1
00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,320
MATHEW: Ooh! This is the life
of an opal-miner.

2
00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:10,160
I mean, if we've got no money
coming in and no prospects,

3
00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,280
then sometimes you've gotta take
a little bit more risk.

4
00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,520
Jesus, right in the entrance.

5
00:00:19,080 --> 00:00:22,160
Okay. Ooh-h-h.

6
00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:25,000
Wa-hey!

7
00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:27,920
Right.

8
00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,320
COZZA: Oh, man! (BLEEP) Get out!

9
00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:39,074



10
00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,160
COZZA: It's still dropping in there.
That's not safe.

11
00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,120
Sorry, man.
I just had to check that one slice.

12
00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:53,440
Our lives aren't worth
a (BLEEP) bit of opal

13
00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,040
or in this case
a bit of (BLEEP) gypsum, mate.

14
00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,160
So, we're here
at our Lunatic black opal mine.

15
00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,280
The last win we know about
was $14 million plus.

16
00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:06,600
So that's why we spent all our money
last year to open this mine up...

17
00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,080
...to give ourselves the best chance
at one big win,

18
00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,560
but we've picked one of
the worst spots for a tunnel.

19
00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:19,160
Let's get out of here. We'll have to
come back with some serious money
or some serious machines.

20
00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,360
NARRATOR:
Andamooka, South Australia.

21
00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:31,680
In 1872 this sparse landscape
was an outback sheep station.

22
00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:35,080
Then everything changed in 1930

23
00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,840
with the discovery of opal.

24
00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:47,880
For nearly a century
fortune-hunters have braved
the scorching outback sun

25
00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,520
in search of the rainbow gem.

26
00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,160
This season target is $200,000,
so hopefully we can hit that target.

27
00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,280
Things are getting
more and more difficult.

28
00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,680
I know there's a big win
around the corner.

29
00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,040
Just a matter of whether
we can make it happen
before we go broke.

30
00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,280
Struggling to earn a stable income
from mining,

31
00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,720
brothers Matt and Cozza Kathagen,
the Mooka Boys,

32
00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:12,960
have been looking to expand.

33
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,160
Right, here's the old Mobil.

34
00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:22,720
An idea of
a one-stop opal-miners' shop
has been in my head for years now.

35
00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,200
I could see a big Mooka Boys
Headquarters sign up top there.

36
00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:28,040
That'd be great.
That'd be excellent.

37
00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,880
So, I think it's time
to get the shop going.

38
00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,400
Mate, it's perfect.
Look, there's even an old picture of
Andamooka sitting right there ready.

39
00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,080
What we really want to do is offer
a business up that helps new miners.

40
00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:45,240
I mean, we know better than anybody
how hard it is
to start this industry off.

41
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,520
There's no training. It's hard
getting information out of anybody.

42
00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,520
They don't want to give up
their secrets.

43
00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,360
There's an old kitchen out the back
with ventilation.

44
00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,880
Perfect to turn
into a cutting room, bruv.Yeah.

45
00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:57,800
So much room for more opal-miners.

46
00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,360
We want to set up
a shop where people can come

47
00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,040
and use the equipment they need
to see what they've got.

48
00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,000
We've got all this space to put opal
and artwork up here.

49
00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,360
And then maybe they can work with us
so we can all make a profit.

50
00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,120
Yeah, so, I don't know
what to do now.

51
00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,800
Noodler, noodler, noodler.
We did not leave that
in a good condition.

52
00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:18,640
It broke down
last time we were there.

53
00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:20,840
I can't even remember what happened.

54
00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:24,160
Look, we've got 4.5 grand cash
in our pockets.

55
00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,200
That's all the kitty we've got
right now.

56
00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,880
We can spend that
in three days on diesel
if we want to dig another hole.

57
00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:31,840
Yeah.

58
00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:34,560
If we go put this money
into the noodler,

59
00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:36,600
just hope to God
it's all gonna work out.

60
00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:42,760
So, a noodler machine is a machine
that we use to process pay-dirt,

61
00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,200
and then we run all the opal
through a dark room with UV lights,

62
00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,160
so it's really easy to see the opal.

