14 November 2011 - Big4 Oasis Coober Pedy, Queensland

Today is our oldest grandson’s ninth birthday; each birthday surprises us as to how quickly the years have gone by. In just six more years Jackson could be driving a car on the public roads; now that is scary!

Today was also our initiation into opal mining, nearly two hours in the desert sun chipping through mining mullock (waste heaps) looking for luck. We have a tray of interesting looking rock bits, sorted and washed and a blister on my hand as evidence of our efforts.

The intention had been to rise early, setting the alarm at some ungodly hour, however we both went to bed far too late, caught up with television; an excellent docu-film called “The Horse Boy” and Opera Australia’s “Marriage of Figaro”. As a result it was nearly 8 am before squinty eyes peered at the clock and realised we were late! So it was at least nine thirty before we were out in the opal field, otherwise known as The Jeweller’s Shop. I donned my ridiculous fly netted hat and a hand garden hoe and dug and scraped and searched for rocks with a hint of opal. Chris worked his way through a pile of rocks someone else had been at before and had more success.

Views over the town

A fellow noodler worked beside him, a chef from the camp in town where workers from an iron mine about one hundred kilometres away reside. I suggested to him that he might get richer by pursuing hard work rather than chancing his luck here in the mullock.

We came back to camp, washed our dusty selves and submerged our treasure in water in an attempt to remove the sandstone and clay we hoped was all that obscured the jewels beneath.

After lunch we went up to the lookout over town; this did nothing to change our mind about the place. It is a scruffy unattractive town in a desolate place, with little to recommend it to any would be immigrant.

And yet it is immigrants who have chosen to live here. The town is very multi-cultural, Italians, Serbs, Greeks, Austrians and a host of others. It is they who have put their names to the businesses around town, be they restaurants or plumbing supplies.

We managed to lay our hands on a Sunday paper, just one day late, a replacement shower fitting which Chris has successfully installed and a few provisions in readiness for our departure tomorrow morning.

Our water tanks are full of pure filtered water, Jackson is happily enjoying his birthday in New Zealand and we are again resting in the shade and cool of the air-conditioned caravan.