Breakaways at Coober Pedy

What a photo filled day I have had today! We had breakfast and were on the road by five this morning all because I wanted a sunrise over the Breakaways. Many years ago this area of Australia was covered by an inland sea – we are talking millions and millions of years ago – even before I was born! When the sea disappeared the landforms it had created were left and violent storms over the millennia tortured the landscape even more and the Breakaways - and the opals were a result of all this change. The opal came about because the silica sand of this inland sea was such a perfect mineral. (I suggest you do a Google search to find out more, if you are interested.)
My photography started before the sun rose. What I took then is interesting but not for sharing. Then the sun broke over the horizon and while Colin tried to take shots of the sunrise I was facing the other way and catching the changing light on the Breakaways.

This first shot is one that I like because it shows not only the sun catching the tops of the mesas but the amazing colours and textures of the plain below – and above. The unusual rains of this year in the driest part of our continent, has resulted in plant growth that has never been seen in this abundance before. I find this so exhilarating having seen the land around Coober Pedy in a normal year when nothing grows.

The sun is higher in this second shot, we had moved from our first position where there were many little “mountains” and “valleys” to a place which was once the edge of the inland sea (at least that is what we imagined this landscape to represent!) I would think that you are not at all impressed with this shot – but imagine it with no vegetation AT ALL and that is how it was last year. The slopes are covered with clumps of tiny daisies and purple flowers and lots of different green or grey plants. The flats and the slopes and the strange formations have all been used in different films – when shots of the moon's surface are needed, the film companies couldn't use this place at the moment!

Colin and I left the vehicle and walked in among the peaks and valleys and my eye was attracted to something shining on the ground. It looked like lots of pieces of broken glass. I picked up a few different pieces and found it to be very fragile – it is gypsum. I found a thin piece and held it up in the sunlight and couldn't resist taking a shot! It looked so beautiful. I found thin needles of Gypsum as well.

Finally a shot of Colin – still wearing his fleecy top after our very cold start to the morning. We started out with our rain jackets on with the hoods pulled up to keep our heads a bit warmer! It was very cold! As soon as the sun was up it was warmer but it took until about nine o clock before we could strip down to t'shirts.

It is unusually cool here in Coober Pedy. This time of year the temperatures are usually 30 degrees and over but according to our host this has been the longest winter he has experienced in the 38 years he has lived here. (Lucky for us!)

In the morning we shall be leaving Coober Pedy. It will depend on whether we have Internet reception as to whether I can give you a new update. There will be one, but it will be posted just as soon as it can be.

AJ

Underground wonders

Today Colin and I learned what opal mining was all about. We first went on a tour of an opal mine after first watching a very good movie that told the story of how opal was created and how this area of opal field was found before being taken on a walk through the mine that is part of the show-room, owners home as well as the caves in which our accommodation is set.

Each of the homes dug into the hillsides started out as opal mines and once the opal was removed and there was a smart burrow left behind it was converted into living quarters.

Colin and I donned hard hats and went into 'Old Timer's Mine” which is an original mine cut with pick and shovel back in the 1920s and has been made interesting for tourists with plaques and dummy miners showing the various activities that were done and the hardships that were endured.

Behind a sheet of perspex was opal that was still in the rock wall, I used the flash and expected a big flash-back from the perspex but am pleasantly surprised at how well the picture came out. Can you see the opal?

When we emerged after 40 minutes of taking ourselves around the mine we walked into the shop where we had started our tour. My eye was drawn to a couple of carvings into the rock wall.

Yes, even the shop has rock as three of its walls, the fourth wall is the front of the shop and it is made of man made materials. I am not really all that enamoured of opal and although I gazed into the show cases and made all the right sounds of admiration, I had no interest in buying any! So I took my photo of the camel in the wall!

Another interesting place we visited was the “Catacomb Church” (there are actually several churches that are underground). We were fortunate in that a tour group had entered the church ahead of us and we were invited to stay while the local guide told everyone stories about how opal was found when the churches were created and that this Catholic church was unlucky in that no opal was found here – other churches struck it rich!

After the group had gone I was able to take my photo of the altar without using a flash.

