Wann immer man auf dem Stuart Highway nach etwa 200 km wieder die Ausfahrt zu einem Ort nehmen kann, der aus mehr als einer Raststaette mit Tankstelle besteht (wie die meisten), sollte man die Gelegenheit nutzen und sich das genauer anschauen. Woomera mit seinen 6000 Einwohnern dient seit dem kalten Krieg als Basis fuer die Testung von Racketen und die Englaender haben hier sogar einige Atombombentests durchgefuehrt! Ein grosser Landstreifen rund um den Weiler ist heute noch Sperrgebiet. Viele Aboriginees, die dort wohnten, wurden buchstaeblich ausgeloescht.Coober Peddy wird im Lonely Planet als "apokalyptisches Hoellenloch" beschrieben. Das ist dann doch etwas uebertrieben, wobei die Atmosphere hier wirklich eigenartig ist. Das ganze Dorf ist auf die Versorgung der Mineure, die hier ihr Glueck im Boden suchen, ausgerichtet. Es gibt hier ueber 1000 (!) Opalminen, die alle von Privatpersonen betrieben werden. Eine Unze Opal bester Qualitaet ist ca. 24'000 Franken wert, es kann sich also durchaus lohnen, den Boden umzuwaelzen. Die Leute hier sind von einem besonderen Schlag, viele sind europaeische Einwanderer, die vom grossen Geld traeumten. Es scheint, als ob sie sich unter Tage wohler fuehlten als bei Tageslicht. Jimmy, unser schottischer Fuehrer, schien jedenfalls etwas Zwergenblut in sich fliessen zu haben. Falls ihr euch fragt, wie man zu Opal kommt, hier die Kurzfassung: 1. Man kauft eine Graeberlizenz fuer ein Feld Land von der Regierung (50 x 100 m) 2. Man graebt ein Loch mit selbstgebastelter Maschinen (in Australien werden sie nicht hergestellt) oder sprengt mit Dynamit 3. Man sucht mit einer Art Wuenschelrute bestehend aus zwei Metallstaeben nach einer Ader (kein Witz, das macht man hier so, und es funktioniert, wir haben's getestet) 4. Man haut von Hand den Opal aus dem Stein und hofft, dass es nicht nur "Potch" ist (90 % allen Opals ist weiss ohne Farbsprenkler und deshalb wertlos). Wir haben Jimmy seine Steine gelassen und sind weitergezogen - ohne Opal.
Whenever you have the oportunity to take the exit after about 200km to an exit which has more than just va gas station and a shop, you should do it and have a closer look.
Woomera with it's 6000 inhabitants serves as the control centre of huge area where during the cold war several rockets of all kind were tested. Mostly not for peacefull purpopes. Established ion 1947 as a joint project between Britain and Australia, the Woomera Range has a long and distinguished history of weapon testing and rocket launches, includung Skylark, Black Knight and Europa. The rist Australian satellite was launched here in 1967. Woomera also aided in the tracking of early satellites and the Mercury manned spacecraft. For over 60 years to the present day, the town has been and integral part of the defense and aerospace efforts in Australia and around the world. It is also here, were the Britsh nuclear test was carried out about 50 years ago, a bit further out of town of course. Sadly but true, many Aborigines in that area were literally wiped out..
Coober Pedy is described as the "apocalyptic hellhole" in the Lonely Planet guidebook. This is however slightly exaggerated but the atmosphere still remains a bit dodgy. The whole villige is designed for the many miners who try their luck underground to fun the precious Opal mineral. There are over 1000 (!) mines around town which are all runned by private miners. One ounce of opal of the top notch quality is worth about 24'000 US$ so can be very profitable to dig around in the dirt.
People here are of special character. Thei're mostly of european origin and either came here for the big money or a different livestyle. It seems that they feel more happy underground than above ground like Jimmy, our scottish guide who seem to have some dwarf blood running in his veines.
If you ask yourself what to do to get to the shiny little stones, here's a short manual: 1. Get a licence from the governemt for a field of about 50x100m in size. 2. Dig out a hole with your self made digging machine (which are not commercially produced in australia) or just use dynamite. 3. You look with a sort of dowsing rod for a geological line ( no shit, they really use this hocus pocus type of method but it bloody worked out when we tried it, cool). 4. You take out the Opal by hand and hope that it isn't just "Potch" or also called "non-precious Opal" (90%) but a colourfull, sparkling piece of precious Opal. We left these juweles to Jimmy and went on - without Opal.
Whenever you have the oportunity to take the exit after about 200km to an exit which has more than just va gas station and a shop, you should do it and have a closer look.
Woomera with it's 6000 inhabitants serves as the control centre of huge area where during the cold war several rockets of all kind were tested. Mostly not for peacefull purpopes. Established ion 1947 as a joint project between Britain and Australia, the Woomera Range has a long and distinguished history of weapon testing and rocket launches, includung Skylark, Black Knight and Europa. The rist Australian satellite was launched here in 1967. Woomera also aided in the tracking of early satellites and the Mercury manned spacecraft. For over 60 years to the present day, the town has been and integral part of the defense and aerospace efforts in Australia and around the world. It is also here, were the Britsh nuclear test was carried out about 50 years ago, a bit further out of town of course. Sadly but true, many Aborigines in that area were literally wiped out..
Coober Pedy is described as the "apocalyptic hellhole" in the Lonely Planet guidebook. This is however slightly exaggerated but the atmosphere still remains a bit dodgy. The whole villige is designed for the many miners who try their luck underground to fun the precious Opal mineral. There are over 1000 (!) mines around town which are all runned by private miners. One ounce of opal of the top notch quality is worth about 24'000 US$ so can be very profitable to dig around in the dirt.
People here are of special character. Thei're mostly of european origin and either came here for the big money or a different livestyle. It seems that they feel more happy underground than above ground like Jimmy, our scottish guide who seem to have some dwarf blood running in his veines.
If you ask yourself what to do to get to the shiny little stones, here's a short manual: 1. Get a licence from the governemt for a field of about 50x100m in size. 2. Dig out a hole with your self made digging machine (which are not commercially produced in australia) or just use dynamite. 3. You look with a sort of dowsing rod for a geological line ( no shit, they really use this hocus pocus type of method but it bloody worked out when we tried it, cool). 4. You take out the Opal by hand and hope that it isn't just "Potch" or also called "non-precious Opal" (90%) but a colourfull, sparkling piece of precious Opal. We left these juweles to Jimmy and went on - without Opal.
