On our way to Coober Pedy we saw lots of solar cars. These were part of The Solar Challenge – a race from Darwin to Adelaide where teams build a solar car and see who’s solar car is the fastest. The teams came from all over the world to compete in this amazing challenge! The first I saw was on the back of a flat-bed truck. It had broken down 12 km out of Darwin! 🙁 We saw lots of them at the checkpoint in town as well as at our caravan park.
When we arrived we set up and went out to dinner in an underground restaurant. The man who owned the place came over for a chat and showed us some of his opals. The next day we all went noodling. You walk along the ground and look for sparkly stuff. I found one good piece and Dad had a good idea that there would be more opals under the sorting table where people had dropped them.
The landscape for about 50km around Coober Pedy was littered with Mullouch heaps and dotted with shafts and danger signs.
Someone obviously had the same great mind as I do for Coober Pedy reminds me of Tattooine (from Star Wars) with everyone living underground, soaring temperatures and barren desert for 100s of km in every direction. There was also other space junk scattered around their yard.
Goodbye all you lucky Novocastrians living in the perfect climate.
Sam.
Hi Sam, are you, James and Dda getting ready for the Force Awakens? Xx Aunty Erika
Sam, I stayed in an underground motel when I visited Coober Pedy when investigating solar power for hospitals. I know how much you have seen with everything travelling around Australia – even so you haven’t forgotten Starwars. Tell Dad – or Mum, that if you visit Phillip Island there is a great chocolate factory there. Can you imagine Julian hooting around the racing track on Phillip Isalnd, towing the caravan. Naturally he would be seeking to set a record. Love from Pa
Hi SAM, Les and I are thrilled that you made it to Cooper Pedy. Fascinated by the whole town. We were spoilt as we also slept underground in a dormitory. In the middle of the night I had to get up to go to the loo and the snoring from the curtained sleeping areas was horrendous!!! I stood in front of our curtain and conducted the orchestra of snores. Like you, we ate underground and we also visited one of the homes which was just like one of our houses but, of course, underground and very cool. Love to all Les and Ros xoxoxoxo