March 2, 2012 Fri Day 22 Cooper Pedy

Up early for the 8:30 for the  Umoona Opal Mine and Museum tour.

Crested Pigeon.  They are at every campsite begging for food. 

Underground church 

Orthodox Church is still used.  The priest comes once a month for a service.

Underground homes are called "dugouts".  The dugouts are sandstone, and sprayed to
hold the sandstone together, but see through for the colors.  Floors are cement. The
miners quickly discovered the advantages of living underground to escape the heat of
the summer and winter's cool desert nights.  Temperatures maintain an even
temperature winter and summer in a dugout.  23C-25C day and night throughout the year.  Not
damp at all.  About 50% of the people live underground now.  The only grass we saw
was a patch at the local school.  Desert all around us.    

Peter and Immy looking for opal.
Opal without color is called '' posh''. 

After a tour of an opal mine, Rudy, our tour guide gave us time to search for opal missed by the miners.
Marcel found a little piece, but mine was gypsum.  Sooo close. 

             Goober Pedy means "White Man's Burrows".  Population 3500.  45 Nationalities live here.
                                                        It is the 'Opal Capital Of The World'.

Another church. 

18 hole golf course with no grass. 

Inside an underground home.
Fully functional.  Full bathroom, electricity and plumbing throughout the home. 
But no windows.   

We saw homes, restaurants, hotels and churches, all underground.  

Opal

After our opal tour, we had the chance to buy jewellery.  I bough earrings. 

Dingo traps. 

Peter still loving the scrap heaps. 

If there's an old piece of machinery to be found that's where we can find Peter. 

We walked to town this afternoon.  60% were opal stores.
 Temperatures rose today, and when we got back to camp we put on the air co.

Dingos are a problem.  They look like dogs, but can't bark, only howl.
And that's what we heard all night.