1.7.15 - Another day around LR

Up and started clearing up to move from our cabin, then off to the Artesian Bore Baths for a soak before breaky. Checked where we should move to at the office, only to find our luck was in, we could have a cabin - the same cabin- for another night. While I had packed a bit of stuff back in the car, it is much easier to stay than move.

After breaky etc and putting Levi (Johnno's dog) into Doggy Day care,

we headed off through town to visit the Black Hand Mine - an opal mine of a miner who had started carving sculptures into the sandstone walls of the mine, back in 1997.

The sculptor/miner has been prolific, with everything from copies of famous sculptures such as David and a Lion from somewhere to superheroes, politicians, Egyptian hieroglyphics and anything else you can think of.

The guy Don? is a pom, who had started working the mine with little luck, so did the sculptures along the way. Over 15 years he has 'found' about $20K worth of opal - not a great annual wage. We figured he is raking it in now at $30 a pop. Also included was a mine tour down below the carving/sculpture level. Dad, Uncle Lance and I were lucky to be led on the tour of the mine part by Don himself and only the three of us, it was very informative, and he was very generous with his time and knowledge.

75 next birthday and you wouldn't believe it. Evidently they held a shoveling competition and he came second, beaten by a bloke less than half his age.

Many of his sculptures have been damaged/break - so he just changes them into something else, a real 'no fuss' guy. Some of the pics show areas of the walls he has painted, this is because the surface/structure of the wall was not good enough to sculpt.

Aunty Cherry passed up the mine level of the tour, as she was worried about claustrophobia. It was quite a steep stairway down into the mine, but she handled it all very well, they all did, the stairs coming back out were a bit of a challenge.

They also had Opals for sale, Uncle Lance reckons much cheaper than the numerous opal stores in town. Wonder if Aunty Cherry will be a proud owner prior to departure next week.

We stopped off at Morillas Cafe for coffee which turned into lunch. Johnno's then headed off to release Levi from Doggy Day Care. Dad went to visit a bloke whose family used to be in Echuca and had the local car dealer - Healey's. I went to look at John Murray Art Gallery and bought a couple of small prints.

Then we headed west about 70kms to some other opal mining communities - all with their own pub/club - so off to the 3 clubs tour. Grawin - had the 9 hole golf course with clubhouse,

nearby we grabbed an ice cream at the Grawin store. Then on a little further through more opal mining communities - the machinery a lot more modern out here, as these fields are newer than LR. We stopped at Glengarry- the home of the Glengarry Hilton Hotel - had a drink and chat with some locals

before heading back via Sheepyard - which had another pub and some interesting old machinery.

Past Sheepyard on the way home was a quite significant war memorial - created by the miners- many of whom are Vietnam vets - it looked like maybe a lone pine - pine and many memorials beside a dam, with some old war stuff too. Evidently they draw quite a crowd to the middle of nowhere for their Anzac ceremonies

After heading back into town, into a colourful sunset, we thought we were going to listen to another local entertainer – Willy Not Nelson, but he was not performing, so off to prepare the Curried Sausages for our tea tonight. Dad toddled off with our dirty washing armed with one dollar coins.

We carted the prepared snags over to Johnno's and Dad put the clothes in the drier on the way. Another lovely meal spent together, clothes dried and folded, over a couple of drinks and delicious custard and stewed PJ apples...very nice indeed.

Dad and I then returned home to don the togs for a soak in the Artesian Bore Baths under the full moon, we had to force ourselves, made even harder when Aunty Cherry chickened out. Anyway it was very nice indeed. Not a long soak, as it was an early start in the morning, to squeeze in another soak and pack up with plans to hit the road early as we had to make tracks north.