Now let’s have a quick look at the History of Australia

More than 40,000 yrs before is when this continent turned out to be subdued as well as that was by the aboriginal Aborigines or Australians, as they are acknowledged at the moment. Following incredibly haphazard and infrequent visits, which was occurred by numerous people for example fisherman as well as explorers in addition to merchants preliminary in the late 17th century, some where around the year 1770 the area in the eastern half, of this continent was alleged by the British. Moreover they had officially established as the single penal colony of the state of New South Wales in the year1788 on January 26th. The residents grew and fresh areas were exposed as well as explored.

A little more about History of Australia

It did not happen until the year 1901 when the six colonies were federated as well as that the country of Commonwealth of Australia was after that formed. Seeing as at that time Australia has preserved a steady liberal as well as democratic political system, in addition to nowadays they even hang about in the Commonwealth.

Even though several people when inquired would take for granted that Sydney is the capital city of Australia, because it is over and over again the most complained and recognized. Their up to date population that is in fact some where around 20.5 million citizens, is positioned for the most part in the coastal cities and not in Canberra, to your surprise is the capital city of Australia. These following cities have the principal population in Australia: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth as well as Adelaide.

It is believed that the foremost record of human locale in Australia occurred was somewhere around 42,000 – 48,000 yrs previously, these foremost foreigner Australians were the precursors of the aforesaid up to date indigenous Australians. Moreover it is as well believed that all of them came to the regions of Australia through land bridges as well as short sea crossings, which were fashioned from what are at the present day the areas of Southeast Asia. The greater parts of these people were gathers as well as hunters.

I hope that few of your questions regarding the history of Australia have been by now cleared.

Apart from the beauty, the size of Great Barrier Reef is also phenomenal. Being the largest coral reef in the world, it can be seen from the outer space as well. This clearly explains the vastness of this area, not to mention the beauty it encompasses. And because this place makes an amazing vacationing spot, around three and half billion people visit this spot every year.

However, some people dwell in this area that has led pollution and damage to augment. And due to the effluence, the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan was established. Every tourist location is being affected by humans. However, the water creatures here have also contributed their part. The herd of thorns starfish, for instance, are the most hazardous species of this area. Many years ago, they had been destroying the reef, starving the diminutive creatures. However, this isn’t frequent now, which makes Great Barrier Reef quite safe nowadays.

However, this affluent reef offers vast variety of aquatic creatures to gape at. Along with Green Turtles, whales, and dolphins, the water conserves over 4000 types of mollusks that wander around in search of food. You will find almost every type of marine creature in the bunch of reefs. This is one of the reasons why Great Barrier Reef is top tourist destination in Australia.

However, it should be known that most of the tourists don’t plan this spot in advance. Over two billion people every year are brought here by around 400 tour companies operating in his area. But once they are here, they love this place more than any destination mainly due to the tranquil cruise, remarkable panoramas, water adventures, and the weather here. However, fishing is strictly prohibited by the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. Also, some areas have restricted entry. After all, it’s very important to conserve a tourist destination especially Great Barrier Reef.

If you are looking for any gorgeous place especially around water for you next vacation, it has to be Great Barrier Reef. With azure water and multihued fishes, relaxing here is like lazing in heaven. You will definitely appreciate the natural beauty there. However, it’s also equally important not to pollute the area and conserve the place. This place shouldn’t be missed if you are in Australia.

Like the formation of Great Barrier Reef, these islands are also made from corals. Over the years, it’s now quite rich in vegetation, sports and leisure activities. Panoramic dawn, pasty & supple sand granules, scrumptious food, relaxing sun-drench, and a beautiful dusk is probably the shortest definition of Whitsunday Islands.

Among the 74 gorgeous spots, four are wholly national parks, with some area spared for resorts to flourish and tourists to halt overnight. Many other islands are completely inhabited and isolated, making it best destination for solitude or romance seeking visitors.

