Alice Springs - Coober Pedy (Outback trip)

Day 10

Time to say "Goodbye" to Alice Springs and thus also to the ones from the Adventure Tours Australia trip. I have to hurry to get back to Melbourne (exams are waiting, remember?) so I booked that 2-day express trip from Alice Springs to Adelaide with a company called "Heading Bush":And this time we (guide/driver Scott and 6 others) travel in this vehicule which is just slightly different from the ATA bus, only a bit smaller ;-)


Crossing the border from Northern Territory State to the State of South Australia




we finally arrive after 700 km for our overnight stay in underground city Coober Pedy.
The town is known as the opal capital of the world because what are widely regarded as the most precious opals are mined there. When approaching the region around the little town you everywhere get so see this picture of molehills - as far as the eye can see.

This picture simply illustrating the process of opal mining might be the explanation for this view.

"Coober Pedy" derives its name from the local Aboriginal term kupa piti, meaning "white man in a hole". The harsh summer temperatures and the dominant industry mean that most residents live in caves bored into the hillsides and work underground in mine shafts. A standard three bedroom cave home with lounge, kitchen and bathroom can be drilled out of the rock in the hillside for a similar price to a house on the surface. It remains at a constant temperature whereas surface living needs air-conditioning, especially in the summer months when the temperature can exceed 40°C.

In the late afternoon we visit an opal mine/museum which presented some examples for underground living and mining as shown on the below pictures.




(picture taken from the internet to give you a better impression)
(picture taken from the internet to give you a better impression)






In the museum: you know how much is that worth what you see on these two pictures? I can't remember, but something over AU$400,000!!!




And also the jewellery was not exactly cheap! (and what you see below is just the small stuff)


This might be again of some more value...


Like most of the inhabitants in the opal city also we sleep underground: