Coober Pedy

June 27,   2002

Coober Pedy is a town built out of opal mines.  We stayed in a hotel dug into the side of the hill.  At one time this cave was an active opal mine.  The cave was a nice break from camping.  It was not dusty, not muddy, and most of all not cold.  Inside the main hall we setup our dinner tables.  To each side of the main hall were 7 rooms.   Each room had 2 sets of bunk beds, good even matresses, and a light.  Nina, Joy, Sam, and Amy all bunked together and slept like logs.  Below are shots of the hall and an empty room.  When we turned the lights off at night it was completely dark inside.  I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or shut.  












The pictures above are of the inside of an opal mine.   The big chambers are made when the miners are following a vein of opal.  This cavern was cut by hand with a pick and shovel.  The round tunnel was cut with a machine and is used to explore underground and cut passages between caverns.  The machine will tunnel right through the valuable opal so when the miner gets into rock he thinks might bear opal.  They put away the machines and dig with a pic and shovel.

Below is the left over space ship from Pitch Black.  This movie was fillmed out in the strange looking landscape of Coober Pedy.  Check back later for some film photos of  Coobr Pedy.







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