A trip out to the Underground Pottery proved a waste of time – it was closed!
As I was writing this blog a familiar person walked towards me (I was sitting outside the dugout that is our home for three nights), it was Steven and with him, his co-pilot Sabine. It was lovely to chat with them both and we were invited across to have dinner with them and to meet the "group". What a treat! Everyone was so thrilled to be able to talk about what they had seen and done that we felt very comfortable in their presence.
Just maybe we shall meet up with them all again tomorrow - they, and we, are going out to the Breakaways.
That would be fun!
AJ

Opals in our sights

We enjoyed our short night in Woomera, it was quiet and we enjoyed a super meal (home cooked!). I was content because I had given my Nikon a good workout through the day. Colin was not so happy – we seem to be having more and more things go awry with the vehicle and he seems unable to sort out the problems. The trailer brakes did not get fixed after all – he had forgotten to purchase two washers! And the fuel filter needed to be replaced and we did not have one – and today is Sunday. Before we left Woomera we did a tour of the town and enjoyed wandering around the collection of rockets and rocket junk that is a memorial to all the activity that was here in the 1980s – not only by the British, I found out, but USA too. Both Colin and I took many photos of the exhibits before we hopped into the vehicle to drive the 250+ km to Coober Pedy.

There were many reasons to stop the vehicle (No! Only one, really! Joan wanted to take photos!) and each time we stopped we seemed to be meeting with the same tour group. When we arrived at Coober Pedy and were shown to our underground accommodation we looked up to see this same little bus and trailer pull into the car park behind us!

I wonder if they stopped, as we did, to run down into the scraggy brush and take photos of a most colourful and pretty succulent. I was quite surprised at the appearance of the flowers – I expected to find “pig-face” you know, that purple mesembryanthemum that grows in the sand at the edge of the beach. To find such a perfect little flower with yellow and white in the centre was a real treat.

We had stopped for a lunch on the side of the road when the phone rang – it was our son ringing from Broken Hill to tell us that we HAD to call in to one of the places in Coober Pedy and we were given a name to ask for. Apparently he had called to tell this fellow that we were coming and he insisted on us staying with him. Well, we did as we were told and we are this evening sitting outside our underground hideaway having eaten our meal (cooked on our own gas stove) and done the washing up! I also managed to take a Coober Pedy sunset shot too! Not as spectacular as last night's Woomera sunset because there were very few clouds to catch the light. Aren't we lucky to have a son who seems to know all the right people? We have been told to join in with one of the tours that starts at ten in the morning. Bed and opal mine tour all for being Firie's mum and dad!

We actually arrived here at two so we were able to explore the town on foot a little – we had to go on foot, on the way in the indicators stopped working! Something else to cause Colin to panic! Our explorations took us to a service station where we were able to get another fuse and another useful thing – Colin talked to anyone who had a Nissan Patrol and found out where we would be able to get a fuel filter in the morning.

I couldn't resist taking this photo of a couple of aboriginal men sitting on the pavement with their collection of dogs lounging nearby. This is a fairly typical scene in outback towns.

You will be happy to know that the brakes on the trailer were fixed this afternoon. Two out of three problems sorted!

Steven arrives in Cobber Pedy tomorrow afternoon so we will be able to say hello to him in person instead of by phone!

Up up and away

We have found the sunshine!
It was with great trepidation that we peeped out at the sky this morning – but our luck has turned. The skies were brighter – still a bit cloudy but definitely brighter! Once on our way we had to stop – but not for any serious problem – I just had to take a last photo of a group of emu. We saw quite a few of them as we drove along but I finally managed to persuade my driver to stop long enough for me to get my photo!

When we stopped in a rather attractive parking bay for our lunch we were greeted by the strange cry of a fairly large bird known as the “Happy Jack” I think this bird is also the apostle bird but without my bird book to check … “Happy Jack” will do for now!

There were four birds and they were very brave and had obviously found that travellers that stopped here were only too willing to share their lunches! They were happy with a little bit of bread crust that Colin gave them.

Half way between Port Augusta and Woomera with 100 kilometers to go in either direction to reach a town, a warning light came on. Ooops!

We stopped the vehicle and I searched through the car manual and found what the warning light meant – water in the fuel filter. Colin started to panic after looking under the bonnet – he could not identify the fuel filter. I came to the rescue once again using the manual and showed him a sketch of the thing and read out what to do to drain and bleed it. The new steps we had bought to be able to access the bed in the camper trailer (have you ever tried to climb up round ladder runnels in bare feet?) came in very useful because the 4x4 is so high!

Half an hour later we were on our way and the light was out. Yes, there was water in the fuel.

Unfortunately the fix did not last for very long and we had 40k to reach Woomera when it came on again.
We limped in to the caravan park and will drain the filter again in the morning and purchase a replacement filter as soon as possible – its Sunday tomorrow so that will have to be Monday! Steven rang us and we explained our problem and it turns out to be the same problem that he encountered and was why he had the vehicle serviced only two days before we left home and the mechanics said they had fixed the problem. Since they would have replaced all filters this could be why we had no problems until today. The vehicle must have been filled with contaminated fuel at some time.

