1
00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:07,600
I'm sick of this. ..the Bushmen battle opal thieves on land...

2
00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,960
There he is. ..and in the skies...

3
00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:12,440
Bloody hell.

4
00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,080
..wild weather again forces the Boulder Boys...

5
00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,160
There's no shortcut. ..to dig their way out of trouble...

6
00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:20,560
There we go.

7
00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,040
..and, as summer heat end's their season...

8
00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:24,720
Too hot. Look out.

9
00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,200
..Gav McFarlane puts rookie son Zac through his paces.

10
00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:29,920
Get the  out of here!

11
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:37,074
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12
00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:58,760
Putting some fuel in it, are you, Les? Yep, get it ready for tomorrow.

13
00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,640
Did you know there's a car over here? Oh, yeah.

14
00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:14,640
Nigel, stay! I'm gonna go and see who this is, Les. I'm sick of this.

15
00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,240
That's why you sort of pay attention to an unknown car around.

16
00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,000
I've had a gutful of this.

17
00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:26,240
How many times do you have to deal with these bastards?

18
00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:31,440
Rod Manning is chasing down another suspected opal thief.

19
00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,520
There he is.

20
00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:36,760
Gone down there.

21
00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:38,840
He's a bit quicker than me.

22
00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:42,400
This season he and partner Les

23
00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,760
have lost thousands of dollars to thieves.

24
00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:47,840
I got no hope of catching him.

25
00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,000
'Makes you angry.'

26
00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:53,160
Unfortunately on opal fields, you're always going to have raiders.

27
00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,160
Couldn't catch him, Les.

28
00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:59,040
They're just scummy little parasites, you know.

29
00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,600
Not good. We'll have to keep a bit more of an eye out, that's all.

30
00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,840
Makes you start thinking when you go to work in the morning,

31
00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,160
"What has some mongrel taken now?"

32
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:12,520
That's what they do this time of year, see. The fields are starting to clear out.

33
00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,680
Not as many people around, not so many eyes watching them.

34
00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:22,440
What if we get the dogs on top the hole as our security while we're down there.

35
00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,840
That's a good idea. At least, they'll let us know if they come back. Yeah.

36
00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:28,600
All right, yous two, yous are on duty, all right?

37
00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,080
You got to let us know what's going on.

38
00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,480
Bondis, we've been doing all right there

39
00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,880
and it's a race now to get as much out of there as we can.

40
00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,720
There is only a certain amount of time

41
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,320
we can work there before that heat comes.

42
00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:46,840
Once that heat comes, you know,

43
00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:49,360
there is not much you can do.

44
00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:54,960
Summer temperatures in the region can reach well over 45 degrees Celsius,

45
00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,560
making it impossible for miners to work.

46
00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,400
The Bushmen have just weeks before they down tools.

47
00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,400
They're on the hunt for black opal,

48
00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:09,760
but are still short of their season target,

49
00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:14,400
with most of this year's earnings eaten up by repair costs and debts.

50
00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:21,440
It's a vicious circle, you get a bit and then someone else wants it.

51
00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,200
Bed's a bit bloody rough at the moment,

52
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,120
the cupboards are pretty bare cos we buy in bulk.

53
00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,600
The diesel man won't give me any more diesel till I've paid my bill. So...

54
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,360
we've got to have some money come in very soon.

55
00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,640
First job, get their two-ton digger working again.

56
00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,840
The leg ram that pushes her up into the roof to lock her in place,

57
00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,640
we got a hydraulic leak in the bottom hose so we just fixed it up.

58
00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,800
We'll stick the leg back in now, shouldn't take too long.

59
00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:57,000
Whoa.

60
00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,080
Push a bit more.

61
00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:08,280
There we go.

62
00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,960
When I have to tip it back this way, with this particular digger,

63
00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,120
I've got to be a little bit careful

64
00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:21,000
cos if I let her come over too quick she's going to bloody keep on going

65
00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,120
and end up laying on this other side again.

66
00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,000
Let's push it.

67
00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,320
Jesus...Christ!

68
00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,760
Everything is going not bad today, so far. We're on fire, mate.

69
00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:44,080
Now, we're just about to dig up a big lump of opal.

70
00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,280
Too hot, hence why the ice.

71
00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,560
Oh, God. Sweltering.

72
00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,960
70 kilometres to the northeast,

73
00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,680
the first hot spell of summer is hitting the McFarlanes hard.

74
00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:14,240
Over 40 - 42, 43, 44, 45 - every single solitary day.

75
00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:22,840
Including my flushing toilet. Why the hell do you need wire...

76
00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,640
..for a toilet? God give me strength.

77
00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,320
For months, a shortage of opal

78
00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:34,160
and cash has put essential home improvements on hold.

79
00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,800
I will nag until the cows come home. I don't care what they say. Nagging will get there for me.

80
00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:44,560
Teagan, get your shoes off those sheets, get out of the bed. Move, go goodbye.

81
00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:50,040
For Connie and 16-year-old daughter Teagan, the uncomfortable has become unbearable.

82
00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:54,200
My pillows are covered in dirt. They're filthy. Yes, they are.

83
00:05:54,280 --> 00:05:59,200
For privacy I only have a curtain and you can see through it.

84
00:05:59,280 --> 00:06:02,240
I'd like a wall and I would like for the roof

85
00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,200
to not fall on me when I'm sleeping.

