Underground, overground...

---

On Tuesday morning we were allowed a lie-in (up at 5.30am) before driving back to the Erldunda roadhouse. Here, 10 members left the group (to go back to Alice) and 1 joined - leaving 9 of us to travel on to Adelaide.

We spent the day travelling through some amazingly remote country stopping only at the South Australian border and then, many dusty miles later, for fish and chips at a roadhouse at Marla.

That evening we arrived in Coober Pedy famous for Opal mining, 30m deep abandoned mine shafts (walking the opal fields in not recommended) and being the place where the people live underground in rock chambers in order to escape the heat (and continue their never-ending search for riches from the comfort of their own living room!). After a meal at a Greek restaurant and a few brave games of pool in the local pub (meeting some of the local characters) we slept in an underground bunkhouse. (4 more people joined the tour talking our merry band to 13!).

The next morning we toured the town, went down a mine, learned about home explosive making and about some of the films shot in the area (Mad Max III, Pitch Black etc.). We also visited the Breakaways (location for said Mad Max film) on the edge of the Painted Desert.

---

Photos

Underground living
Our bunkhouse in Coober Pedy