Hamilton Island is considered to be one of the largest and most popular island resorts in Australia. This vibrant gateway to Great Barrier Reef also encompasses major airports used to reach Whitsunday Islands. However, this isn’t a place for peace lovers and solitude-seekers due to the bustle. People come here to party, endeavor water sports, and soar high through the clouds in a scenic aircraft. Tailor-made for all kinds of tourists, it offers wide variety of accommodation, ranging from simple stays to lavish 5-star hotels with azure pools.

Known for its remarkable panoramas and luscious cuisine, Hayman is the essence of Whitsunday Islands. If you have the ability to splurge, this private island resort has lavishness you cannot even dream of. The casement of exquisite suites fling vistas filled with turquoise lagoons, tepid ambiance, thick vegetation, and enormous stretch of gorgeous pasty beaches. After spending a great deal at the island’s boutique, get a relaxing back massage at ‘Spa Hayman’, an award winning health center.

If underwater creatures entice you, get into your flippers and jump 6 meters deep at Hook Island. Spend the rest of your day at the gorgeous Hook Island Wilderness Resort. This remarkable resort encompasses a dormitory, several camping areas, and prolific accommodation that repay the value of your money. You can also opt to sip a hot coffee at the indoor café, or enjoy a glass of beer at the revitalizing bar.

To witness and experience the pleasure of being in Australia’s only Club Med Island, go to Lindeman Island. This diminutive isle offers a wide range of sports to choose from, including sports for singles, families, and kids. Try flying trapeze or challenge your elder bro for a round of golf. If you are a nature lover, this Club Med is the perfect destination for you. You can saunter through any of the several bush walks that offers hilltop views of Lindemann and many neighboring islands. Moreover, this piece of land also has a national park listed in register of World Heritage National Parks.

However, if you are visiting Whitsunday Islands only to explore the beauties of nature, Long island is the richest among all in terms of panoramas and natural gratification. Surrounded by a sheltered cove, Long Island Resort is an awesome tropical camouflage. This resort can best be enjoyed by having a glass of cocktail while relaxing under the squashy sunrays, watching azure waves whispering with every gush of air.

In an isolated inlet of Long Island, Paradise Bay Eco Escape is one that offers a tropical forest national park, bungalows with private beaches, and untouched solitude. Similarly, Peppers Palm Bay is another bay to enjoy the nature in privacy and tranquility.

These are just few of the 74 islands, with a brief description of the amenities and exquisiteness that can be found in Whitsunday Islands. This short depiction clearly mentions that this bunch of island has something for everyone. Here, you can find just about every thing except bungee jumping.

The valley encompasses and is flanked by many stunning vistas; one of them is Barrington Tops. This protracted area is entirely swathed with unblemished natural countryside and is a heaven for nature lovers. It has successfully logged itself in the extensive list of World Heritage Site. It is a favorite spot for trekkers with numerous hiking trains piercing the jade bushes. Trekking in these trails is the best way to observe some of the rarest species of Australian wildlife. Bikers aren’t disappointed either because Barrington Tops encompasses several mountain-biking trails, some of them considered to be the best in continent.

Here, it’s quite effortless to find a luxurious space to stay overnight at a cheap price. Hence, tourist traffic is more at Barrington Tops. This remarkable blend of lavish accommodation, panoramic vistas, audacious adventures, and abundant wildlife naturally magnetizes visitors. This is one of the best locations to halt in Hunter Valley. However, if you wish to explore the gorge fully, it not wise to halt at one place for long. You can split you accommodation across places. This will ensure that you observe the whole variety and richness of the ravine, staying close to sightseeing and renowned places.

There is lot you can do in the Hunter Valley, however wine tasting is unquestionably the most popular activity among the tourists. Previously, visitors were not fortunate enough to taste the top-notch wine produced in the continent. However, the doors are now open and tourists can visit any of the local or international wine yards, producing succulent and saccharine wines.

Along with a famous wine producing destination, this gorge is also known for its quality of cheese. Locally produced, internationally sold cheese is worth tasting, if in Hunter Valley. There are several tour operators in the area that will take you through many major cheese producers to taste cheese for free. Join any of them to experience the pleasure of delectable savor.

