Scouting for Treasure in The Outback
Flick through my 2018 travel journal with me... Let's delve into The Outback's very own underground town.
“And that woman screamed for three whole hours.” Hunching, crunching, and punching at the air, the greying coach driver recalled a night of horror in the outback. “She was drenched, head to toe, in blood.” His brow was heavy, his glare hard, and his piercing eyes spilling with grave intent. “That kangaroo’s head came clean off and landed right on her lap.” Gobsmacked, we clung to every word. “So, nobody, and I mean nobody, sits on the first two rows of this bus.” Barely breathing, terrified of what was ahead on this 11-hour and 15-minute overnight coach ride, we buckled up and prayed we’d make it out alive. If only it was that simple.
Adelaide - the city of churches - had been charming. It was the first stop on our Australian journey after leaving our home-away-from-home and neighbours in Melbourne. (Sorry - couldn’t resist!) We had 6-week travel-anywhere passes for the famed Greyhound Bus. Adelaide to Coober Pedy was our first outing on the ticket. Darkness stretched endlessly before us. The night was long. Every insignificant bump in the road jolted passengers to whip back their curtains and peer at the windscreen, expecting to encounter the decapitated head of a furry, 6ft5 giant.
While the decapitated roo was narrowly avoided, further bumps in the road were not. At 6 am, we pulled up at a derelict gas station. “Coober Pedy! Final destination - Coober Pedy!” exclaimed the startling driver from the front. Stepping off the bus, we were greeted by a cold drizzle - not what we expected from a town lying just southeast of a desert larger in size than the collective land mass of France and Germany. We heaved our cold, wet rucksacks onto our backs, ready to set off to who-knows-where. “Anyone staying at Radeka, Radeka Downunder?” The driver called after us. We turned back as he prompted, “Get back on board. There are some things you should know.”
Back on the bus, we sat with our bags on our knees. The driver resumed his position at the front of the bus, hunching, crunching, and punching the air. “You don’t go out on your own.” He told us with the ferocity of a father to a wayward teen. “You never go out after dark. Not even with someone else. You don’t carry anything valuable on you, or show your cash. And beware - the owner is a drunk. He gets angry.”
So far, this out-on-the-open-road thing wasn’t quite working out how we’d planned. Honestly, it was pretty spine-chilling.
Our driver dropped us at the gate to Radeka Downunder and wished us luck. By now, it wasn’t just the four of us that set out on our Australian road trip. We’d acquired two new friends - a Frenchman and a German man. Glad to have them we were, too! The hostel showed no clear entrance. We wandered around looking for doors, windows, or a sign of life. Nothing. Eventually, we came to a door at the back of the property. It was a little out of the way, but it was a door, and it was open. Down we went.
“OY!” an angry bellow echoed around the cave-like structure. Stomp, stomp, stomp. “What are you doing here?” Already our driver’s prophecy was ringing true. A colossal figure emerged and stood before us, with a slight wobble. “Well?” he urged.
“Er, well, erm...we, er...have a reservation.” we stumbled over each other’s words, fearing no answer could ever be right.
“Is that the way you’d turn up to a hotel then is it?” why did we feel like naughty kids in trouble? “You’d show up round the back as if you’re going to rob them. Just because we’re not a fancy hotel doesn’t mean you can rob us.” The onslaught ensued as we followed him down, down, deeper, and down into the cold pit to find our rooms. We tip-toed behind him, not daring to put a foot wrong. Inside, the dark room could have been mistaken for a fresh murder scene. The walls appeared blood-splattered, the absence of light made it difficult to fathom.
Of course, what is important to remember when staying at Radeka Downunder, is that the motel is not only built partially underground but also within a former opal mine. That’s where the walls get their crimson-stained colour from.
Coober Pedy is a town fringed by desert and outback. It’s remote, dusty, and utterly extraordinary. The Indigenous Australian people of the area named the town Kupa Piti, meaning “whitefellas’ hole”. That it certainly is - most of this small town’s residents have homes carved into hillsides, or homes that are predominantly situated underground. For many in Coober Pedy, this is essential due to the extremely high temperatures the area encounters. With little rainfall and stifling heat, the town can sometimes be hostile to humans but often hostile to plant life. Therefore, there is little greenery in this one-of-a-kind place.
What Coober Pedy lacks in natural life, it more than makes up for in character, and compelling ambiguity. A wander around the town will leave you feeling as though you stepped into a Dali painting. You’ll meet with the Opalbug: she’s quite the sight to behold at 12ft plus and standing on six legs! Her body is the shell of an abandoned VW Beetle and stuns with rainbow colour. She’ll look right back at you with her bright, swooning eyes and red lips, sensing your nearness with her antennas.
A visit to the Opal Mine is a must in Coober Pedy. Opal has properties that enhance cosmic consciousness and mystical visions, it’s a symbol of creativity and originality. Even the most cynical would find it hard to deny that the very essence of the opal has seeped into the spirit of this town.
As you continue to explore, you’ll find scores of deserted, burnt-out vehicles littering the roadsides. Many have been left behind by film crews that deem it too costly to bring the props in and out of isolated Coober Pedy. The film studio’s loss only serves as Coober Pedy’s gain, however, as visitors can’t help but feel they’re transported into a fantastical world.
No jilted vehicle is more spectacular, though than Coober Pedy’s very own spaceship. Crashed out in red sands, spotting the spaceship for the first time might have you mistaking your location for Tatooine. But this ship wasn’t commanded by a Skywalker, oh no. This ship’s master was a little-known Mr. Vin Diesel during his stint in the cult horror/sci-fi Pitch Black. Now, that is a momentous claim to fame!
Stopping off to pick up dinner in Woolies certainly serves up lots of options. Surely it has to be a frozen kangaroo’s tail that tickles your fancy? Don’t worry, don’t worry, the fur is still on - you’ll get the pleasure of skinning it yourself...once it defrosts!
Sadly, we’re vegetarians. So, we skipped the kangaroo tail and went for super noodles. (Shout out to all of you keen-eyed kangaroo pun detectors!) We stuck with our French and German friends and as with any travel buddies, they brought joy, laughter, and fresh ideas. But they weren’t the only friends we made in Coober Pedy. During our nights sat around outside Radeka Underground, we befriended the manager, too. The truth was, we’d startled him with our entry, and we’d feared him because of the stories we were told. Once we spent some time together chatting, laughing, and sharing our vastly different lives, we recognised we actually had quite a lot in common. He was a kind person to spend time with and we all enjoyed his company greatly. Perhaps, to begin with, we’d misunderstood one another, as often we do with those from different worlds. In time, we found that he too possessed the properties of one that lives and breathes opal.