Time has gotten away from me, but there’s still plenty to tell about my adventures in Australia. If you missed the beginning, it starts with the Sydney post. Here’s the next installment:

After Kangaroo Island we were headed north to the Outback.

After one night on the road, we arrived in Coober Pedy, the “Opal Capital of the World.”

It’s a bit more than halfway to Alice Springs so was a good place to stop, and it was surprisingly cool for a place extensively covered in heaps of dirt. I shot this sign from the back so instead of the trucks in the parking lot, you could see the dirt hills in the background, remnants of previous searches for opals.

A lot of the most beautiful places here are underground.

Before we checked in, we had a tour booked at an opal mine. Even Bega was included and had a special doggie hard hat, in pink as the princess prefers. Very interesting and, of course, there was a gift shop selling gorgeous opal jewelry.

Then we were offered sieves and trowels to “noodle” in the dirt pile outside. We did find a few bits of color and had to pry Brittany away from the place, she was having so much fun.

But it was time to shower off the dirt and find drinks and dinner. Our host recommended this place, Big Winch 360…

There was live music, delicious food, and a massive terrace for watching the sunset.

The next day we were on the road again, for a long day up to Alice Springs. Sights like this kept it interesting…

Here’s wishing you interesting adventures and moments to be treasured, even if it sometimes feels like all you’re doing is sifting through a massive pile of dirt!

Grace and peace to you, as always.