86
00:06:05,280 --> 00:06:08,800
This stuff just brings down dust and dirt.

87
00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,200
As you can see, dirt just falls and that's just gross.

88
00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:15,600
I got a lot of pressure on me at the moment.

89
00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,240
I need to make money to get my camp sorted.

90
00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:22,840
Our roof is a priority. It would be just so nice to be able to get

91
00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:27,920
that one lot of money to be able to go and order all the materials in one hit and go, there's our roof.

92
00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,040
Just to make it a home and not a shack.

93
00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,280
With a target of $20,000,

94
00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:39,360
Gavan has found just $2,200.

95
00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,880
The season's getting pretty much to the end.

96
00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:49,640
Time is ticking. Time is always ticking isn't it?

97
00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:55,160
With one last dig left of the season, Gavan needs help.

98
00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,880
Zac finally moved here. We're so excited to see him.

99
00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,800
The McFarlane's 19-year-old son, Zac,

100
00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:06,240
has just moved over 600 kilometres from the coast with his young family.

101
00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,320
Hello, everyone.

102
00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,880
Yeah, so I've finally made the move up to the ridge

103
00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,240
and I'm real happy we're up here now.

104
00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:15,120
Closer to family, it's real good.

105
00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:16,760
We missed you.

106
00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,880
Is that your bottle? Hello, my other little man. Hey, Dad. Hiya, buddy.

107
00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:25,200
Dad's definitely trying to make sure he doesn't let the girls down with the shack

108
00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,400
and he wants to make them feel comfortable and happy.

109
00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:33,000
That's why I'm here to help him. I'm here to tell him that he can do it and I've got his back.

110
00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,520
Mwah! Yes, I'm going to work. I need to go to work.

111
00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,200
But Zac has never mined before.

112
00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,680
I'm here to learn, help out and provide.

113
00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:47,280
I'm going to go help, Poppy. Where's Daddy going?

114
00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,680
There is plenty of pressures - young parent and whatnot, first kid.

115
00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:54,640
Work my arse off - seven days a week, 24/7 if I had to, you know.

116
00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,000
Anything to make him happy.

117
00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,080
Bye, guys. Bye, everybody.

118
00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:02,640
Ready to go.

119
00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:07,280
Finger's crossed and the opal gods are kind to us. He might even bring us a bit of luck.

120
00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:16,160
900 kilometres to the north, in tropical Queensland...

121
00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:18,800
Have a look at that, Ron.

122
00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,040
Bloody hell.

123
00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,480
Wow!

124
00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,000
No wonder it's leaking in.

125
00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:32,120
That's a lot of water.

126
00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:43,120
I was listening to the radio. It said 6 to 8 mil we'll be getting

127
00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,680
and got 75 and then 15 the next morning.

128
00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:50,200
Tomorrow is 90 mil. Well, we can't stop the rain.

129
00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:57,440
A freak thunderstorm has saturated the Boulder Boys' 27-hectare mine site,

130
00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:01,200
including their main pit, and the water level is rising.

131
00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,200
That's gushing in, look at it.

132
00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:08,920
She's actually running in like a spring.

133
00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:10,840
That's a gusher.

134
00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,840
The source of the rising waters - a flooded neighbouring open-cut mine

135
00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:18,880
known as Col's Cut.

136
00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:23,160
That's all coming from Col's Cut. That's coming through, mate.

137
00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,840
Look at that, eh? Back to square one, Ron.

138
00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,760
She's got us again. We can pump that out,

139
00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,800
but there's no point pumping that out if she just keeps running through here.

140
00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,200
Just disheartening.

141
00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:41,360
For the Boulder Boys, the Dragonfly claim is nearly all dug out.

142
00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,600
The pit is their last chance of big opal.

143
00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:48,480
Well, I think there's opal up there in the pit.

144
00:09:48,560 --> 00:09:51,320
My dad said that's our best chance of getting opal.

145
00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,440
To stop water seeping into the pit,

146
00:09:56,520 --> 00:10:01,040
the boys must somehow lower the water level in Col's Cut.

147
00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,080
We'll put in trench in there somewhere, eh?

148
00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,920
We're gonna have to. Yeah.

149
00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,080
Me and Ron will put a trench in from Col's Cut.

150
00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,840
At least, if we drop ten feet of water we won't have this problem here.

151
00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:18,640
It's all we can do. Let's do it, eh? All right.

152
00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,800
It's all costing time and money.

153
00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:39,720
Every hour, the excavator burns through $50 of diesel.

154
00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,880
There's no shortcut for what we're doing.

155
00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:54,080
We're nearly finished the trench now,

156
00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,760
so, I'll get it forward and break the last bit out.

157
00:10:57,840 --> 00:10:59,840
Bit of luck, we'll get water coming out.

158
00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,960
The best thing to come out of a mine at the end of the day is the miner.

159
00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:10,160
For Zac McFarlane,

160
00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,760
it's day one of mining school.

161
00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,560
And you'll hear it in our voice and I want you to move like a gazelle.

162
00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,080
Faster than you can move, OK? Yep.

163
00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,800
Zac's training ground is his dad's claim,

164
00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:25,160
littered with old, condemned mines.

165
00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:31,040
First lesson: how to survive a tunnel collapse.

166
00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,480
So, we're gonna give you a go, give you a run at the emergency exit.