Indeed, the vicinity of Hunter Valley is known for the products grown locally including the cheese, tasty wine, vegetable farming, olives, and many such luxury products. The best way to get into these ranches without any obstruction is staying at the luxury accommodation provided by them. If you are a tenant living in those rooms, you get free access to the farms. Probably, living in Hunter Valley accommodation is the best way to explore the region.

Certainly, visiting the natural panoramas of Hunter Valley, either for sightseeing, for wine tasting, for adventures, or for exploring the wildlife, is the only way to get a closer view of still-existent rural Australia. Whether you prefer to stay in a lavish hotel or a simple farm hostel, you are sure to remember this region for the rest of your life.

Searching dinner, seeking refreshment, or just out of habit, these animals are operative during nocturnal hours. And it’s really exciting to watch them in the perfectly natural habitat. However, taking a risk of wandering alone in the darkness of Currumbin Sanctuary is very hazardous to your life. Hence, it’s advisable to hire a guide. These trained and informed professionals are aware about the place where most of the animals are likely to be found. They have a torch to locate the creature scuttling in bush, playing, and foraging.

You will be amazed to spot birds and animals that you never witnessed during daytime. Some of the very shrewd, but gorgeous birds are found in Australia during night time. The diminutive sugar-gliders are also seen gliding from one tree to the other and soar in the night. Fortuitously, they aren’t affected by the rays of the torchlight, which enables us to view them clearly.

The crown of Australia, Kangaroos are commonly found in all the sanctuary all over Australia. Similarly, in Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, kangaroos are also seen wandering in the night. Don’t be afraid to go close and silently watch the creatures hopping around with their young ones. However, do not hurt them. It won’t affect them much; instead it will injure you. Also, don’t try to get close to the Tasmanian Devil. For people who don’t know what it is, it’s a hideous but amazing small creature.

However, if you are with a trained guide, it’s possible to feed both the animals. Wombats are generally found at night.

But few species are also sun in daylight. Usually you see them passing by your car. But in Currumbin, you will definitely spot a couple or a bunch of them relaxing in a corner.

Some of the biggest crocodiles on earth are found in Australia and few of them are imprisoned in Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Have you ever tried cuddling a koala? No? Do it here, during the night. However, it will cost you few dollars. Almost every visitor in Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary hugs a kaola once. Also wait a while to watch Aboriginal Tribal Corroboree, a play in which historic stories are revealed through singing and dancing.

Have you ever visited any huge prison which was a type of colony of convicted prisoners? Then visit the Fremantle prison, which is infamous tourist’s attraction but has a long history behind it. It is situated at Perth in Western Australia. Initially the prison was one of the strict and maximum security prisons in Australia. It was build by the British as number of convicts were increasing and place to keep them was limited. The Fremantle Prison was build on fifteen acres of land in 1852. It took eight years to complete the construction. The prisoners of British actually built it. The prison has witnessed many deaths and prison riots. The first seventy prisoners came by Scindian ship in 1850. There all types of prisoners from pick pockets to serial killers. Even women prisoners were transported here. Finally, long one hundred and thirty six years old history was ended in 1991.

Now the prison has turned into tourists’ attraction site. The prison is sort of museum which has some painting and work done by them. At the same time, it is said it’s haunted by the prisoners who died and killed themselves! Tours are organized by the Western Australian Government; daily tour and nightly tour. The prison has many corners and nooks which are of great significance. Nightly tours are more fun to go. The tour is made interesting and scary! You will never know what’s going to happen next. The tour gives the tourists goose bumps. During tour dummy body are thrown with sound effects and lights are dimmed down. And your guide, holding torch light is all enacted out to this event memorable! The stories of hanging and suicides are enacted by throwing dummy body of male down from the building window with sounds! The whole building gives chills and spooky feeling! You will just start hallucinating that actually you seen a ghost or somebody is standing behind you! The day and night tour are very different experience.

The attraction that include are whipping post where prisoners were tortured and punished, gallows where prisoners were execution, you can still see the loose hanging over the trap door and beside it used to be a horse cart standing to take away the dead body. Then there are cells of prisoner who had drawn images and painting on the walls which would speak out the condition they lived in. The last stop is the prison chapel which has sections made for different convicts like cages were there for sexual offenders and women had quarters overlooking the chapel.