63
00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,640
You just pluck it off the belt
as it comes through.

64
00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,960
It's a very efficient way of getting
through all the old piles here.

65
00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:58,280
That's right, the alternator
broke off, didn't it? (BLEEP) hell.

66
00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,400
It's been a while.
Look, even the welding's
a bit rusty. (BOTH CHUCKLE)

67
00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,920
All right, so really
it's just a weld job.

68
00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:09,040
All right. We'll get this started,
and then we can actually
power up the plant.

69
00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,800
See what other jobs
we've got to get done then.Yeah.

70
00:04:19,840 --> 00:04:22,320
Hey, Luca.
We've got purple over there.

71
00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:25,240
LUCA: Yeah.And we've got green here
and green over there.

72
00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,720
And green there.
What's your favourite colour?

73
00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,040
Hah. Right now I'd say it's green.
Right.

74
00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,320
If you see something,
you'll yell out, won't you?Yeah.

75
00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,280
Looks like another bit of red
on that.I like the sound of that.

76
00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,280
At Turner's Rush claim the Cheals -

77
00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,360
Chris, his daughter Luca,

78
00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,840
son Rory,
and mining partner Mark Bressan...

79
00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:55,960
MARK: About there?
Yeah, have a crack.

80
00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,440
...are fighting on two fronts

81
00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,840
at their open cut
and underground mine.

82
00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,520
All right to keep going?
Yeah, yeah.

83
00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:08,640
So far we've found 225,000.

84
00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,240
Oh. (BLEEP) (WHOOPING)
Look at this one.

85
00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,560
Considering our target's half a mill

86
00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:18,880
we've still got
a bit of a ways to go,

87
00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,760
so, yeah, we can't quite sit back
and put our feet up yet.

88
00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:25,320
We've still got a lot of hard work
to do.

89
00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,560
It's all well and good
when the opal's coming in,

90
00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,040
but if the opal stops coming,
then quite quickly you can be...

91
00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:33,960
pretty stressed out
and going backward.

92
00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,240
So, we've got lots of gear.
Running generators.

93
00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,280
We're digging underground
and the open cut at the same time.

94
00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,280
You can't run this stuff
on thin air.

95
00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,720
The longer it goes
and you're not getting opal,

96
00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,280
or the bigger the breakdowns
you've got, yeah,
there's some sleepless nights.

97
00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,000
Think the colour was coming
just a bit higher, wasn't it?
Yeah, potentially.

98
00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:52,800
Sort of split, though,

99
00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,560
where the head of the digger
came over it.

100
00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:06,400
Ooh, hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo.
Not bad, eh?

101
00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,160
That's looking good.
It's looking great.

102
00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,040
That's it. It's what we're here for.

103
00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:15,040
Erm, I had this, sort of,
just hanging out the wall.

104
00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:17,920
It is beautiful green, innit?
It is beautiful green.

105
00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,680
Yeah, I'm liking that.

106
00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,000
You know how we were
gonna chuck this in?Yeah.

107
00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:26,040
That trace is better than that.
We might...

108
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,120
We're already loading the truck.
Okay.Yeah.

109
00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,560
We've decided we're gonna wash it,
so we've just loaded the truck

110
00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:36,800
and we're about to take it
up to the agi.

111
00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,120
The Cheals' agitator wash-plant

112
00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:51,480
is a converted cement-mixer
fed by a conveyor belt.

113
00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,160
Tonnes of mined rock is tumbled
with water inside the barrel

114
00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,400
for 12 hours to wash off
the clay and dirt

115
00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:00,920
and expose any opal.

116
00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,640
We're hoping to set up
multiple machines this year
on our new wash-plant site.

117
00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,000
So once we get the two rolling...

118
00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:15,240
we should be pretty well underway
to try and get this year's target.

119
00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,360
You know, the boys are working hard
on the jewellery side of stuff.

120
00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:25,120
The kids, they come up with the idea
of us going direct to the customer
and setting jewellery,

121
00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:27,600
and, yeah, I'm backing 'em
100 per cent.

