Coober Pedy to Alice Springs...

Dog fence...looks flimsy but it worked ! ....to keep dingoes from taking stock

Oops ...wound wong way but you get the drift?

Underground chiselled stone walls...a very effective escape from the above-ground temperatures.

Amazing museum fossils...fascinating stuff.

Old man Perentje lizard, a beauty & one of the biggest I ve seen in the centre.

Very well camouflaged in the right corner shot. I got out of the car & stood very close to him-he was not fazed at all & eventually lazily wandered off. *I do ask anyone to take care & have respect when approaching any wildlife in their natural habitat.

Coober Pedy is well worth a stopover & not simply because you're absolutely stuffed & cannot drive any further! This town folks is the Opal capital of the world. It's name is derived from the Aboriginal word "kupa" (uninitiated man or white man) & "piti" (hole)....so literally speaking "white man's hole".

The town is fascinating because a lot of locals built characteristic underground houses to escape the absolutely scorching heat of summer; those Opal miners were savvy!

Opal mining & tourism vie for the towns livlihood.

There are a few things to explore here-a walk around town will expose the character of the friendly locals, you may like to "noodle" for opals & last but not least the excellent Umoona Opal Mine Museum is definately worth a visit...(*this is a free exhibit & very informative)

Here you will find an amazing selection of ancient fossils exposed during mining excavation & an extensive retail outlet where you can glean information from the very friendly staff regarding the various Opals & their values & of course purchase any of these beautiful, unusual stones.

*There are several of the rarer "black" & "crystal" Opals on display.