The chapel has also its secret which you have find out yourself! The tours are made very interesting it leaves you with thrills and sense of seeing a ghost. The whole tour is organized beautifully with touch of spookiness and shocks!

Many colonial prisons have changed into tourists’ attraction and town has emerged, around the prisons. Few prisons that were known for its maximum security and stories related of massacre to suicides of prisoners are turned into historic sites. Just be a part of a lantern lit tour around the Port Arthur in Australia. The prison of Port Arthur is said to be haunted by the convicted prisoners who hanged themselves and some who were killed brutally. The whole place turns different after dark hours. The port is filled by mysteries and conspiracies that you need to discover by yourself. To know about this place you need to come here to believe it!

Port Arthur is situated on an attractive natural harbor situated on the Tasman Peninsula to the southeast island of Hobart. The prison is built on a peninsula surrounded by water which is thirty meters wide isthmus in eagle hawk neck shape that is connected to the mainland by the fence and guards. The landscape not only has historic sites but the scenic views of the place in stunning! Initially it was a prison for convicts ranging from juvenile to serial killers. Later when it was closed in 1880’s, the area was renamed as carnarvon and area around the prison was put on sale for residential use. The town has many killing and ghost haunted stories to tell! The famous among all stories of killing is the mass murder incident that happened in 1996 which challenged the law of Australia.

The prison of Port Arthur is known for its maximum security, which was convicts settlement and now open air museum! The night tours of this place is another attraction that is done in just lantern lit soft light, which will bring chills in your body! Except for the prison, just few miles away to the south of town are ‘Remarkable Cave’ that can be entered during low tides. You can take a ride in a small gauge steam train which is north to the Bush Mill. The ride in the train is short but it gives stunning views around the area. The port is a very interesting blend of ruined and well-preserved large structures that were made during eighteenth century and attractive grounds. Isle of the Dead Tour is another tour you should go to listen and see how many prisoners died and how they died. It’s a cemetery of such prisoners who died in the jail.

From the Hobart to Port Arthur it will only take one and half-hour to reach by road. The drive down the Tasman and Arthur Highways appears part of the Convict Trail Touring Route and takes in breathtaking seascapes, passing from side to side rolling farmlands and little villages, past vineyards, artists’ studios and sweeping bays. While coming here you will travel in different time as the port has maintained its countryside look. A regular bus service run by Tassie Link connects Hobart with Port Arthur.

By Sea:

The MV Marina offers a ferry service from Hobart to Port Arthur. The service offers a full range of facilities including food and beverage service.

The nearest airport is Hobart International Airport which from Melbourne to Hobart airport it takes one hour.

Here you will get plenty of hotels, villas and lodges offering you best quality of services. While your stay here you can explore other things as horse rides in near by forest or you can relax in garden or explore numerous bush walks. You will find ranges of accommodation from luxurious to economical.

Best place to…

Soak under the cascading waterfall

Visit the Springbrook National Park and walk besides the gushing water of Purlingbrook Falls (altitude 33 feet). Or opt to slide down the ravine through the arid forest area and saunter behind the falls.

Be a Bird’s Mole

You can witness the elegant flight of green catbirds, satin and regent bowerbirds, and king parrots while wandering through the luxuriant Dorrigo National park. A 220 feet protracted skywalk offers amazing panorama of the national park and the bird variety. Also, visit the serene Tallawalla Retreat.

Strolling in the tropical woods flanked by the sea

Look at quite a lot of strangler figs at the momentous Iluka Nature Reserve (Iluka Group). The convoluted latticework that was made many decades ago is a brilliant spectacle to stare. Relax and laze under the sweltering sun at Iluka Beach. Have a good night’s sleep in the immaculate Angourie Rainforest Resort positioned in Yamba.

The Spring Vegetation

Marvel at the sights of incredible flora found in Gibraltar Range National Park, which is a wide-spread area. Resilient small trees stick to the granite structures and the waratah (found only here) is quite alluring. But don’t commit a blunder of touching it. You will have to pay huge amount as fine. A pleasing B&B (Bed and Breakfast) in the neighborhood is Tudor House.