167
00:11:34,560 --> 00:11:38,280
It's a necessity. It's... This will save your life. You need to know.

168
00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:42,640
It could happen any time like, "Get the  out of here!" Yep. And then go?

169
00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:48,400
You need to know the route,

170
00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,240
you need to know which way your emergency ladders are.

171
00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,680
You just gotta keep going, moving forward. Don't look back.

172
00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,640
Look forward and go. Go, go, go, go.

173
00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:01,880
Excellent. Well done.

174
00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:05,040
That's just to give you an idea that that's how quick it can happen.

175
00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,720
Zac has moved to Lightning Ridge with his young family

176
00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,120
to build a new life as an opal miner.

177
00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,040
You did well, it was good. At only 19,

178
00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:17,880
I'm a dad now with a little... a little boy, Levi.

179
00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,360
I love him to death. he's my whole world. He is.

180
00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,960
My number one priority, really, is to make sure he's happy and healthy.

181
00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,360
The ultimate price anyone can pay in this game is death.

182
00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:34,720
So, we've put in as much safety and precaution as we can

183
00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:38,000
to stop anything like that happening to us.

184
00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,320
Now to move in and start in on the face.

185
00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,960
One of the most dangerous and difficult tasks underground

186
00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,120
is moving the one-ton digger.

187
00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,200
Movin' the diggers...it's hairy stuff.

188
00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:55,400
It can happen so quick, it can go over, tip over.

189
00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:58,360
And then that... Tippin' it over, you just gotta

190
00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,680
run away as far as you can. You don't wanna try

191
00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,000
and stop it from tippin', mate, it'll kill ya.

192
00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:05,720
If I say, "Get," Just get... The back. Yeah.

193
00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,080
Get away from it. Don't go anywhere near it.

194
00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:10,240
Look out.

195
00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:14,760
See, it's that quick.

196
00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,280
The arrival of experienced

197
00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:21,480
digger operator Tim Bryant is a welcome relief.

198
00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:23,920
Ah, aren't you a sight for sore eyes.

199
00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,400
What're you doing you silly, old freak?

200
00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:29,240
How are you going? How are you? Trying not to roll the digger.

201
00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:31,960
Well, mate, you know what? It's all yours.

202
00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:34,480
It's all right, mate. Thanks, buddy. Good to see you.

203
00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:40,080
This is the last dig of the season.

204
00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:44,920
And for Zac, his first and last chance to find opal.

205
00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,080
That's what we want. We want colour, colour.

206
00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:54,640
Dad. What have you got? Look at that.

207
00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,400
Can you see it?

208
00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,520
Down there having a bit of scratch, sees himself a bit of trace.

209
00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:03,920
I think he might be bringing us the luck we need.

210
00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,720
Right there, where your light is.

211
00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:10,160
Up. To the left a touch. Look at that. Yeah?

212
00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,120
Bet that's a nobby. Yeah, it is.

213
00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,160
Yep. Yep. There is it. It is, it's a nobby.

214
00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,560
Jesus, let's hope there's some colour in it.

215
00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,840
So, yeah, another five minutes, we should start draining Col's Cut.

216
00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,760
In remote Queensland, Aaron and Ron,

217
00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:38,240
are digging a 60-metre-long trench

218
00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:42,720
to relieve water pressure on their last remaining opal pit.

219
00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:47,320
There we go.

220
00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,480
That should take a lot of the pressure off.

221
00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:06,240
I'll reckon that'll drop a third of it, that's all we need.

222
00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:10,160
Well, it's doing the job. Good gutter, eh, Ron? Yes.

223
00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:13,280
The water level in the pit is dropping,

224
00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:15,360
but there's still a problem.

225
00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,000
We can't tunnel now. No, that'd be too dangerous.

226
00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:21,920
The walls of the pit are too wet to tunnel into.

227
00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,720
We do want a mine in there, at least get a tunnel in.

228
00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:28,200
We don't want the tunnel to fill up with water, which it will.

229
00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:29,960
It gets a bit disappointing.

230
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,080
If they're going to find opal,

231
00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,520
the Boulder Boys will need a new plan.

232
00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,440
Well, the Dragonfly's had 95% of it dug.

233
00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:44,920
We can't dig anywhere around here. They're all too big a jobs.

234
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,960
I think I'm gonna start looking for new ground.

235
00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,040
We'll get another lease out here.

236
00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,280
Two-and-a-half kilometres to the east,

237
00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,760
Aaron has an exploration permit, or EP,

238
00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,720
covering 1,000 hectares.

239
00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,120
Let's hope we get it. It allows them

240
00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,960
to explore for signs of opal.

241
00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:11,200
If successful, they can take out a lease and start mining.

242
00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:16,000
Well, we're hoping to find opal, a lead on the EP that we can some shallow opal.

243
00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,360
Pretty easy to dig in.

244
00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:22,480
Most boulder opal lies 10 to 15 metres below ground,

245
00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,880
but clues lie on the surface.

246
00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,640
It's good to see we're still getting throw-outs of rocks

247
00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:31,080
coming up towards the hill. So, we're gonna try it.

248
00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,680
Throw-outs are traces of opal.

249
00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,200
Queensland boulder opal is formed

250
00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,840
when silica-rich water becomes trapped in cavities

251
00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,160
within hard ironstone rocks.

252
00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:48,880
This lot, I reckon it's close to blue.

