Exactly 100 years ago a lucky fellow discovered opals in the region. Lucky not only because of this find, but also because he had the chance to share the news with others: A heavy thunderstorm came to his rescue just when he was about to die of thirst.
Anyway, opals were the only reason why a town was founded in this harsh, bone-dry area, and they are still the only reason why anyone in his right senses* would want to live here. The name is the English version of the Aborigine word Kopa Pity, “white man in a hole”. This aptly describes the scenery that awaits you when you approach the town: The whole desert is covered in dugouts and piles of sand and gravel. No wonder the post-apocalyptic movie Mad Max III was filmed here. Apparently there are more than 250,000 mine shafts in the area, and big signs warn tourists about this imminent danger.
We stay for 2 nights, visit an old opal mine and another Coober Pedy oddity: An underground home. Around half of the town’s population lives in dugouts to shelter from the extreme climate with more than 50° in summer and freezing nighttime temperatures in winter. Even motels, backpacker hostels, churches were built underground! Sometimes the building costs are covered by the opals that are found during home construction.
A few kilometres outside of Coober Pedy there is another weird sight: The dog fence. Around 1880, some wealthy farmers joined forces and built a 5,300 km fence to protect their sheep from dingoes. This fence, the longest in the world, is still maintained and in use. It certainly helps to keep the majority of dingoes out of South Australia’s grazing regions. But nobody really seems to bother about the ecological side-effects of this barrier on other animals.
Another attraction of the area is The Breakaways, named because this hill range is separated from the Stuart Ranges that dominate the rest of the landscape’s horizon. The Breakaways give you an idea of what can still be discovered in this vast continent. It’s mainly an attraction due to its proximity to the highway — only 25 km on dirt roads —, not necessarily because of its uniqueness. Colourful rock formations like these must be abundant if you travel further off the beaten track. Anyway, we enjoy the scenery, especially around sunset. Not only because of the spectacular colour display, but also because the gazillions of terrorising flies finally go to sleep …
*Footnote: Though most of them must be a bit eccentric, the folk in Coober Pedy turn out to be a friendly and interesting bunch of people.
[Coober Pedy, 10.-12. September]
