So I find myself in the foyer of the Lookout Cave Underground Motel in Coober Pedy. It boasts to be the best vantage point of Coober Pedy and sits in a hill above the town with a view over mounds of dirt and a main street that is called Coober Pedy. Quite an interesting place really, but lots of the same. We drove in from Coward Springs on the Oodnadatta Track this morning and did an Opal Mine tour this afternoon at Tom's Working Opal Mine. Pretty cool to see but not a lot of Opal to be found. Jo, who took our tour told us how her and her ex gave up their lease that they had mined for 11 odd years having found themselves with nothing but debt and then the next lease holders in 3 months and 3 and a half foot of digging pulled out $980k worth of Opal....tis a tough and harsh place this one.
But before now we have had a great week. First night was spent at my brother and sister in law's place, Steve and Sam's, at Parkes before the long haul to Broken Hill. 3 nights there spent really sorting ourselves out. Did a tour of the Daydream Silver Mine (a slight mining theme so far but promise this will be it for mines for a while) where we all donned the hard hats and lights and down we went. Both boys loved it, especially with Alex being used as the example of the boys that used to work in the mines of similar age...he even got to hold the candle while hey showed us how they mined in candle light....and then blew it out! Saw the curvature of the earth just west of Silverton, the biggest park bench in the world and then it was off to the Flinders Ranges in SA.
Here we stayed 3 nights at Rawnsley Station just outside of Wilpena Pound. Not a lot to do for a couple of days except admire the scenery...and bush walk. 6.5km around the station the first day and then in to Wilpena Pound and 7.8km the next....with Lachie a little tired towards the end of the second walk. The scenery was spectacular, the colours amazing at sunset finished off by a 4wd track through Brachina Gorge where we drove through the Gorge along the dry river bed to cross through the National Park and out of the Flinders Ranges en route to the Oodnadatta Track and an overnight bush camp at Coward Springs.
Coward Springs was pretty quick...got there just after dark, shower warmed up by a furnace with a fire that someone had kindly lit...and only a torch to see by, a couple of pit toilets and then a swim this morning in the mineral springs...although perhaps a dip is more apt as the springs was about a metre square. Either way, it was warm and nice to get the dust off before the flies landed all over us.
Which leads us to now...447km of dirt road, corrugations, flies and now a car and trailer covered in red dust and as I started we find ourselves in Coober Pedy. Has been a great first week. Tomorrow we head off early to see the sunrise at the Breakaways just north of here and then the big drive to Uluru...which the kids are very excited about.
Till next time I find myself with Wifi!
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