253
00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:55,480
Purple anyway. Yeah. Wherever we've got purple, we've always got opal, eh? We have.

254
00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:58,480
Probably bring the excavator in and trench right through.

255
00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,080
No use doing a little trench. We'll trench the whole lot.

256
00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:03,240
Might take a day, but we'll get result.

257
00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:12,440
Borrowed from a neighbouring miner, is this 35-ton excavator.

258
00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:15,840
But they have only two days before it must be returned.

259
00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,720
We haven't got the excavator for long, so we'll get into it.

260
00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,320
Like a half a boulder.

261
00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:42,920
Not quite like a...the right colour.

262
00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,080
We're gonna have a look at everything.

263
00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:50,560
Not right, eh, Ron?

264
00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:53,560
Well, Ron, that looks like absolute...to me.

265
00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:57,280
It can turn it into gold, though, you know that.

266
00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:12,960
I really like the ground. It's changing.

267
00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,560
So we might be  onto something, mate.

268
00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,160
Bloody hope so, it's about time.

269
00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:21,880
With summer temperatures on the rise

270
00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,400
and the end of the season just weeks away,

271
00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:28,480
the Bushmen are pushing hard to end with a big find.

272
00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:31,000
We just gotta get stuck in to start movin' dirt.

273
00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,080
And hopefully we'll hit a little bit.

274
00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:36,480
Watch yourself while I'm doing this roof, Les.

275
00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,680
Just not sure about this bloody roof.

276
00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:41,760
One of the concerns with this hole

277
00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,000
is the amount of sand we got in the roof there.

278
00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,120
Two foot, three foot up in there, up into the roof,

279
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,640
there could be another thin layer of sand.

280
00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,000
Where that sand seam is,

281
00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,080
it'll separate and your roof will drop.

282
00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:59,400
It matters if the roof drops because...it'll kill ya.

283
00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:03,720
Yeah, the way that's going up in there where it's...

284
00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:05,480
It's as soft as buggery.

285
00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:08,200
Yeah, I... I don't know what's happening, mate.

286
00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,280
There's a line.

287
00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:13,600
You all right? Yeah.

288
00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:17,200
The harder you push, the more chance you've got of something going wrong,

289
00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:19,280
uh, and getting' hurt.

290
00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,600
Leakin' oil again. The weld.

291
00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:30,600
Where Les welded it up, it's cracked again.

292
00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,760
It wouldn't have been my weld that let go, it would've been another -

293
00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:37,320
Oh, of course it wasn't your bloody welding. An air block hole.

294
00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,840
You don't find opal on the end of a spanner.

295
00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:44,560
And I'm sick of fixing things, so if we can get it to last

296
00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:47,080
we'll pull it out at the end of the day,

297
00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:51,320
and we'll fix it up tonight, and it'll be ready for the mornin'.

298
00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,720
It's hard but... Jeez, it's hard.

299
00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,080
The whole digger's struggling.

300
00:20:01,360 --> 00:20:03,920
That hard stuff's getting thicker, Les. Yes.

301
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,120
We might have a bit of bother here.

302
00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,160
Man!

303
00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:16,920
Nah. We've got trace, so...

304
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,640
it would be a shame to stop going this way.

305
00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,440
But there's no way I can get through that. That's hard.

306
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,360
It'd be good to get a payday before the end of the year,

307
00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,760
but we gotta keep trenching. That's how opal is.

308
00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,800
Start a trench there, then we're gonna trench right through.

309
00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:42,600
Flooding has forced the Boulder Boys,

310
00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:46,280
to abandon work at their productive Dragonfly claim.

311
00:20:46,360 --> 00:20:49,040
Two-and-a-half kilometres away,

312
00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:52,120
they're now pinning their hopes on their exploration lease

313
00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:55,600
delivering signs of opal.

314
00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:58,120
The name of the game in this job,

315
00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:01,120
you gotta find new leads to go to mine.

316
00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,640
They have less than two days,

317
00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,160
before they must return the borrowed excavator.

318
00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,240
Where you wanna go now? Right straight through the guts?

319
00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:18,680
There's the next one, then the next one. Right.

320
00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:23,880
They're looking for hard ironstone rocks

321
00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,320
embedded in the sandstone.

322
00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:33,160
But trench after trench...nothing.

323
00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,720
I can't go any slower.

324
00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,920
That yellow... To me it ain't a level, mate. There's a level skin -

325
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:46,960
We going broke here.

326
00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,240
I'm not impressed with it.

327
00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,320
Come on, Ron, give me your opinion, mate.

328
00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,200
Violet Crumble gone wrong.

329
00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:59,640
I'm sick of looking at potch, Ron. I know.

330
00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,640
We used 200 litres of fuel here and all we're seeing is yellow and potch.

331
00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:07,360
Yep. Every trench we put in, every level's been flat, Ron.

332
00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:09,800
Nothing to write home about, is there?

333
00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,880
No. You wouldn't be able to afford a postage stamp.

334
00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,880
Wanna go over and have a look at this? Yeah, let's do that

335
00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,400
We'll keep going, Ron. Well, we will.

336
00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,800
You wont believe this, Ron. I pulled up right here.

337
00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,560
I'm seeing a bit of blue on the ground. We got surface trace.

338
00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:28,640
Have a look here.

339
00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,760
That's good trace. Hey, look at this.

340
00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:35,840
Green. Oh, that is too. That's a very good sign.

