Opal diggers' gamble keeps them on the 'lure of finding a million dollars'

  • 📰 abcnews
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 45 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 21%
  • Publisher: 83%

Australia Headlines News

Australia Latest News,Australia Headlines

The drill holes as far as the eye can see which dot Coober Pedy's opal fields act as a reminder of both fortunes found and dreams unfulfilled.

The 29-year-old is one of the youngest opal miners in town, bucking the trend in an industry which has struggled to retain diggers."When you're digging away day after day and not finding anything it sort of tires you out. But eventually, when you do find that opal, it's a feeling like nothing else," he said.

"It feels like you're levitating, the adrenaline's kicked in, and you see the beautiful crystal opal sitting in this bland sandstone. That's what really gets me."Mr Lang divides his time between the picturesque town of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills and the stark moonscape of Coober Pedy, pock-marked by well over a million drill holes and mine shafts.

"But if you have a few dollars behind you and you can subsidise your income somehow and give it a go for a little while, it might just turn out.""Opal mining will take you on a roller-coaster of highs and lows, and there's probably more lows than highs," he said. "It'll suck your bank account dry. It will make you work harder than you've ever worked before. But that feeling when you hit opal is a feeling that gives you goosebumps and a feeling like nothing else.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

pjournomartin

I've always wanted to go fossicking.😳

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 5. in AU

Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

One million kangaroos die in ongoing Victorian pet food trial, report findsAn internal Government report finds its kangaroo pet food trial is compromised by profit motives and malpractice, with fears the animals are being harvested unsustainably. Give it a break ! If there is an established 'authorised number of kangaroos' then the issue may be enforcement of number restrictions.
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

Unicorn factory: The university where dropouts start billion-dollar companiesThe chances that your startup will become a billion-dollar company are almost zero. But dropping out of Stanford will help. . Lookat dat gold digger. 'How do they do it? One obvious answer is **CONNECTIONS**' An undergraduate degree at Stanford will cost you A$95K. Only the rich can afford that. So they are connected to other rich. Who you know is more important than what you know.
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »

Federal budget to get multibillion-dollar boost from surging iron ore priceThe surprise budget boost gives Prime Minister Scott Morrison a war-chest to fight the May election. Ah, so NOT from “strong fiscal management”? auspol 'There's no point leaving it in the bank and losing.' says the banker more interested in his personal tax cut than sustainable fiscal management. so rather than use it wisely for the betterment of the community, they'll squander it on tax cuts and sweeteners for the top end of town allpolititionsarelyingconievingcunts
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »

Boeing software fix to 737 Max jets will cost billions of dollarsThe software fix for Boeing's 737 Max may end up costing the aircraft manufacturer billions of dollars as it redesigns a computerised flight-control system. Tough shit The additional cost will eventually be passed on to passengers over the life of the aircrafts and Boeing will be getting tax breaks from it. So what's the problem? What cost an innocent life for those who have died since? And what's the cost of all those lives lost?
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »

Boeing will keep building new 737 Max planes amid crisisAs Boeing works to restore its troubled 737 Max fleet to service, it will continue building the planes. 9News
Source: 9NewsAUS - 🏆 10. / 72 Read more »

Fine for woman who kept wombat as a pet and fed it wheat biscuits and porridgeA WA woman, who kept an orphaned wombat as a pet, is fined $6,000 even though the magistrate agrees the woman was trying to do the right thing. Wandin valley resident? The first thing she should have done was consult a vet FFS. More evidence if needed that the x-chromosome imparts stupidity in the susceptible.
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

'Croc of s---': Woman's battle to keep her scaly pets in suburban homeVicky Lowing has three pet crocs - two freshies named Johnny and Fabian, and a saltwater croc named Jilly - living in her suburban Melbourne home.
Source: 9NewsAUS - 🏆 10. / 72 Read more »

Scott Morrison keeps Craig Laundy decision under wraps while searching for star candidateCraig Laundy has told Scott Morrison he plans to quit politics but the decision has been kept secret while the PM searches for a star candidate auspol | michaelkoziol michaelkoziol michaelkoziol Pull the pin, don't give a bugger about Morrison and his plans, he doesn't give a hoot about you Craig. auspol michaelkoziol Great news.
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »

Around 900 million voters will vote across seven days in India's 2019 electionIndia announces that it will stagger its 2019 election across seven days to serve some 900 million voters. Will they be using Aadhaar? Brilliant system. Are there any major cricket matches on at the time? How about the abc covers all the participants in the state election instead of just the labor mates?
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »