84 Coober Pedy

The first strange thing we saw was what appeared to be sand hills on the distant horizon; as we got closer t turned out to be waste dumps from Opal mines. This was about 37ks from Coober Pedy.

How does one explain the sight of all the tailing dumps?? Mind blowing, amazing, unique, unusual, a totally never before seen sight like it. 

Does not do them justice at all!!!

Checked into the caravan park, then went back to the office and booked a tour for the next afternoon and another night in the park. We did our last bit of shopping and took a look around town the next morning then had an early lunch boarded the bus off on the tour.

We were told a some history of the town by the bus driver who is an old miner, with a few tales and stories we were taken around town shown different buildings below ground, Houses, Hotels, and Churches. Being able to go into the underground ones was totally mind blowing!!

 Under ground church had a lovely warm feel when we walked inside.

Under ground mine

 This sucks the dirt out of the tunnels and into stock piles

 Drills the round shaft

 By Machine

 By Hand and Pick

 Opal still in the wall of the tunnel

The way out from underground.

Then off out to the Breakaways going through the mines on the way both open cut and underground  to show how the claims are pegged also the sizes allowed very interesting. 

 Dugout

 Shafts with blowers

 Open cut

 Open Cut

The Breakaways well they are in a class in all their own, to us absolutely beautiful we hope that the photos do them justice.

Then onto the Oodnadatta track and back to town.

Bit of history

There were about 5000 miners originally working the area, the big companies have now come in so there is only about half that amount working now, also there are no young miners the older ones are retiring or dying. As a consequence the town population is also reducing.

A fantastic tour wish we had more time maybe will have to come again.