William Creek to Coober Pedy
Flying in to William Creek from Birdsville was another of those uniquely Australian experiences. Taxiing off the airstrip to the disembarkation point required crossing the Oodnadatta Track, one of the significant roads in the area. I guess the pilot was used to watching out for utes (pickup trucks) and massive road trains!
William Creek is a quintessentially Aussie Outback place. According to a board inside the hotel, current population is 12. However, being located along the Oodnadatta Track, it's an important centre for the surrounding district. The nearby Anna Creek Station is the largest cattle station in the world at nearly 24,000 sq km. Mind-blowing statistics! The Woomera Prohibited Area is also nearby, known for weapons testing and in particular, above-ground nuclear tests in the 1950's and '60's.
Following a very pleasant lunch, it was time to head to Coober Pedy, the world's premier supplier of opals. The Oodnadatta Track was barren, as was the bordering Anna Creek Station. Cattle were few and far between.
The first signs of approaching Coober Pedy were hard to misinterpret,with dirt spoil heaps everywhere from the mining. It's understood that there are around 2 million individual mine shafts and it certainly pays to keep your eyes open. The town sign features a blower truck, essential for helping with the extraction of mine tailings.
The town has a population of around 1400 and with harsh desert summer temperatures, many live underground within their claims. This ensures temperatures in the mid-20's C all year round. The hotel we stayed at had been cut inside a rock face although our room was fully underground.
Apparently, night golf using glow balls and sticks is quite popular. I'll bet it is, especially with those summer temperatures.
You might think that such a place is pretty God-forsaken but the opposite is true with a number of churches having been tunnelled into the rock to provide the perfect environment for reflection. We visited both the Catholic and Serbian churches and both were works of art. Here are some photos of the Serbian Church.
Tunnelled into the side of a hill, it was beautifully-appointed and the glass panels with interior lighting made it look perfectly natural.
The Sturt Desert Pea
Leaving for Uluru the next morning (yes, at dawn!), we still had time to visit another wilderness area close to Coober Pedy, the Kanku Breakaways Conservation area which was again, quite different from other nearby spots. In one direction on the Moon Plain, there was nothing growing for as far as the eye could see yet there is apparently abundant life. The Earth's curvature was quite apparent.
In another direction, it looked like the world's supply of plastic wrap had been dumped on the surface with all the glitter from it.
These are translucent sheets of gypsum and an example can be seen below with our guide Kym holding a sample.
The other well-known item which passes through the area is the 5600 km long Dog Fence, which is under constant maintenance.
The Breakaways area itself has amazingly varied topography will different minerals. Here is a selection of photos.
Next post: Uluru and the Olgas
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