ANDAMOOKA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA |
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ANDAMOOKA GPO 5722, SA. DON'T FORGET TO STOP AND SEE US ON YOUR WAY THROUGH THE GREAT OUT BACK OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. WE ARE ONLY 34kms from Roxby Downs and have a cheap Caravan camping area, 24hr clean toilets in the town center and showers at the Post office. We have an IGA for supplies and hardware, a bottle shop, The Tuckerbox Family Restaurant and a pub that is frequented by very colourful outback characters you'll see out this way. Check my youtube account for videos of the town, We go for a trundle with my dogs and look around the whole town. We look at mining, Houses, town icons, people and events as well as landscapes of the opal fields and out towards Lake Torrens. keep an eye out because im uploading new videos all the time its a work in progress, I will be happy to video any requests for viewers if they ask. So check us out on-
 To noodle for opal is to look for it on the surface of the ground (Handy tip) A bucket and a spray bottle to wet the stone for inspection helps alot. Picking them up and licking them was the old way. A good place to learn enduro Motorcycle riding and also great for the 4x4 Adventurer. (Don't foget the camera or camcord. on this site ive made you have the oportunity to view videos and photos and information about the town. There will be also information on mining and opal finding. Things to see and do during your stay and mining safety, Techneques and methods, stone cutting, tools and equipment. Realestate opportunitys. Its worth a mention that the potentual capital growth margin in this town with Oplympic Dam only 45kms away and the sizes of the propertys well exceeding those in Roxby Downs it is definetly not to be over looked and a great opportunity awaites young or first time investors, even more experienced investors its worth a look as alot of big development appovals have been given and the opportunitys are for sale. I can't Justify the price difference between the two towns as we still have access to all Roxby Downs Facilitys but a lot less stress being away from the over whelming pressents of the Olympic Dam owners and contractors.  Look At these two love birds, ya don't see this everywhere. But ya do here in Andamooka. The movie (The last of the knucklemen was made right here in Andamooka) At the Tuckerbox. So its a good place to get a photo with ya dukes up. Directed by Tim Burstall in 1979 and was about a gang of miners. The sceen played here was a high rolling card game and a fight. The movie was shot over 6 weeks 3 of wich was here in Andamooka and 3 west outback NSW. Check this site for cast and more info http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079444/ Check the pic below. it was the last film by Hexagon.  The Aboriginal legend is that Opal was created by the rainbow. Tip- Did you know? The Opal level is generaly where the Kopi hits the mud level, Kopi is white and the mud is a darker brown colour. Boundary riders from Andamooka stationfirst discovered Opal in 1930 in 1962 there was aprox 800 miners working the fields over a 52 square kilometer area.   The pic above is true black Opal from Andamooka Andamooka was named in 1858 by John Mcdouall Stewart after an Aboriginal word meaning large waterhole. |
The town is primaraly run by APOMA made up of community members and an elected body from its members. APOMA has had an uphill battle all the way with little help from BHP or the Goverment, though we do have a town administrator now but he has very limited resources. They have done a brilliant job with critisim and flack as well as a bit of volenteer help to get the town where it is today. Peter Allan and his team meed the next Australian Achievers award. The Caravan camping area is located near the childrens play facility under shelter with a BBQ there. It also has a tourist Noodling area within 100m walk. Another good BBQ area is located at the cottages you are safe to leave you caravans in town while you explore in you 4x4, Take a tour out towards lake Torrens and marvel over the sweeping landscapes the never ending creeks, water holes, chimmny hole and the bluff and wild animals. Theres a mud map next to the long bus on a sign or get a mud map from the post office and grab some good info have a chat to Margot and Peter the owners and you'll be off to a good start, the blokes at the bottle shop are very knowledgeable for info on recent ground conditions, weather and Opal the also have good supplies and are good for a chin wag. Theres a sitting area out side the bottle shop where locals commune your welcome to sit there and here the latest gossop and read a paper or have a beverage and a bite to eat. Its a dog friendly town. Video's are located on youtube my at my account (stringyheads) i give plenty of info there as well. (We are not rough neck murderers or dirty people living in mud huts as portayed by the media, the people here a very relaxed and you will see why.   Come and Noodle your way through the next lot of pages and you will be supprised to say the least of this towns history and events that have taken place and im only touching the surface. there is a lot that simply can not be recorded as for peoples involvment and legal issues on some topics. This is stuff you will ever only find out by comming here and talking to locals, Then its just roumor and hear say isn't it.  You'll see wild animals around, like Eagles, Emus (we call them bush chooks),Parrots, Kangaroos possably laying under shady trees in dryed creek beds just having a lazy afternoon, or you may see them grazing or even having a bit of a box up out the back.  Above is a pic of a buggy that was made here in Andamooka and used in the flim Mad Max. As a part of te movie was filmed right here, Not in Roxby Downs as the locals there like people to think, our suburb Roxby Downs didn't even exist then.  The jewlery above was presented to the queen the Opal Gems was found in Andamooka in buy a party set out to find the best gems for the queen in 1954. Once cut the big stone wieghed in at 203 carats. To find out how Opal is formed check this site out.- http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opal another good site to check out lots of info,- http://www.andamooka.sa.au/andamooka-history Handy contacts Tuckerbox (08)86727137 Opal Hotel (08)86727078 Post office (08)86727007 (accomidation) Celebrations Bottle shop (08)86727183 IGA, Thrifty link fuel-(08)86727034  The pic above is treated Rainbow matrix its unique to Andamooka and is treated in Acid to remove inpuritys then cooked in sugar to darken the stone and bring out the vibrant colours. Note the bands runing horizontal along the stone and above they are vertical. The bling factor or flashing characteristics of the stone is called the play. the more play the more you pay. Tip if the stone has pebbles in it, that means its flawed and less of value. This depends on the size of the stone of course if it can be cut into smaller pieces of course, It may be concidered a parcel in one uncut and should be priced accordingly. |
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