Coober Pedy

Very interesting place Coober Pedy. Stayed here two nights. After taking ourselves on a bit of a cooks tour, we took the advice of a couple we'd befriended and went on a five-hour tour run by    
BIG4 Stuart Range Outback Resort. Most informative and entertaining. Sounds like all you have to do is dig a hole and you'll strike it rich!

Interesting to hear that there is no more mining allowed in the town, but you can excavate extensions, new homes and sewers! As a result, some underground houses have many rooms. They seem to struggle with ineffective sewer lines too! One family bought a new house block, excavated the hallway and the sewer, then promptly left town! Hmmmm...

The wider Australian Serbian Church excavated a massive underground church, a 300 seat hall and then completely excavated a 300 space car park while trying to sort out the sewer.  When I asked how many Serbians were in town to justify such a massive church? We were advised that there are about 2500 people in town, 75% of whom are Italian or Greek, with the rest of the population split amoung another 100 nationalities.  Surely there's some in town??  Any??? ... I suppose all they needed was one clever one!

Driving around town, out to the Barrier Ranges where Mad Max 1 & 3 and many other movies were filmed, plus on the way to Yulara the next day, highlighted just how many mines there are. Mullock heaps everywhere. Apparently, due to the nature and fragility of opals, mining is best done by two men in small scale mines. Big machines in big mines destroy the gems.