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Published: July 15th 2021
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Besides sourcing new Engel fridge cables at the Shell service station, a plastic container large enough to hold ice to keep our caravan fridge cool and random and planned bumps into S and G, we found time to play tourist while in Coober Pedy.
We loved the underground venues with their stunning feature walls and unique layouts especially the coffee shop and galley and the Anglican church.
We spent several very entertaining yet informative hours at Tom’s Working Opal mine. We ventured in to find tour was about to start. It was at $28 per person it was extremely good value. Tom was a real character, a bit of a comedian, entertainer and skilled presenter. The participants ranged from young children through to older adults, He kept us all entertained with activities and challenges for every age group. The tour covered the history of opal mining in the region – from how to obtain mining rights both past and present, to methods of extraction, success rates, selling your opals… very much a cash-based process, through to surviving on slim pickings or no pickings at all.
We were given black light torches to
highlight the opal in situ and a small Ziploc bag just in case. The children were individually given a short ride on small lift that took them up just into the entry of a tunnel where they could locate a bit of opal … nothing too scarey and a photo opportunity for parents. He really did know his audience. He role played getting a mining right and later an interaction with his opal buyer. When he wanted to give the adults a bit of extra information he would send the kids off down a tunnel to find the opal chips he had seeded in various places. He challenged the adults who were game to shovel over burden into the blower (even though it was actually a vacuum, but making sure they didn’t get their legs to close as could easily suck them towards it and break a leg. Of course, it would love to suck up cameras, wallets and jewellery if they got too close. Then there was a photo opportunity for each family group where he was the camera operator using your phone. We presented with a camera … not a mobile phone. He gave us heaps … he
So Australian!
A crow on the Dog Fence was very funny. He really knew how to read his audience. It was a really good tour.
Dinner at Outback Jacks with S and G.
Next afternoon we took a drive out to The Breakaways. We thought this might be a poor cousin to the Painted Desert but we found it was a good substitute given our change of travel plans. The colours were amazing. We just love the colours of the desert …. Just in case you haven’t worked that out. We followed the dog proof fence for a short time before heading back into town.
Dinner at Outback Jacks with S and G again.
Off to Glendambo in the morning.
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