341
00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:38,320
Blue, green. Colour. Wow.

342
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:42,320
Well, that's the best sign we've seen for a few weeks, mate. It is.

343
00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:46,040
I think we just have a good look around and decide where to put a trench.

344
00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,680
I think you wanna get a screwdriver and come and dig this out, mate.

345
00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:59,120
Little bit at a time, mate. Yeah.

346
00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:02,560
There's no rush. It's been sittin' there waitin' for millions of years.

347
00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:04,920
Few more minutes ain't gonna hurt it.

348
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,000
On his first-ever opal dig,

349
00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,920
Zac McFarlane is hoping to be the good-luck charm

350
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,520
his dad so desperately needs.

351
00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,320
Oh, here we go.

352
00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,440
Here we go. There it is. There it is.

353
00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,560
There you go, Tim. Take 'em up into some real light and have a look.

354
00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:25,760
That's one hell of a big nobby.

355
00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:30,240
Oh, look at that. Look at that green there and the purple.

356
00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,160
In the last dig of the season,

357
00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:38,720
a good find now could save the McFarlanes.

358
00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:44,560
Oh, yeah.  Yes.

359
00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:49,760
Some greens, some blues.

360
00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,440
Purples, yeah. Seeing purple too. Look in there. Yeah.

361
00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:56,320
Beautiful nobby. Finger crossed it's got some colour in there

362
00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,400
and there's gonna be a bit of pay for us.

363
00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,800
So, hopefully, that's a sign of what's coming up in front of us.

364
00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:08,640
Who knows what's in that pile of dirt? We'll know when we wash it

365
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:10,920
and tail her out.

366
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,760
Last bucket. Last bucket goin' up.

367
00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,840
Well, that's a full truck. Yep.

368
00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,560
We'll, uh, go up, shut her all down, lock her all up.

369
00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:24,040
Take her over to the agi. Sure. Put her in the agi.

370
00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,240
We've got a loaded truck and we're about to head off over to Pete Cooke's agi.

371
00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:34,840
He's doing some washing for us.

372
00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:39,880
The agi, or agitator, is a converted cement mixer

373
00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:43,760
that washes rocks to expose any opal.

374
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,040
I'll show you how we load the agi, buddy.

375
00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:49,400
It's just like rowing a boat.

376
00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:51,720
Every now and then you give it a kick.

377
00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,640
Don't worry about scratchin' anything.

378
00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,800
Got the first load in the agi.

379
00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:03,400
She's turnin' over, makin' mud. Washin' down nicely.

380
00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:08,160
It's Zac's first and last chance this season to make opal pay.

381
00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:13,320
Fingers crossed. Lots of rainbows called opal.

382
00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:25,240
Ratters, you know, they're a scourge but they're smart buggers.

383
00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:29,560
They're listenin', they're watchin' all the time.

384
00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:36,680
Opal thieves, repairs and now, impenetrable rock

385
00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:42,120
are keeping the Bushmen from mining the best ground they've seen in weeks.

386
00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:45,120
All hard opal mining.

387
00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,480
This is why probably 95% of the guys

388
00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:51,800
that come down here to go opal mining fail.

389
00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:56,600
The 95% that go home have got a few brains and the 5% of us that stay here

390
00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,680
got  none at all.

391
00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:02,440
Yeah, I can't dig that any more, Les, it's too hard. This digger won't dig that.

392
00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:06,360
Seem to have more bloody days not minin' than minin'

393
00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,880
because of things that go wrong.

394
00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:11,120
What you doin' mate? Nige.

395
00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:15,920
Oh, Amanda's tried to call me a couple of times. Four times.

396
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,400
What's the problem? There's been four missed calls from 'ya.

397
00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,120
Oh.

398
00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:24,240
Les. Yeah? We gotta go home.

399
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,080
Go and see what the problem is, Les. Yeah.

400
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,160
What's happened, girl? We've run out of water.

401
00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:36,880
Yeah.

402
00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,440
Was about to do the washin' up, and then... Ew. Yeah.

403
00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,760
Yes, we have run out of water.

404
00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:46,760
We'll have to go and get a load, Les, and then go back to work.

405
00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,880
With temperatures now over 40 degrees Celsius,

406
00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,640
a constant supply of water is critical.

407
00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,120
70 kilometres from the nearest town,

408
00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:05,520
249 people live out in the opal field.

409
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:09,520
Let her rip, Les. For them, the only source of water

410
00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:12,600
is this 1,500-metre-deep well.

411
00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:20,560
Got him? Yeah.

412
00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:29,480
Amanda! Yeah. Try that now.

413
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,080
Or I can, I suppose.

414
00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:35,960
Ho, ho.Eww.

415
00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,520
It's a bit dirty-looking. It's a little bit.

416
00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:42,640
Should clear. There.

417
00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:48,520
Yuck.

418
00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:51,080
Ohh! You get a feed and a drink.

419
00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,760
The drought's broken. It has. Yeah, we're going to go to work, OK?

420
00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,760
All right, then. See you later.

421
00:27:57,840 --> 00:27:59,840
See ya'.

422
00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:01,800
I can't... Mwah!

423
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:03,760
Go away.

424
00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:08,200
The water's flowing so we better get back to work. Yep.

425
00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:10,680
What's that up there? Is that a drone?

426
00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,520
Yeah, we've got someone following us.

