Kangaroos and Didgeridoos - A true 'Land Down Under'! Coober Pedy, SA
Seaduced
John & Jane Craven
Wed 25 Feb 2015 08:49
A mining truck used as the town sign
It is actually a very interesting place once you get to know what's going on. The reason for the underground houses is largely the heat in summer and the cold in winter. Underground, the houses maintain a constant 24 degree heat year round, making life a whole lot more comfortable. Opals were discovered here in the late 1800s but mining in earnest didn't start until after the First World War as most of the men were off fighting in Europe. When they came back they used the skills they had learnt digging trenches to dig for opals. They dug into the hills for shelter and this then became the norm round here. The name of the town is derived from the Aboriginal word kupa piti, which means white mens' burrows. Everything is underground from bars and restaurants, to churches, hairdressers and galleries.
Mining is about all that happens here, and on the basis that the town produces around 90% of the worlds opal, people flocked here to make their fortune. There are over 40 nationalities in the town, quite a cosmopolitan mix for such a remote place. It is said that all you need to do here is move earth to find opals, but exactly how much earth is the million dollar question. Everyone here is a miner, whether they are working in a bank, bar or whatever, they are still miners at heart. Everyone is holding out for their one big chance. Beating in mind that's you have to rent the land and usually the equipment to dig the mine, it is basically gambling by another name, something the Aussies are very good at! Most people have realised however that they need a safer income. Mining is done on a large scale by small groups of people. When you get a 'claim' (a site to mine), you pay a fee to the government and then you are duty bound to mine and if you do not do enough, the claim can be taken away from you and rented to someone else.
When we first arrived we set up the tent, with great difficulty and much swearing as the pegs were just bending in two rather than going in as the ground here is rock hard - there is not a blade of grass in sight and we are actually camping on gravel!
We then set off for a spot of sightseeing. One of the most recommended visits is to the Serbian Orthodox Church, quite hard to find as it is well hidden in the hills. It is shaped like a cross and lovely, it feels very much like a church, and you want to whisper which is a big change from the Balinese temple at the weekend which, despite it's age, didn't feel like a religious place at all.
The is the church which kind of shows how the buildings are dug back into the hills
The inside of the underground Serbian church
The Big Winch is basically a look out over the town and you get a real feel for the area with a 360 degree view of what is going on. The town is a very functional town and although there are a lot of houses above ground and the town seems quite big, there are 60-70% of the population living underground. Building, or digging out a house underground is quite a tough job. Before the machines arrived, these were all hand-dug. Now the job is much easier. You have to buy the land before you dig and that marks your boundaries. Mining is strictly outside of town for the sake of safety, but if you have a house and you think you have a chance of finding opals, although mining is forbidden, digging an extension is not, some houses have up to 20 rooms! We did get the chance to see into a previously owned underground home as part of our mine tour, it's quite strange as there is no natural light apart from what you can get through a small glass panel in the front door as all the houses start at street level. It is also, as you can imagine, extremely dark when the lights go out! Inside the house was modern but basic. It had all the usual furniture, but the television reception is minimal to say the least! Also, as you are underground, your mobile phone won't work either - which could be seen as a blessing!
A view of the town - certainly more functional than pretty!
There is also a kangaroo rescue centre on town where you can get involved in feeding the kangas twice a day, too cute to miss!
Getting a kiss from Marcus the rescued baby roo!
John with baby Marcus when he was having his post dinner stroll!
Whilst here in Oz, we fancied buying a piece of Aboriginal artwork for home. We have looked around at various galleries and seen nothing we both liked. The art style is unusual and often quite childlike and largely not to our taste. Eventually we settled this afternoon on a didgeridoo. Made by termites hollowing out the wood and hand painted by aboriginal artists, it also came with the bonus of a free didgeridoo playing lesson, which I have to say John was far better at than me - he was even making music! The whole buying process was a bit weird to say the least, but we are in the outback after all!
John gets it!!
We also visited the Breakaways, a local scenic spot on the edge of the Painted Desert. This is a separate blog as there are too many pics!
Tomorrow we head further north and have a roadhouse stop on our way up to Alice Springs. No idea what standard of accommodation we will find when we get there - it's all an adventure!
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