Down Down Under |
 16 votes |
One of the last things we did before heading home was visiting Coober Pedy. This little town in the middle of the desert is being visited by as many guests as there are inhabitants.
What sets Coober Pedy appart from all other towns in Australia is the way many of its inhabitants live... underground.
It's not that these people think of themselves as being modern cavemen, its just a plain practical solution. These people are used to digging for Opal and they have all the right equipment for digging out their home. And, more importantly: it's a lot cooler under a big pile of rock than it is on top of it.
We've been here for just about one and a half day before returning to Adelaide.
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| Favourite spots: |
- Crocodile Harry's home,
- Out on the Opal Fields,
- The Breakaways
Crocodile Harry is advertised as the rolemodel for the movie character Crocodile Dundee. He's been hunting crocs and poaching his way through his midlife. Got friendly with the Aboriginals and finaly decided to go for the money by digging for opal. He now is living at his dug out home more or less retired...
The opal fields are something special too. You need to book a tour and check them out. Don't go by yourselves, you are just not allowed and the locals are pretty clear in pointing that out.
Ever heard of Bartertown, the town out of Mad Max beyond thunderdome? This is the actual location for the town.
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| What's really great: |
- sleeping in a dug out hotel: Redeka
- finding opal
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| Accommodations: |
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Redeka's motel... rather noisy if you get the luck of having a couple of drunk backpackers as neighbours, but it's nice to have a room underground.
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| Nightlife: |
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hmm... not that much nightlife here...
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Published on Wednesday August 14th, 2002 by morc66
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