427
00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,880
Why would a  drone be followin' us, Les?

428
00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:18,960
Don't know.

429
00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,160
I'll slow down.

430
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:30,400
It's slowing down with us. Yeah.

431
00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:34,080
Somebody's spying on us. That's a bit dodgy.

432
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:38,480
If it's us, it is. It's flyin' off there now, look. Yep.

433
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,960
We might have some bloody hi-tech ratters.

434
00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:50,600
Yeah, that's a bit of a worry, Les.

435
00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:55,160
It is. What do you do? Bring the rifle over.

436
00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,800
The .45-70 should be able to reach him, shouldn't it?

437
00:28:57,880 --> 00:28:59,880
I reckon it would.

438
00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:04,400
I'd like to find out who's flying the  first.

439
00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:07,240
The ratters have been active in a couple of places.

440
00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:10,160
We'll just have to keep an eye on it and

441
00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:14,360
if they get caught, well, they're gonna have to suffer the consequences.

442
00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:19,520
That might have a bit of potch in it.

443
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,720
It's a very good sign.

444
00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:28,040
The Boulder Boys

445
00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:33,040
are on their final day of an exploration dig with a borrowed excavator.

446
00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:36,360
We found the sandstone.

447
00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:38,640
We just need to hit the level where

448
00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,640
the sandstone ends and the clay begins.

449
00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:49,160
Oh-ho. Ron, have a look at that.

450
00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:52,160
That's all right. Look at that. What have you got, Ron?

451
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:54,880
You on a a bid too, are ya? Yeah, what is it?

452
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,440
That's a pair of earrings. Whoa, have a look at this.

453
00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:00,720
We've got colour here. Wow.

454
00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:04,640
That's nice, it's a good feeling. We might get onto what we've been looking for,

455
00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:08,600
bit of shallow opal. True. About time too. Very good.

456
00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,960
If we don't have a little bit of success,

457
00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:16,080
we've just got to be a bit patient and we'll work through it.

458
00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:28,920
Oi! Oi! What, mate? Bring it back down. Eh?

459
00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:37,800
You mongrel!

460
00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,480
Lucky Ron got on to me. You can blow hoses on these

461
00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:47,920
and drop 200 litres of oil pretty quick, actually.

462
00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,280
Today she just went - and I got a shower.

463
00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:54,520
A major loss of hydraulic oil

464
00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:57,240
will cripple the excavator and the mission.

465
00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,920
See how it's all dirty? It's been leaking for a while.

466
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,280
It's a simple fix, replacing the O-ring.

467
00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,840
Probably done an O-ring, mate. We've got the O-rings, that's one.

468
00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:08,000
Now I've just gotta get one of these to fit.

469
00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:10,360
That one there.

470
00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:12,600
No, we don't have the right size.

471
00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:15,800
I got every other spanner, but I got bugger all Allen keys.

472
00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:20,240
With no excavator, the dig is over.

473
00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,080
We've done an O-ring. It's not that bad but we haven't got the

474
00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:27,400
gear to fix it. We were just starting to get a bit trace too.

475
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,600
Well, the opal gods will put everything in front of you when there's colour there.

476
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,960
The more you chase it, the less you find it, eh? You stumble across it sometimes.

477
00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:39,360
Sometimes you do, mate. And then you blow an O-ring.

478
00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:46,720
Back at camp...

479
00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:52,080
..time to assess if the opal trace holds enough promise

480
00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,960
to lay claim for next season.

481
00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,880
There's potential there Ron, eh? There is.

482
00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,760
It's a good sign, Ron, eh?

483
00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:03,880
What about that? It's got a flash to it. Yeah.

484
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,920
That one goes into red, look at that. I know.

485
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,400
Aaron and Ron's opal is boulder opal.

486
00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:12,840
It's in the rough,

487
00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:16,600
blue/green in colour, and weighs 3kg.

488
00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:20,600
What do you reckon it's worth, Ron?

489
00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:22,960
Two grand? Nah, 1,500. 1,500.

490
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:30,160
The signs are good for the boys to return here next season.

491
00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,120
No worries, Ron.

492
00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,240
Finished up on a good note but let's see what happens.

493
00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,400
Bit of luck, we've got a bit of luck going with us.

494
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:41,480
And you never know, this opal mining's a funny game.

495
00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,480
When you think you know it, you got no idea.

496
00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:59,120
This is what all the hard work underground leads up to.

497
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:03,760
This is the...the washing and then the tail-out. The tail-out's the exciting bit.

498
00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:07,680
For the McFarlanes, it's their last tail-out of the season

499
00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:11,080
and son Zac's only chance of an opal payday.

500
00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:15,960
This is the first time I've helped them with the dirt going in the agi, so that's pretty exciting.

501
00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:19,800
Fingers are crossed it's going to be a big Christmas tree, full of colour.

502
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:23,560
All right, you ready, boys? Yeah, mate. Yeah. Send her down.

503
00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:25,640
Righto.

504
00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,240
Yeah, this is the pointy end of the business.

505
00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:35,040
We want to tail out and hopefully find ourselves some beautiful gems.

506
00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:39,320
Oh, yeah. It would amazing if I could go home to the missus and

507
00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:43,520
me boy with a good handful of nobbies and colour. That'd be great.

508
00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:50,080
It's trace mainly at the moment, mate. Mainly trace.