Woomera - used to be where Great Britain tested rockets so there is a rocket on display at the entrance to the town.
Once our vehicle was unpacked for the night I took the tripod and camera and dragged Colin out for a walk – I wanted to catch an outback sunset without power lines so I had to cross over the road. It got colder and colder as we waited for the sun to go down – but it was worth it!

This is one of the many shots I took. Its a big sky out here!
Incidentally you may have found out already , but if not, click on the picture and it will be shown larger. Hit the "back" arrow at the top of the screen and you will return to the blog.

AJ

Friday as predicted.

The rain thundered down through the night and we were warm and cosy in our little caravan park cabin while a few hardy souls just across the lane-way from us were cowering under canvas after setting up their camper trailers. After showering and taking note of the conditions outside I persuaded Colin to come with me to the Living Desert Park again – but with raincoats and umbrella “just in case”. It was much brighter and it looked as if we might have a window of opportunity to go and see the wildflower garden part of the park.
To get to this area we had to drive past the entrance to the area we had visited yesterday when we went up to the Sculpture Symposium site. This morning there was a “road closed” sign on the entrance. The way in to the flower area is sealed and there are no gates so on we drove.
Fantastic! Not another person in the place so I could enjoy this park as if it were there just for me!
We donned our rain jackets and I slung the camera case over my shoulder so that I would have somewhere to stow the camera if the rain started. I also put on a pair of walking sneakers with heavy tread on the soles. We had barely reached the shelter in which there was a display of pictures when the clouds released their load! Down it came.

I took a photo back to where we had left the car in the sealed car park and when I looked around at the pictures in the shelter, there was a photo taken from almost the same place when the country looked like it did the last time Colin and I saw it back in the 70's – dry.

I took a photo of this picture so that I could show you two things – how the conditions change when rain comes and also how the park was started – with plantings and waterings. You can see the trickle irrigation water lines on the ground.
The rain did ease and although it was still falling lightly we set off up the slope and enjoyed the sight of a landscape that was quite unique.

The sky and weather were not really suitable for photography but still I managed to take a few, this is a colourful one of more Sturt Desert Peas among other native plants.
We returned to the Information Office to take back the key to the Reserve and were reimbursed our $20. I had not realised that the $20 was a bond and was quite surprised to be given money! Stepping outside the rain was falling again and from the shelter of the overhanging roof I took a photo of the wonderful red bottle brush and, across the road, a display of early mining equipment.

You can see how wet it was!
After shopping for parts for the broken brakes on the trailer we returned to our cabin and almost immediately the rain fell in earnest and the wind rose to gale force. It looked as if we were to be trapped indoors for the afternoon.
But that wasn't the case, as soon as the rain stopped I bullied Colin into the vehicle again and we drove up to the top of the “lode” to see the Miner's Memorial up close. I managed to get some interesting shots from the car as we drove up to the restaurant and information office – but getting out of the car and into that building was an adventure in itself! The wind was incredible up on the top of that rise! I nearly lost hold of the car door as I opened it – fortunately didn't! And then struggled against the wind to open the heavy door to the building!

I could not stand upright outside to take any shots of the town that was laid out below us so I took this shot of the rain clouds over Broken Hill from the window of the restaurant. We felt that we deserved a coffee and enjoyed one that was made by someone else for a change! I did enjoy it – and managed to feel a lot warmer as a result – I think the top temperature today is only 17 degrees.

Colin is now fixing the brakes on the trailer and replacing the windscreen wiper blades that must be dried up – the old ones made such a noise! He is quite happy now doing HIS thing!
AJ

From Cobar to Broken Hill

There had been a fair bit of rain overnight at Cobar but it had cleared by the time we packed the vehicle and trailer again. Our night in the motel had worked wonders for Colin, he had not slept the night before and was able to catch up – he was asleep from the time we unpacked in the afternoon until seven in the morning with a few moments awake to have a meal!

It was a glorious run through the most incredible scenery I have ever seen – I had left home determined to see the desert in bloom and here it was; even better than I had hoped.
I will not bore you with too many flower photos – but I could! I had a wonderful time and the Nikon was dug out of hiding and the Samsung relegated to quick snaps! The first blue photo is of the Paterson's Curse – a rather toxic weed that is not good for sheep and cattle – but it creates a most dramatic and eye catching display. This area of desert country had rains – very heavy rains – early in the year and as a result it no longer looks like a desert. There has been so much follow-up rain that the grass and wildflowers have continued to grow.