Check out the Gorge

The already stunning looks of the crimson crags, cascading falls, and ravines becomes an eye candy at Wollomombi Gorge located in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. Here, you will also find one of the highest cascades of Australia, plunging from 671 feet. Hire a scenic aircraft to witness the surrounding beauty from the cloud’s height at Fleet Helicopters. Or relax in the lavish rooms of Lindsay House.

Endeavor lofty mountain trekking

Professional hikers can test their trekking skills at the hiking trail of Mount Barney, which measures 4,400 vertical feet. Get on the summit to watch the all-encompassing sights of Brisbane located to the north, and the views of Mount Warning Valley, a corrosion caldera of the rare volcano located to the south. An ideal time to ascend this peak is in the months of June to September. For easier adventures like bush walking and rock climbing, head toward the rustic Barney Lodge.

After the Sunset

Watch the luminous sight of hundreds of glowworms displayed at Natural Bridge during the night in Springbrook National Park. This famous doorway is also crammed full during daytime, when tourists visit the waterfall cave.

Trip Tips

Directions

The dense woods of Border Group are spread near the Gold Coast. For a trouble free scenic trip, join the Scenic Hinterland Tour that will take you to Springbrook National Park, halt at many waterfalls, and a walk near Lamington National Park. For Land Rover safaris, join 4×4 Hinterland Tour.

Stay at

Some excellent places for overnight stay are O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park and Palazzo Versace.

My childhood friend, Elisa, and I stood sturdily at one side of the slender, fragile, wooden bridge that connect two sides of a deep gorge located in the tropical forest of the Dunk Island, a serene, practically isolated and abandoned oasis off Australian east coast, just adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. The other side of the ravine embraced awe-inspiring landscapes, birds, flora and fauna. So it’s mandatory for us to cross the stilted, dodgy bridge.

Elisa turned around ‘What? Are you thinking of chickening out now?’ I stood silently watching her eyes. ‘Look at the landscape there, it’s so beautiful. Come on let’s keep walking.

I ignored her and kicked the crimson mud spread under my feet, while she continued her mocking chicken squawks. I was watching the rock placed at the foot of the gorge from the gaps between wooden planks of the bridge. My concentration broke abruptly when I heard footsteps behind from the bushes. Not human steps, I thought. So, what could it be? A wild bear? I turned around and shocked at the sight of the largest wild turkey I had ever seen in my lifetime, including pictures on internet sites. Three feet tall, swathed with black, murky feathers, and a pulsating red wattle, the turkey stood angrily, 8 feet away from me. I guess it wanted to cross the bridge and we were human-ous distraction in the path.

“Shirley, do you want to spend the evening fighting with the bird? Or coming with me?” Elisa screamed from the mid-point of the uncanny bridge.

“Yeah,” I screamed back, my voice hesitant. I was moving slowly toward the bridge and away from the fuming turkey. However, I realized I was moving very sluggishly, when it let out a strident shriek, fluttered its black wings, and accelerated toward me.

“Elisa, I am coming…” I reached other side of the bridge before I finished my protracted sentence. Elisa broke into a huge laughter, which caught the turkey’s attention that still stood there on the other side. It came near to the start of the bridge and kept staring at the wooden planks, with infrequent glances at me.

“I guess it intends to cross the creepy bridge, but is more afraid than you were.” Elisa winked at me. After a while, she said, “Let’s hide somewhere. It is not moving due to us. I am sure if we disappear, it will immediately cross the bridge.”

So according to Elisa’s plan, we hid behind a wide-stem tree and watched the turkey from behind the trunk. After about a minute of investigate, the bird was convinced that we are gone and it unhurriedly, vigilantly positioned its bony leg on the first wooden plank of the bridge, then the next, and one more. The turkey’s strolling on the laths had developed into a cadence with its skeletal neck moving to and fro. It also emitted a gobbling sound occasionally, a sound produced by human when wedged in an extremely scary situation. It was quite a funny scene. So, I instinctively started giggling “Why did the creepy bird cross the bridge?” I spoke in a soft voice and laughed harder and maybe louder. That’s when the bird realized it wasn’t alone there and stopped his hilarious, gracious walk right in the center of the bridge. I stopped giggling when Elisa elbowed me whispering “shut-up you fool.”