509
00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:55,960
They're just bits of potch and amber and what we call trace.

510
00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,600
Yeah, it wasn't looking too good at the start.

511
00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:00,960
We were all starting to lose a little hope.

512
00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,160
Pete.

513
00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:07,960
Hey. Hey, yeah. Hey, er, boys.

514
00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:10,720
Hey.  I found something, too.

515
00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:14,080
What have you got? Oh, mate.

516
00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:16,640
I think it might beat yours, mate. I think so.

517
00:34:16,720 --> 00:34:19,360
Maybe not in size but definitely in colour.

518
00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:21,280
Oh, beautiful.

519
00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:23,600
Can't stop kissing it? No, I can't.

520
00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:29,880
That's what it's all about. That's what you're looking for. That's what we're looking for.

521
00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:33,560
Really cool. I'm pretty happy about it, not gonna lie.

522
00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:35,880
Look, see that? Yeah.

523
00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:38,240
Isn't that sensational?

524
00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:40,520
I saw that and I was like, "Oh, yeah!

525
00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,000
Yeah, this is cool. I like this."

526
00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:46,000
He's goin', man. Yeah, that's it. He's hooked. He's hooked.

527
00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:48,600
He nearly licked it. What do you reckon? Guesstimate.

528
00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,720
Two, maybe three grand? Beautiful.

529
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,200
Well done, mate. Phew.

530
00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:57,320
Whoo-hoo.

531
00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:07,040
Another beautiful day in paradise, eh?

532
00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:10,280
They've battled ratters, repairs

533
00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:15,880
and rocketing temperatures. Now the Bushmen are facing cement-like rock.

534
00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:20,520
Big solid wall that comes in there that we couldn't dig through.

535
00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:22,600
Too bloody solid.

536
00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:26,680
And it's running right across there, so we've changed direction a little bit.

537
00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,360
Whoa. Whoa!

538
00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:45,680
We're in diamonds. All around the way? Yep.

539
00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:47,960
Where's my... Wait a minute.

540
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:50,200
Oh, we're getting the prayer mat!"

541
00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:52,440
Bloody hell. It is serious.

542
00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:54,520
Whoa-ho!

543
00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:58,040
It's big and it's cheesy.

544
00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:00,240
About two inches long, isn't it? Yeah,

545
00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:02,880
and there's a fair bit on the ground too, Les. Yeah.

546
00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:04,960
We've hit some nice colour.

547
00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:07,360
It's big, thick. There's a fair bit on the ground.

548
00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:11,120
We've got colour in the wall.

549
00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:14,440
Gotta be happy with that, Les. Yes.

550
00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:16,520
We're on it again maybe, Les.

551
00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:20,240
This hole might be all right for us. We're doin' all right down here.

552
00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:22,120
I hope the money doesn't go to my head.

553
00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:24,960
I don't wouldn't know how that'd work cos I've never had money

554
00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,240
to go to my head in the first place.

555
00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:29,720
We'll have a look at it, right.

556
00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:32,000
That's a nice little piece.

557
00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,240
It's not bad colour, really, is it?

558
00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:36,400
It's bright.

559
00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:38,520
We just need more of it, Les.

560
00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:42,320
I think we'll take this up and chuck her in the tumbler, Les,

561
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:44,920
and see what it does for the morrow, eh? Yeah.

562
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,160
All right, I'll see you on the top side.

563
00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:53,080
Back at Rod's camp,

564
00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:56,080
the Bushmen need this find to stack up.

565
00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:58,400
Yeah, we're fast running out of time.

566
00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:01,320
The heat's coming. Nothing's going to stop it.

567
00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:06,520
We'll give this a bit of a wash, mate, and see what's in it. Yep.

568
00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:09,440
OK.

569
00:37:11,720 --> 00:37:14,920
Can you hear that? No, I can't hear anything, mate.

570
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,000
Yeah, well, I bloody can.

571
00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:22,280
The claim's one thing, but not at the bloody camp.

572
00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:33,720
Where did it go?

573
00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:37,080
I sort of reacted before I thought too much.

574
00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:40,120
He looked out and seen it and then he ducked straight inside...

575
00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:43,400
..and got the artillery out.

576
00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:45,880
The claim's one thing, your camp's different.

577
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,440
It's where I live, it's where my missus is.

578
00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:50,720
I can't see it from this side.

579
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:53,160
They can't go spying on your camp so

580
00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:55,480
you gotta take real action when that happens.

581
00:37:56,760 --> 00:38:00,360
Yeah, we're gonna stick it in the tumbler, and all the tumbler is,

582
00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:03,000
is a couple of rotating little drums.

583
00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:06,880
You stick 'em in there, and they rotate around on themselves, a bit of water.

584
00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:10,800
Knocks all the bloody dirt and clay and stuff off 'em

585
00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:13,240
just so you can see 'em a bit better.

586
00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:16,680
Right-o, Les. We'll let this spin around for a little while, eh? Yeah.

587
00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:24,680
Now, Les, let's have a look what we got here, eh? Yeah.

588
00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:30,760
That didn't clean up too bad. Look at that.

589
00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:33,920
Looks better now the dirt's off it a bit.

590
00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:36,560
That one's all right.

591
00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:40,760
Ah, yeah, it's got some nice bloody blues in there. Look at that.

592
00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:43,320
Yeah, that come up better, didn't it?

