I slept like a dead man last night... And when I woke up at 6am, I had the luxury of going back to sleep until 7.30!! I really ran wild by having TWO cups of coffee with my leisurely breakfast. We walked around town checking out the tourist attractions, most notably Faye's underground house.
Faye's story is remarkable, as she moved up to Coober Pedy when there were very few women around. She tried her hand at several jobs including being a cook, a job from which she was fired for refusing to cook rancid meat! Over time she bought the piece of property in which her home is now located, and she started digging... when she needed a bit of technical know-how she'd cook a meal and invite several miners over and pick their brains while they ate. She began giving tours of her home almost immediately, and is credited with starting the Coober Pedy tourist industry more or less.
Faye has since moved to Brisbane for her retirement, but the current owners still give tours of the house, and it was fascinating experience. I was most impressed with the wine cellar and the pool which is heated by solar coils on the roof...where Colin took us for a unique tour that was generally not on the itinerary.
Coober Pedy is a strange place, it is essentially a gravel pit with some hearty individuals living in it trying to eek out a living. The more grim aspect of life here is found in the Aboriginal community that seem to be regarded almost as ghosts and live both within the community yet distinctly seperate from it. The surreptitious photo I took is typical of what you see; groups of Aboriginals sitting around basically where ever. And of course the problem of alcoholism is huge and ever-present... both day and night in the streets.
