Coober Pedy, 2nd May, 2024

 Having two nights here which gives us a full day to look around this amazing place. Not a blade of grass to be seen except the school soccer grounds which they keep watered from gray water. We had  two amazing tours booked for today. The first one was around the town visiting underground churches, and museums. Learnt the history of Opal mining which is very big here as I will explain later. We left at 8.15 am in the bus which was run by our camp owner. It was meant to be a three hour trip but it ended up four hours. At least we weren’t driving. The second tour left at 3.15pm probably for another three hours taking us out to the Breakaway Hills to see the sunset. We just relaxed in camp between tours.

Below starting with the around town tour, including places underground, and Opal mining  which is huge in Coober Pedy.

The Catholic Church. We entered through the front door like any church but then the rest, once you get inside it is underground all built into the hill.

Catholic Church. Built underground. 

Once you go through the doors  you are underground. The temperature is usually the same day and night as it had no windows.

The cross by the front entrance inside looking out.

Inside the Church of England. So beautifully done.

Now at the museum walking down to the underground displays.

This is how people lived when they first build these.

Today the living quarters (peoples homes) look like this.

The bedroom.

These next photos shows how the opal miners lived

When we went into these displays we went downstairs as above but when we left we walked  out up a sloping tunnel.

This pictures shows the massive dust storms that come through Coober Pedy

Continuing our tour we were taken to the golf cause. Coober Pedy has no grass  it’s all stone and dusty soil. This is one of the holes at the golf cause. I think this sign was put there as a joke. As you will see below no grass to be seen in the whole town.

Looking down over the golf cause after climbing up the steps below.

That’s the bus that we had on tour.

While up this little hill took a photo looking the other way. Now you can see what I mean that Coober Pedy has no grass at all. A real mining area of stone.

You see hundreds of these piles of the earth/stones in the area which have been sucked out of the ground. They then noodle them ( which means putting them through a machine that divides the rubbish from the opals.)

You see these test holes everywhere .

One way is mining like I have explained above and the other is what they call  open mining. This is where they dig out massive  holes showing in the above photo. Then go through noodling all the soil picking out the Opals. 

As it’s been a very busy day with two tours on and not getting back until after sunset didn’t have time to write about the second tour so will leave that until tomorrow.