593
00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,240
On black too, mate. Yeah. Bit of purple.

594
00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:50,320
Oh, yeah.

595
00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,400
We probably got a few dollars here, Les.

596
00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:56,720
There's not a lot but there's a few nice colours,

597
00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:59,200
that's going to make a decent stone.

598
00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,480
Yeah, there's a few nice pieces amongst them.

599
00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:06,200
The Bushmen have uncovered crystal opal.

600
00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:10,440
It's in the rough. Mostly blue/green in colour.

601
00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:15,080
Les, what are you guessing? Oh, 1,500, couple of grand.

602
00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:18,120
If we sell it we'd ask for two, but take 15.

603
00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:20,440
1,500 it is, mate.

604
00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:23,120
1,500 it is.

605
00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:26,120
Gettin' closer all the time, Les.

606
00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:30,200
With an estimated value of $1,500,

607
00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:32,760
the Bushmen are inching ever closer

608
00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:34,920
to their season target.

609
00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:37,760
But the way these ratters are, mate,

610
00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:40,480
I reckon we ought to put this away and get a bigger batch.

611
00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:42,720
Bigger parcel. Yeah.

612
00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:46,680
Couple of dollars more than we had yesterday, so that's gotta be good.

613
00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:52,120
Yeah. You know, even if you're only just finding diesel money, it keeps you goin'

614
00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,720
Yeah. Well, it keeps the diesel fella happy anyway.

615
00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:06,320
Whoo-hoo.

616
00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:09,760
This is what it's all about. This beautiful thing here.

617
00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:12,640
To get something like that out of the pointy end of the business,

618
00:40:12,720 --> 00:40:15,960
makes it all worthwhile. Doesn't always happen,

619
00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:21,120
but when it does happen - elation. It makes you feel damn good inside, I can assure you.

620
00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:23,760
In his first-ever opal dig,

621
00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:27,880
Zac McFarlane has discovered opal, valued conservatively

622
00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:30,440
at $2,000.

623
00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:33,360
Oh, pulling the stone out. Finding the colour,

624
00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:37,320
I'm through the roof happy. Through the roof.

625
00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:38,720
Well done.

626
00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:41,920
For the McFarlanes, the season is over.

627
00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:46,760
With a total of $4,200, they've fallen well

628
00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:49,400
short of their $20,000 target.

629
00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:54,160
But for Gav, there are some things more important than opal.

630
00:40:54,240 --> 00:40:56,600
The biggest highlight I think for the season for me

631
00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:59,600
is having my family unit back together and having my son working

632
00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:03,520
side-by-side with me underground. Watchin' him pick up the little things, you know.

633
00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:07,200
Gettin' in there, gettin' his hands dirty and doin' it, you know.

634
00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:08,600
Beautiful.

635
00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:13,400
You still get a few things done around the camp for the girls.

636
00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:16,560
One of the main ones for Connie, I guess, would be

637
00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:19,160
the ability to flush a toilet.

638
00:41:22,240 --> 00:41:26,360
But Teagy, you know, she wants a little bit more privacy in her room.

639
00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:28,560
So, just those little things.

640
00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:32,240
G'day, g'day. Hey, Pete. How are you, mate?

641
00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:35,840
You ready to go to work? Got a few of the lads comin' round,

642
00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:39,440
bit of a workin' bee, and I told 'em I'd put a barbecue on, a few beers.

643
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:43,440
I'd like to put one of them panels there. The refrigeration panels.

644
00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:45,520
We'll get that up today, mate, real quick.

645
00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:48,080
Onto the table.

646
00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:52,040
Yeah. Oh, yeah, 2-3. Yeah, 2-3 30.

647
00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:56,000
That should stand up there, Tim, with a bit of luck. If we stand him up...

648
00:41:56,080 --> 00:41:59,000
like that... Mate, that's perfect.

649
00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:15,440
Hello, lovely. Hello, darling.

650
00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:17,640
OK.  How are you, Connie?

651
00:42:17,720 --> 00:42:21,080
So what do you reckon? We haven't got the peephole happening any more,

652
00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:23,520
got a door closed, got to be happy about that.

653
00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:25,440
I love it, darlin'. OK. I love it.

654
00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:28,760
Dad's done a pretty good job, actually. Not half bad.

655
00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:32,440
It's actually so good. You got a wall. I got a wall.

656
00:42:32,520 --> 00:42:36,240
It's pretty good. I got a wall. Thank you, Dad. That's all right.

657
00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:40,560
Look, watch, watch. No, I want to do it!

658
00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:42,800
Do it once.

659
00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:45,920
It flushes! How cool's that?

660
00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:50,800
It works. I'm so proud of you! Gold stars.

661
00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:54,280
Thank you. You're welcome, my gorgeous.

662
00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:56,360
So, who would like a beer?

663
00:42:56,440 --> 00:43:00,200
It was cool. It was an experience. I'm really enjoyin' it.

664
00:43:00,280 --> 00:43:04,600
I'm keen to keep goin' for years and years, that's for sure.

665
00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:08,440
Thanks for the season, great season, great to have my boys with me.

666
00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:10,760
I couldn't have done it without yous all.

667
00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:14,480
My girls are happy, I'm happy, everybody's together now

668
00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:16,560
and I just want to say cheers and thank you.

669
00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:19,400
Here's to you guys.Cheers!

669
00:43:20,305 --> 00:44:20,642