I didn't manage to get any photos of them but the area is alive with feral goats. We saw plenty of them and they all look very healthy. They were in all goat colours – from one colour to multi-colour. No wonder there was an advert on the place-mat in the Bowls Club where we had our evening meal for a goat buyer!

It was a huge distance between Cobar and Broken Hill and even though we used the sub-tank on the Nissan four wheel drive we still needed to use one of the jerrycans of diesel to make the distance. Since I was out of the vehicle I couldn't resist recording the event!

We arrived at Broken Hill just after three in the afternoon and booked ourselves into one of the caravan parks – in a cabin – for two nights. Heavy rain was forecast for Friday. We went down to the Information Centre and asked about the Living Desert Park and a very helpful lady urged us to take a key and go straight away because rain was expected later in the afternoon and we might be able to get an hour in before it started. The key could be kept until midday tomorrow so if it was fine in the morning we could go out there again.

Oh, am I glad we went out there! The scenery on the way is stunning and once in the park it is even more beautiful. The rock and hill formations are so glorious and the flowers. Swoon! There are two gates to unlock and pass through and after the first we were brought to a long standstill by the sight of a most amazing display of Sturt Desert Peas.

Rather than give you a close up shot of the flowers I am sharing a shot that shows the way the plant grows and spreads across the ground. The sky was very overcast all the time we were in the park so the shine does not really show on the bulbous black part of the flower – they are so glossy that the sunlight gives them a real sparkle.

I could have spent hours taking photographs along the track that led up to a sculpture park – a rather long story that I will not share here. Instead just one photograph I took. Again I would have loved to have spent a long time here but the heavens opened and I had to make a hasty retreat with the camera shielded as best as I could!

The rain is still falling. We are hoping that we will be able to explore more of Broken Hill tomorrow – but if the rain is as heavy as expected then we shall be exploring indoors! We have a broken trailer to get parts for! The brakes jammed on and we had to remove them.
AJ

Sunshine, where are you?

It seemed to take us ages to pack up the camper trailer. It wasn't that it was difficult, its just that we seem to have so much stuff to pack – and what goes in first and what is wanted out first are decisions that have to be made – and agreed on by both of us! As it was we managed to get things wrong! I had forgotten that rain had been forecast for this evening and I foolishly tucked the laptop under the mattress and put the sleep attire under the pillows and then we folded the camper tent down on them. Big mistake! When rain started to spit at 2.30 we found a place to pull off the road and we undid the tent and Colin crawled in to retrieve the laptop – but he couldn't reach our pj's. We packed the tent up tight again and almost as soon as we were on the road the rain started in earnest – and this story is being written in the comfort of a motel room!(which is why I wanted the laptop and pj's!) But I am starting the story of our day at the end.
We enjoyed our regular but simple breakfast – Colin has cereals and I have toast and home made marmalade – and I made a couple of sandwiches for our roadside lunch and filled a thermos with hot water
I slept well – but I can sleep on a barbed wire fence! Colin however complained bitterly about the bed being lumpy and uncomfortable – He should be OK tonight! Reminder … blow the bed up completely before using. That was the problem!
A few pictures from our drive today – they all seem to be around the one town. Nyngan. We stopped there briefly and I took the opportunity to run about with my point and shoot!

The first picture was just along the road somewhere between here and there – I spotted the train coming and although I did have time to drive across the crossing before it reached the road I decided to stop and wait – it was too good a photo opportunity! I shooed Colin out of the vehicle to use his camera and I used mine from behind the steering wheel! This is a crossing without warning lights (or barriers) so drivers have to look up the line to see if a train is coming.

A wall mural in the little town of Nyngan where we used their bathroom facilities caught my attention.

Bright and colourful and attractive.

I climbed onto the foot bridge over the railway line beside the old station and took a shot of the buildings I could see in the town when I looked back.

The last photo for today was taken as we drove out of Nyngan. Colin had taken the wheel to give me a break when I yelled for him to stop. Fortunately there was no-one behind us because he did come to a rather sudden stop! The sight of camels at the side of the road was just too good to not take a photo! One of the Visions topics for photos this month is “signs” and here were camels beside colourful signs - perfect for our topic!

The rain started to pelt down around three in the afternoon so we decided that we would book into a motel for the night. And this is where we are right now. We are at Cobar which once had the largest copper mine in Australia. Copper lost its value after WW1 and Cobar shrank from a population of over ten thousand to less than one thousand after the mines closed.
The entry to the town is very different – huge slag heaps stretch beside the road. Left overs from the mining times.
AJ