Travel

South to Coober Pedy… in a van

Jun 05, 2017

“…..a culture derived from a mixture of many nationalities.”

Departure morning from Yulara and the wind was blowing strong enough to blow a skinny dog off the chain. If there is one thing that I dislike when packing up camp; it’s wind. As we wrestled with the annexe my mood was becoming less than amiable. A fact not lost on Mira who remained silent and went about her chores with the usual efficiency; leaving the swearing and cursing to me. My over use of certain obscenities must have been the reason she finally warned me of the possibility of a heart attack. Anyway we got the job done and after a calming coffee we hit the road.

Assisted by the howling westerly we covered the 221 ks back to Erldunda in a bit under two and a half hours. Only one pump in operation at the servo; the others undergoing repairs in the hands of a less than happy serviceman who was doing his best not to abuse the brain dead wankers asking when the pumps would be back on. The ignorance of some never ceases to amaze.

We parked in a growing line of caravans, camper trailers, motor homes, cars and trucks. Having sampled the dimmies and hot chips from the cafeteria on our way out to Uluru it was fitting that we did the same again. By midday we were refuelled and heading south on the Stuart Highway bound for Marla. With our change in direction the westerly was now doing its best to blow us off the road. The rest area at the Northern Territory and South Australia border was a welcome chance to pull over for a break. After a visit to the loos we did the right thing and disposed of fruit and vegies. Then it was back on the road to resume battle with the wind. It was late in the day when Marla came into view and after a very tiring seven hours of driving I was ready to sit back and enjoy a cold beer.

Dust storm approaching.

Dust storms are common in this part of the country so it was probably inevitable that we would get a taste of one sooner or later. To the west of Marla the horizon was just a blur as the wind whipped up the desert dust into a huge cloud that rolled eastward. For most of the 235 kilometre trip to Coober Pedy visibility was down to just a few hundred metres. Wind gusts hammered into us as we peered ahead at the curtain like formations of dust being driven across the road. Dry grass and other dislodged vegetation flew like confetti across our path.

We pulled up at the Pootnoura Railway Siding about 90 kilometres north of Coober Pedy. The wind attempted to rip the doors off as we tentatively got out to stretch stiff legs and rub numb bums. With backs to the wind we had a look about and found someone in a sleeping bag beside a very exposed picnic table. There was no movement. A bicycle leant against the table. Given the weather and the fact that a nearby shelter shed was empty caused us to have some concern for this persons well-being. To our relief the bag moved and a hand appeared. In reply to an obvious question he explained that he was from England on a cycling holiday and had discovered that riding a push bike through Central Australia in a dust storm is not a lot of fun. Talk about “mad dogs and Englishmen…”

The wayside stop at Pootnoura Railway Siding.

Years of opal mining has transformed the landscape. The occasional mullock heaps were the first indication that we had arrived at Coober Pedy. These heaps mark the site of a mine shaft and dot the land like randomly arranged tents. Like many first time visitors to this town we had read about it and seen countless photographs and documentaries from which we had formed a picture of what it would be like. A dust storm added another dimension to the images that came to life as we entered the outskirts of town.

It is a unique place and has a special feel that is hard to describe. I think this is because it has many faces and a culture derived from a mixture of many nationalities. The first people to dig in this hostile land in search of opal must have had gritty determination, a pioneering spirit and the will to overcome in the face of adversity. In a harsh and unforgiving landscape the town grew and prospered. It now has all the services and facilities that are part of modern day living. The spirit of those early miners lives on and tourists flock to this strange place in the desert that lies underground as well as on the surface. There are things here that you will not find anywhere else. This is Coober Pedy.