I held my giggling, breath, and all other source of noise. But I couldn’t restrain myself and few nasal grunts escaped. The bird’s sharp ears grasped my grunts and looked unwaveringly in our direction. Elisa, this time, elbowed me thrice, much harder than the last time which was enough to control all my sounds. Repressing giggles for 3 minutes was a success and the turkey resumed his trip.

It walked gradually for a minute (which was just a few seconds walk) and stopped after crossing the bridge successfully. It stood like a triumphant, undefeated king of the island for some time and walked into the bushes, out of our vision.

“Now that was something remarkable.” I said, my eyes glittering.

“Really,” she said, “And because you thought ‘we would find nothing more than gigantic trees and filth’, we left the camera in the room.”

“Okay, I apologize, your highness” I bowed. As soon I as I stood straight I saw another bouquet of black feathers, and a couple of red foot on the other side of the creepy bridge. It was about to step on the wooden plank to cross, when I yelled “One more turkey” and it looked at me.

“See,” I declared, pointing toward the turkey. “Maybe they both are dating secretly, going one after the other, to be unnoticed together.”

When I turned to Elisa, she was gaping at the bird, mouth open. Maybe she was thinking about her partner. Rapidly, she turned to me, “I am going back to the room to get the digital camera. You sit tight.”

“Hmmm. Good Idea. I think…” I started.

“Just ensure that this turkey doesn’t get away and don’t let it cross the bridge,” she said. I nodded. I saw Elisa crossing the bridge, taking each step cautiously and finally past turkey. The bird trundled back a few inches, making a clear path for Elisa.

Elisa disappeared. Now, it was me and the turkey, only both of us. Oh, and the scary, anecdotal bridge.

Now it was my turn to cross the bridge. I covered the first few steps quite quickly because I hadn’t been looking down. The second I saw downward, I stuck there. The ravine was very deep, full of green trees. Few land patches that could be seen between the trees was where I stared. If I fall down, I thought, the wild animals there would eat me alive. I don’t know about carnivorous animals, but there were rodents for sure. I had seen one on my way. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and walked across the bridge without making any noise (I wasn’t in a position to make any).

I heaved a sigh of relief, a silent sigh, after crossing the bridge. Now, my focus was back to the huge turkey. It stood on a log and started brushing itself. The distance between the bird and me was approximately 10 feet. I watched it warily, while it was prodding its beak on and under the right, black wing, fluttering and adjusting it. Maybe getting ready for a date, I thought.

“Quite a hot date tonight, huh?” I asked the bird.

The turkey stopped grooming and stared hard at me. Oops, I started a wrong topic.

“Please,” I fell on my knees and pleaded “Please don’t gobble me. I am just trying to stop you for a while, so Elisa can get your snapshot. I swear. And it’s legal, really.”

The bird, accepting my apology, stopped staring ant me and resumed grooming. But it glanced at me frequently. I gazed towards the direction where Elisa, hoping to see her with the camera really soon.

I turned toward the turkey, “A while ago, I met your boyfriend. Boyfriend or girlfriend? I seriously don’t know how to distinguish between them. I apologize again.” I bowed.

I guess, this time it didn’t accept the apologies. The irate bird jumped down the log and walked toward me. My heart started pounding louder. I moved slowly toward the bridge. Now, what do I choose? The furious turkey or the creepy bridge over rodent-filled ravine?

“Okay, maybe I shouldn’t be talking about you loved one. Let’s change the topic. So what do you do? Like whole day in this jungle, isn’t it boring?” I stepped on the first plank of the bridge, still looking at the bird.

I don’t know what threatened the turkey. It started spreading its black wings, and started screeching. I realized that I would soon be guzzled, mangled, or raped (if it’s a male).

“Wow! It’s still standing here.” Elisa screamed in delight from the bushes. I was relieved, for the second time.
“Yeah, it still standing there, trying to find ways to attack me.” I said and cleaned the sweat off my forehead.

