Australia > Sleeping underground in Coober Pedy

Before half past six, I bring my suitcase to the bus. Then I go to have breakfast. At this location, breakfast is served, which is only the case at two hotels during the trip. The restaurant door is still closed. The Belgian waitress opens the door. She laughs when I greet her with "Bonjour, ça va?" At her reply “et vous?”, I barely manage to answer. A fine breakfast buffet is ready. At seven o’clock, we head back into the outback. Today we’re heading towards central Australia. For this, we first have to drive back a bit towards Port Augusta. This is a port town located on a deep sea inlet. As we drive away, I can clearly see the mountain ridge of Wilpena Pound. Yesterday I was on the other side. At this early hour, the animals are active as well. Several kangaroos jump away as the bus approaches. Sometimes the driver has to brake sharply for animals still crossing. Once things go wrong. The bus hits a kangaroo. The unlucky animal bounces across the asphalt. The kangaroo dives into the bushes, but I fear it won’t end well for him.

Australia - The road runs straight through the Outback desert

Australia is estimated to have 50 million kangaroos—twice the number of people. Farmers sometimes hunt the animals because they eat the grass meant for cattle. Without further damage, we arrive in Port Augusta. At a roadside restaurant, I order coffee. The famous Stuart Highway begins from Port Augusta—a highway cutting through the Australian desert from south to north. The road ends over 3,000 kilometers later in Darwin. There are only a few paved roads through the center of Australia. Most of the land is desert with extremely dry terrain. Today we follow the Stuart Highway for over five hundred kilometers to Coober Pedy, a former mining town. During the ride, a barren landscape passes by. Occasionally an emu or a group of cows cross. It’s quiet on the road, says the driver. This is because of Christmas. Now and then we pass a road train truck—a truck with three large trailers.

Australia - The Hart Salt Lake

These enormous vehicles may be up to 53 meters long. On the practically straight road, this is not much of a problem. Around noon, we stop for lunch at Spud’s Roadhouse, a roadside restaurant. There aren’t many other options along the Stuart Highway. I’m not very hungry and only take a Snickers bar. Several salt lakes lie in the outback—lakes without natural outlets. The water evaporates, leaving minerals behind. The salt forms a solid layer. At Hart Salt Lake, we stop to walk toward the salt lake. This makes it a bit of a white Christmas after all. The railway through the outback also runs here. Just after crossing the tracks, a freight train passes by—a train with dozens of wagons. On the road to Coober Pedy, we make one last toilet stop. The driver emphasizes this is the last toilet and that there are no facilities for three hours. Fortunately, the bus has an emergency toilet. Just before five o’clock, I arrive in Coober Pedy, a mining town in the middle of the desert. In the early twentieth century, opal was accidentally discovered in the soil.

Australia - Sleeping in a former opal mine

Since then, the surroundings of Coober Pedy have been searched for this gemstone. Miners began living underground to escape the heat. Even now, people still live in former mine tunnels. I too am staying underground tonight. The Comfort Inn hotel has all its rooms underground. To ensure enough ventilation in the rooms, holes are made in the ceilings. Because debris and insects could fall through these holes, umbrellas are hung upside down underneath them. In the opal museum, a video explains how opals were discovered. They also show how opal is mined. Afterwards, we walk through some old mine tunnels and see various digging and drilling techniques demonstrated. The government grants plots of land that can be leased by opal seekers. These permits are given to individuals, not large companies. Opposite the museum is the pizzeria—the best restaurant in Coober Pedy. This is also the best place for Christmas Eve dinner. I order lasagna and beer. Afterwards, I strike up a conversation with four guys from Punjab. They are surprised I was in India for Diwali. I have to hurry to just catch the sunset. The last rays shine over Coober Pedy.