It was a bit of a struggle to sleep last night, the warmth failing to fully dissipate and a savage wind blowing across the plains and slamming into the van with enough force to rock it about, all the while whistling noisily through the wide open windows and vents. But sleep we did after a lengthy day rolling down the highway, now safe in the knowledge that we were but a hop, skip and a jump away from Coober Pedy. Because we weren’t far off now from our destination, we again found ourselves the last campers left in the rest area, while by the time we were eventually ready to hit the road at 10:00AM, a fresh cavalcade of caravans and motorhomes were pulling in for their morning tea break.

I was watching them with some derision, wondering how anyone could enjoy getting up so early as to have to pull over for a break by 10:00AM, although no doubt, they were all looking back at us, with similar thoughts on their minds about wasting the day away sleeping. Mind you, given that the temperature was already rising rapidly, I could see some merit to the early start mentality of travel.

Getting close.

Getting closer.

We’ve arrived.

Not that we need be concerned with early starts, when by just before midday, we were pulling into the welcoming gates of our caravan park. Located a few kilometres out of town, a short way down a clay crowned road that would be interesting in wet weather, it is as quirky as what we recall the entire town being. The sole reason for us choosing this park was the appeal of free showers. Water is in such demand in Coober Pedy, all of the other parks have coin slots in their shower stalls forcing you to pay as you go. We figured that option would be expensive for Bec and smelly for me, thus here we were, all ready to take advantage of a free wash.

While the no extra cost showers was the major draw card for us, we found the park to be perfectly reasonable. It’s hard to expect too much in such a remote area, but our rammed earth dirt site is blissfully covered with a shade cloth awning that keeps the hot sun off of the van throughout the day to provide an extra level of insulation from the invasive heat. This was something we were much appreciative of, as we again questioned our decision to head inland at this time of year. The weather forecast for the few days we’re here pretty much reads hot, hot and hotter, and given that the majority of the locals live in houses burrowed into the side of hills to take advantage of the insulating properties of natural earth, I think that we’re really going to feel the heat. Something that I am sure will be of more concern to Bec than myself.

At least if it all gets too hot, there is the underground TV room and Internet lounge, although we were warned when we checked in that there is no TV nor is there any Internet, so really, it’s nothing more than a glorified underground room. We’re yet to have a look at that yet though.

Once we got the van unhitched, Bec retreated inside where the air conditioner was struggling to bring the temperature down to a more bearable level. I stayed outside, making sure everything was set up in the fashion we like. That is, the van is nicely leveled, the satellite dish is aimed at the invisible dot in the sky and all the hoses are connected. I did have trouble with the water hose, until I remembered the lack of water and consequentially the lack of a faucet for our own sole use. Therefore, once our tanks run dry, that’s it, unless we buy water in town. The council depot has an outlet at which we can purchase water in bulk for something like 20 cents for 30 litres.

Having cooled down in the van a little, we bundled the dogs back into ‘The Beast’ for a drive into town to check out the local action. As it turns out, there isn’t too much happening, but it does retain the odd quirkiness that we remember and love so much. It defies explanation, but is a love it or hate it type of place. For us, we love it as a place to visit, but I think we would quickly come to hate it as a place to live.

Like a town out of a wild west cowboy movie dust still flows along the main street, despite the tarred surface, as the sun beats down baking the atmosphere and the earth to a deep rusty red colour. A hue that is mimicked in the age old machinery littered across the barren land. There are no fields, no crops, no livestock, just quietly pegged out mining claims, all strewn with low mullocks of waste, pulled from the depths of the ground and dotted with thousands upon thousands of unmarked mine shafts from prior tribulations.

The bulk of the businesses that line the main street cater to either the mining trade, the tourist trade or to both, for there is very little else that sustains the town. That said it is a marvelously multi-cultural little town owing to the influx of immigrants all searching for the brightly coloured gleam of a prize opal. Every second shop sports a bright pied façade and signage to suggest that it is the best place in the whole of Coober Pedy in which purchase opal, from raw, uncut stones through to exquisitely polished gems.

We visited a few of the dealers, peering inquisitively through the glass topped counters at case after case of rings, earrings, pendants and all manner of other jewelry. For the most part the gems used have been mined locally, while local artisan jewelers have crafted the settings.

Seeing nothing immediately that was to our taste or within our budget, we instead decided to try our hand at a bit of noodling. Rather than what you might be thinking, this is the term given to sitting atop the great mounds of discarded dirt and rock from mining operations, picking through the rubble in the unlikely hope that a slither of opal was left behind by a miner or the other countless number of naïve tourists who have been before us. Nonetheless we had a great time getting coated in prime Coober Pedy dust, even if we didn’t find our fame and fortune.

Coober Pedy from the…

…Big Winch Lookout.

Back at the van, we managed to cook up a roast for dinner that was infinitely better than our last attempt, before getting ready for our underground mine tour, which is run right here at the caravan park. Not long before the allotted time, the park owner knocked on our door and asked if we wouldn’t mind putting our tour off until tomorrow as much for his sake as ours, as there are 50 other guests lined up to take the tour tonight. That sounded too crowded for our liking, so we said we would see him tomorrow night and crossed our fingers in the hope that it will be quieter then.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.