19th - 20th - To Coober Pedy

300+ kms to go to Coober Pedy and it was going to be another scorcher!  We got away reasonably early for us and at John’s tip off, stop off at Glendambo to top up and ask for the locals discount (fuel cheaper here than at Spud’s).   Another 252kms to go from here, we should hit Coober bout 12.30pm.   It was a long, boring, hot drive – that’s the first stretch of road on our trip we have both thought that. 

Long hot drive

Mullock heaps in background - Blower truck invented by a Kiwi in the 70's, still used today

As soon as we arrive we decide to treat ourselves and book into the Lookout Cave Underground motel and booked the Lake Eyre flight for Tuesday.    We are in heaven, the outside temp is 43 deg, inside the room is a comfy 23 deg, we unpack and do not step foot outside for the rest of the day.   There's a huge flat screen TV and we get Brisbane chanels 7 and 9 and find out that Qld is in for an election.  

The Lookout Cave Underground Motel

Cave Luxury!

This place is quite unique with a lot of buildings built underground, churches, motels, museums and houses (dugouts).  Whatever the temperature outside summer or winter, the underground temp year round is an average 23 deg.  The landscape is covered with piles of dirt (discarded mullock).  There are hundreds of thousands of abandoned mine shafts on the opal fields, with warning signs NEVER walk backwards, that could be tricky I do that a bit when taking photos.   

These signs are everywhere

Have pipes, have underground premises

Lucky for us a cool change come through on Monday.  We do a bit of sightseeing, check out Tom’s underground working mine and some churches, museum etc.   I’m looking forward to doing some noodling, but Nick our host says don’t go out to the mullock heaps, he has a stash of stones out back and let’s his guests noodle from buckets, sounds good to me…..I don't have to get my hands dirty.

Catacomb Church - featuring local mulga wood and an old miners winch

My Darl the miner, I crapped when the jack hammer started, Darl was happy doin his thing!