Easter Road Trip Day 5 White Cliffs

22 April 2019

White Cliffs is an opal mining community with underground dugouts for accommodation because of the extreme temperatures in this region. Again, I encountered some floodwater and places of mud where the water receded. The colours out here are spectacular contrasts. Red earth and green trees.

White Cliffs people say “where blue sky meets red earth”. The storm rolling in added other dimensions of colours.

White Cliffs has a population of 150.

The golf course gives a very different meaning to “green”.

While waiting for my hotel room, I went to the local pub with Olivia as the friendly local barmaid keeping everyone watered. Met the local school teacher with 11 students, 4 of which are her children. Met a local who came in to tell the mates he got off with a $1500 fine and didn’t lose his gun licence. It transpired he had gone shopping in town, took his gun out of the boot, placed it on the ground while he packed his groceries in the boot and forgot to put his rifle back in the boot. You try this in the city and you would probably get a $10,000 fine and a stint in jail. Being around city people I realise I only have their perspective on guns in Australia but have not experienced the rural perspective till this trip. In Cobar I noticed there are gun, hunting and “shooters” magazines.

After Port Arthur, I had forgotten we had a gun culture before but did not realise we still have one and it is not just the Americans who have guns. In the early 1980s I used to make my own ammunition for target shooting and my ex husband’s pig and kangaroo hunting (I only shot targets). When I lived in Brazil we had access to all  types of guns.  Guns are accepted in rural areas, just city people do not seem to have an understanding of the need for guns in rural areas.

Anyhow, I found the locals very interesting friendly people who have  intriguing tales of how they come to be in this remote, small community.

The Underground Hotel was as interesting as I expected.  What I did not expect was how sleeping in a “cave” is damp, musty and my allergies flared up.  I was glad I was only there one night though, but also glad I had the experience.

At this hotel I met people whose children had my son as their teacher, people whom I met in Cobar, and 25 Jehovas Witnesses who were travelling around remote areas “spreading their teaching”.

One of the local artists uses rail spikes for his art.

Finally for White Cliffs, this sign in the local toilet.

Translation ” Warning. If you keep the toilet lid down there will be less chance of there being a snake in the toilet bowl. Thank you”