal is present then the rocks glow. The man sitting in the cabin removes any identified Opal and the remaining 'Mullock' dust is emptied into the conical piles that surround the area and give it it's unique identity.



However as we had no machinery we had to make do with our bare hands and root around in the 'Mullocks'. This process is known locally as 'Noodling'. Sadly we didn't find our fortunes but it does make you realise that Australia is still full of untapped mineral wealth.



The temperatures in Coober Pedy can sometimes reach 50 degrees celsius inland (122 degrees fahrenheit) and people have their homes underground. They have a constant temperature of 23 degrees and are very soundproof. Some of the shops and hotels are also underground.



The main street contains a number of shops selling Opal and features all manner of attractions on the outside to try and attract you in.

Although Coober Pedy is an Outback town they do not go short on entertainment facilities. They have a Drive-In Cinema, a Racecourse (although admittedly this is only used once a year) and a unique desert based 18 hole golf course.