Andamooka 28 May 2006

Got to Roxby Downs in the morning and had a look around the town. After Woomera having nothing to speak of in the form of a grocery shop we were stunned to see a proper little shopping centre with a big Woolworths. We needed nothing as we shopped up in Port Augusta as if we were going to the Never Never. The connections to mainstream Oz are closing in. This is a company mining town and while it has only been established for 18 years it has 4,000 people living in busy town. The school is next to the shopping centre and attached to the TAFE. There are 900 kids in the public school and 200 in the Catholic, so you get the picture. This is a young town with kids hurtling around on bikes, young mums and babies.
Went on to Andamooka (an opal mining village pop. 350) that was a complete contrast from Woomera and Roxby Downs. The houses are ramshackle affairs that meander amongst the dirt roads, surrounded by large mullock heaps. Went to see the local cemetery which is becoming a habit of ours and were not disappointed in it. Not many there and all from 1970s. Real character with the use of beautiful natural rocks to make up the headstones and mostly surnames that indicate middle Europe. We were rather taken by one with the whole bed of the grave covered in stones back filling numerous chunks of rocks of natural opal. Of course we did not check that they were secure but assume that might be the reason in was all intact for about 25 years. Not sure how many towns in Australia don’t have a council but this one doesn’t. They are adamant that they do not one either. They have a Progress Association and make up the rules as they go along. It was like Lightning Ridge in the 60s. Had a drink in the pub next to a big log fire and absorbed the rough characters. Camped on the edge of town to a very quiet night.