We went away from the turkey and the bridge, because Elisa, the planner, wanted to capture a photo of turkey standing in the middle of the creepy bridge. We hid behind a tree, not so big this time, on the same side of the bridge as the turkey.

We waited for five minutes, then another five, and another ten minutes. The bird groomed some more and trudged down the gorge, and within a minute to the other side. We watched it move swiftly and vanish in the bush. We looked at each other blankly. The mission ‘turkey photo’ was nowhere near accomplishment.

“What was it?” Elisa asked, disbelieving and unimpressed. “Why didn’t it cross the bridge?”

I shrugged “Maybe it was a chicken.”

After some hours of drive and three toilet stops, I finally reached Coober Pedy from Port Augusta. I found few drunken aboriginal men laid on the dusty road and on foot were some mine-workers. I wondered if it was the end of the world or at least that’s what the city looked like. I started counting the trees and found only 4. Okay, let’s try shops, I thought and found only 10. I seriously didn’t know anything about the terrain until I met another traveler, Randy Walt, who accompanied me till I was in Coober Pedy. He was a free travel guide for me.

According to Randy’s research, eighty five percent of the population lives underground after some nuclear fallout. Most of the houses, cathedrals, inns, and stores are built underground. However, a small aboriginal community lives on the land of Coober Pedy. We met one of them who helped us with fixing the damaged wheel of my car. He said “When a white men lives in a hole, we call it Coober Pedy.” They believe underground is a place of dead.

This land was discovered when a 14-year-old kid found an opal here. This is the only reason of Coober Pedy’s existence.

Randy told me about the two things this place is known for. Opals and films. The backdrop in all the scenes of Mad Max 3 was a part of Coober Pedy. Also most of the scenes of Pitch Black, Kangaroo Jack, and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert were shot here. I looked at the surrounding desert area and nodded to avoid eye contact with him because I hadn’t seen any of these movies.

We went to the tourist center to get some info on the accommodation and entertainment in Coober Pedy. However, it turned out that Randy knew much more than the newly hired tourist officer.

Coober Pedy is known around the world as the biggest opal mining town. Till date, high quality opals are found in the mines here. We found the pizza corners sold opals, so did the chemists, and all the hotels. I was quite astonished to find that the churches didn’t. We went underground to check out the opal mining museum and the houses of local residents. The museum didn’t interest me. However, the sights of houses were quite astounding. The rooms were very, very small and had a couple of beds with a table. I guess people here have never heard about claustrophobia.

“Let’s have a look at the opal mines here. If we are lucky enough, maybe we find something”. Though this place didn’t seem anywhere close to lucky, I went with him to explore the opal mines. We borrowed two dusty yellow-hued mining helmets with a tiny but bright light on top of it. After about an hour of walk in the murky tunnels we came out of the mines, unlucky. We did see some parts of the walls glittering and maybe few opals are still stuck there. But I desperately wanted to get out of that suffocating caves and the yellow helmet.

Coober Pedy was an underground settlement with a population of just around 2000 out of which over 1200 were males. The temperature here is generally hot throughout the year except winter nights. In summer, the temperature rises up to 50 C. However, it’s comparatively cooler underground. This region receives small amount of rainfall. So, even in the winter months, the town seems quite arid and dusty.

The hotels and inns were quite nicely built and one was really exquisite. We had a scrumptious pizza in an suffocating café. Water is quite expensive here, so I opted for a beer. Later, while Randy spent time flirting with the underground girls (all of them wearing neon clothes) in the world’s only bar below the earth, I retired early to our cave. I had planned to wake up at 4 am next morning and keep moving to explore the other parts of Australia. Before sleeping, I noted about the description of Coober Pedy in my travel diary, as I always do. I wouldn’t describe this place as beautiful and attractive. In fact, the movie ‘2012’ would have done better if it would have been shot here. However, it was an unusual experience exploring the underground city. Though not so fascinating, it was quite interesting (except the tunnel-like mines).

Coober Pedy is about 845 kilometers from Adelaide and 685 kilometers away from Alice Springs on Stuart Highway.