Day 16 (11/19): Coober Pedy to Yulara Ayers Rock Resort; 730 km (car); Pioneer Hotel Hostel
I must admit, as I drove away from Pt. Augusta at about 11:00 am and quickly got into remote, outback country, I was a bit sad not to be doing so on my bicycle. Couldn't tell what the wind was doing from inside the car but the road was long, straight, and deserted--just as I had expected it to be as I thought about this trip over the previous months (years). It was inviting! That turned out ok as I just went with the feeling and recognized at the same time I made the correct decision. On a later driving break I noted a stiff north breeze, I'd have already been struggling against my nemisis of late.
Arrived at Coober Pedy near dinner time and went straight to Redeca's Underground Motel/Hostel (I had seen of it on the web in Pt. Augusta). Check out the photos' below--this was one of the coolest/most interesting places I'd ever seen much less slept at. The amenities (showers/toilets/kitchen/etc.) were on ground level and the sleeping rooms were 3.5 meters below grade in old opal mine dugouts. Besides being cool, quiet, and dark--ideal for sleeping--the walls were beautiful tints of red, orange, white, gray, etc. I bunked in a 4-bed "room" (alcove really) and ended up the only one in the four beds (no snoring!!!).
After a short run in the morning I set off for the longer drive up to Ayers Rock (Uluru). On my way in I saw a lone male cyclist hammering his way toward Uluru--he was about 130 km out. I later found out from a German couple I shared my 4-bunk room with that he was 24 years old and a student from Japan who had cycled down from Darwin. I actually saw him at the resort on the 21st at breakfast before I headed out but he was on the phone so I couldn't speak with him.
Anyway, I arrived about 4 pm at Yulara in time to get dinner and make the pilgrimage along with most everyone else out to watch sunset on Uluru. Up until the sunset the colors were stunning with the rock turning deeper and deeper red. Once the sun was down, it was like someone shut off the lights (I guess they really did). The rock almost instantly became a washed out pale brownish color, completely unphotogenic. So like everyone I jumped in the car and trooped back to the resort for a fairly early evening's end.
Note the fourth photo shows tailing piles from opal mines. They just dig out vertical shafts about 10 meters deep and sift through the diggings for gems. These piles are everywhere around Coober Pedy, the opal capital of the world.
Check it out Fern--they had these at Woolies in Coober Pedy--too soon to buy them now but I am confident they'll have them as well in Sydney at trip's end.
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