The Strangest Place on Earth; Coober Pedy!!!

We had an overnight stay at Leigh Creek a purposely built mining town that's now nearly desserted, interesting but quite sad.

On the way to Coober Pedy we had a few stops as amazingly out here in the Never Never there is so much to see... First stop Farina Ruins where there's an old underground bakery oven that's only opened from 27/5 to the 27/7. How lucky are we.... A couple of pies , the best cob loaf I've ever eaten  and an hour of wandering around these ruins and we are on our way again.

The Back of Beyond Bakery.

This is the entrance to the underground oven

Then we arrive at Maree, another town on the old Ghan Rail line, checked out the pub

and The old Ghan  diesel engine 

Couldn't believe the Lake Eyre Yacht Club...There's even skiffs  waiting for the rains to come and fill the lake.

Back on the road or should I say the famous Oodnadatta Track and we come across PLANE HENGE .

 What The ???.... Two planes on end & all these sculptures scattered over plains

We really are in the middle of no where!

 and get pretty excited about our first glimpse of Southern  Lake Eyre. Not a drop of water to be seen just a big salt plain.

Another overnighter at an old rail siding  Curdimurka. Where the hell is CURDIMURKA!

 !

Curdimurka has the longest bridge on the old Ghan line . I think thats it's only claim to fame but we loved it. We were the only ones there and what a great sunset  and amazing star gazing.

 SS enjoying the colours of the sunset

No need to go to Pisa for the leaning tower!

 One more overnight stop at William Creek across the road from the pub.Naturally we had a few beers here and then happy hour around a fire pit with other travellers.

 Finally we reach the strangest place on the planet... Coober Pedy.  At times I thought I was on the moon or maybe Mars at other times I thought I had time travelled back to the 70's.

It certainly isn't the prettiest town I've been to but it has character in spades,

This is the first tree in Coober

The dugouts are amazing.. 

More than 60% of people live underground  and these places keep at about 25 degrees summer & winter.

We  did a town & mine tour and saw some incredible underground churches, underground homes, the famous opal fields, the most unique golf course and heaps more.

 

  This is the Serbian Church

 This is the entry to a dugout which goes right into the hill.

Coober Pedy Golf course The Black circles are the greens!

 Sight seeing at Crocodile Harry's. This is Harry in his hey day. I now know why all the ladies loved Harry!

Crocodile Harry's house where many a wild party happened in the 70's. Above is outside his dugout and below is inside.

 After a day of sight seeing on 

 Friday night we once again lucked in by going to The Greek Club where they have a Greek BBQ for only $15 ahead all you can eat! Only locals were there and we just loved it.

Saturday we travelled out to The Breakaways... So different very other worldly.

This is moon plain 

On the way to the Breakaways . Talk about the  Never Never !

 Jst check out these beautiful colours. It doesn't look like anywhere else I've ever seen.

 Mars maybe!

All these mounds are next to  prospecting shafts. There are millions of these scattered as far as the eye can see. They are not allowed to fill in the shafts as if someone else dug a shaft it could cause a cave in.

Tomorrow we head off to Ularu , will probably take a few days but  who cares we are  loving every minute1