Greetings Outback Maniacs
This email will take you from Cobar to Wilcannia (261km) and show you the classic sandstone buildings of Wicannia which is now sadly almost a ghost town - I had to eat my camp canned food since the only tiny IGA is open only a few hours each weekday morning. I also spent the afternoon with 3 indigenous women recounting the story of Wilcannia flicking through photo albums. Wilcannia is on the Darling River and was very prosperous in the late 1800’s due to supplies coming to town on the river to service the very wealthy sheep and wheat farmers of that time. Now it is almost dead. So sad. The big highlight was White Cliffs - what a drive out there (93km) and what a place. Classic outback - flat as, red, green scrub and horizons that go for ever. Like Lightning Ridge, White Cliffs is down to 200 miners from a peak of 3000-4000 in its late 1800’s hey day and the Opal specialty of the place is the “PINEAPPLE” - a fist-sized Opal formation resembling coral that is as rare as hens teeth and commands half a million dollars a piece - you will see a photo of one live under lock and key below. The other highlight are the DUG OUTS - homes and and even hotels built underground into the sites of converted old mines. When it is 47C outside, it is 25C inside and when it is close to zero outside in winter it is 17C inside. Amazing. No aircon. No fireplace. The best dug out is called the WHITE HOUSE - made for me - I told the owner my story and he told me his - all coming in the film - What Cliffs - What a place… enjoy the O-O = Outback & Opal !!!
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