Sunday
Once again we woke to a beautiful day and decided that we had been driving enough and that we were due for a “rest day”.
We caught up on ‘phone calls to family plus various odd jobs that always seem to add up.
For lunch, and a few extra meals as well, I prepared an “Outback Cook-up” and tastily charred the rest of the meat we had purchased at Burra. Ann made salads and after a delicious lunch we spent the better part of the afternoon sitting out under the awning to read and chat with other travellers in this friendly park.
Outback Cook-Up
I’ve included a photo from the showers, as our grand-daughters didn’t believe us when we told them that we had to pay for our showers. I might add that this is an environmentally friendly park that strives to conserve resources. Other than paying for water for showers (not a huge financial burden), they have a coin operated water bowser, and all bathrooms, laundry, etc have timer switches so that lights aren’t left on unnecessarily.
Coin in the slot showers – water is scarce.
It was great to have a lazy non-driving day today.
Monday
Yet another glorious day ! Clear blue skies and temperature about 22 degrees. It doesn’t get much better than this.
Re-energised after our lazy Sunday, we donned our walking shoes and got going early.
We walked from one end of town to the other, and saw many interesting sites along the way. Coober Pedy is clearly an opal town. Nearly every second shop sells opals, and most of them will buy them as well. Most have great displays of raw opal and/or cut and polished opals in many different jewellery settings.
There are many accommodation options, from budget and backpacker places to some very up-market establishments. Many places offer underground rooms, and almost inevitably also have displays of opal. There’s no escaping opals in this town.
Some underground accommodation
The Desert Cave – upmarket accommodation
Morning coffee was at an underground café which sold opals and didgeridoos. The proprietor showed us some of his opals and explained the different types and what makes some opals more valuable than others. He had some exquisite pieces, at ridiculous prices.
Underground Cafe
We visited an underground bookshop and got talking with the proprietor. She had some interesting items for sale but our main topic of conversation was the constant temperature she experienced working underground. She told us that regardless of the outside temperature it was between 23 and 25 degrees in the shop. Oh what a problem!
Underground Bookshop
A quick visit to the St Peter and Paul Catholic underground church resulted in another photo opportunity.
St Peter & Paul underground Catholic church
At various points in time we passed the Opal Beetle, the Cooper Pedy Drive-In, various old bits of old mining equipment, the Big Miner and the Big Winch, and many more interesting sights.
The Opal Beetle
Coober Pedy Drive-In
The Big Miner
The Big Winch
Sites around town
Sites around town
Coober Pedy Mining Equipment
Somewhere along the way we decided to visit the Cooper Pedy Outback Bar & Grill for lunch. They had the expected steak options but this bright and cheery restaurant has a distinctively Greek feel so we ordered lamb and kangaroo gyros (guess who had what) washed down by a refreshing light beer. Delicious, and definitely the way to go.
Coober Pedy Outback Bar & Grill
By the end of the day we had both achieved over 12,000 steps on our counters and settled in for a light dinner in Bertha and some TV.
Shorty's RV Adventures 