122
00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:29,400
(ALL CHUCKLE)

123
00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,040
Quite the contrast, isn't it?
You know, we're out here

124
00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,000
in the dust and the wind
and the mozzies and the blowflies,

125
00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,600
and it's funny that all that ends up
over there as something
so beautiful and elegant.

126
00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:44,000
There's pressure there because
we've got to come up with the opal
and it's a bit of a worry.

127
00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:50,320
Really good to be able to build
the foundations of an opal business,

128
00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,480
but to keep an opal business alive
we need to keep finding opal.

129
00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:01,600
It's just full of all this crap.

130
00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:16,720
Well, that's all, folks.

131
00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,160
We got nothing.

132
00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:21,920
Oh, well.
Ah, well, it is what it is.

133
00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:29,520
We've just got to cop it on the chin
and find a way to keep going.

134
00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,680
The plan is to move the excavator
from Black Flag
out to Digger's Gully.

135
00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:52,520
So, the truck's coming real soon.

136
00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:55,320
It's definitely not easy
moving a machine this big.

137
00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:57,520
Um... Problem is it's pretty wide.

138
00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:01,000
Needs oversized gear to make sure
we get all the tracks
onto the trailer.

139
00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:02,920
So specialist transport.

140
00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,960
Not that many of them around,
certainly coming past Coober Pedy.

141
00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:07,920
Dan!Yo!
I think the truck's coming.

142
00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,200
(DRIVER SPEAKS)Yeah, copy, Dave.

143
00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:13,680
Just swing around
and you'll see some rubber mats.
Wherever suits you.

144
00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,640
I need the keys.
Have you got the keys?

145
00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,560
I haven't got the keys.
You're in charge of the keys.

146
00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,120
Um...Where did you have them last?

147
00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,440
Well, I seen 'em at home.
Let me just check.

148
00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,800
Dan has lost the keys before.

149
00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:33,160
Nah. They're not in there.
They must be in the car.

150
00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,200
I found it!Where?
In the glove box.What?

151
00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:40,720
In the bloody glove box?
I don't leave 'em there.

152
00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,760
You're not blaming me
for losing the keys.

153
00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,120
Apparently I got blamed for that,
but, anyway, we found the keys.

154
00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,680
Bit of a delay
but we're back on track now.

155
00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,960
Cheers, bud. I appreciate this.
How you going? Nice to meet you.

156
00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,520
Coober Pedy, South Australia.

157
00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,120
A desolate, sun-scorched landscape

158
00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,560
that hides the world's
largest deposits of opal.

159
00:10:06,680 --> 00:10:09,280
You'll drive it on?
Yep. All set to load.

160
00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,640
After a huge $55,000 start
to their season...

161
00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,160
(LAUGHING)That's what I was hoping.

162
00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,520
...the Opal Lovers,
Renee Everest...

163
00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,160
Yeah, I'm nervous watching Dan drive
the excavator on.

164
00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,040
...and Dan Measey...

165
00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:24,720
I can't quite see a line.

166
00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,600
...have exhausted
their Black Flag claim

167
00:10:27,680 --> 00:10:33,080
and are moving
their entire operation
15 kilometres to Digger's Gully.

168
00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,760
If Dan gets a little bit to the left
or a little bit to the right,

169
00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:39,760
the excavator can fall
off the truck.

170
00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,520
It's so dangerous.

171
00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:55,400
That looks like she's on!

172
00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:04,160
This moving of my machine
can make me nervous

173
00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,520
'cause of the weight, the height,
the width.

174
00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,680
It's a very short trip today.
We've only got to move it
about 15 Ks,

175
00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,560
but that's 1,500 bucks,
so not cheap.

176
00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:20,560
Copy, Dave.
I assume that corrugation's
not really good for you, eh?

177
00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,680
Thanks, man.

178
00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,320
I'll block the road with the car.
If anything's coming fast

179
00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,960
and hasn't seen you,
get off the road.

180
00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:41,280
(HORN HONKS)

181
00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,840
It's coming a bit fast, actually.
I hope it slows down.

182
00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:50,920
Ooh, maybe it isn't. (INDISTINCT)

183
00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,200
So excited that we're back.
Get some opal-mining happening.

184
00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,520
Have you got the key, Dan?
Yeah, I got the key this time.

185
00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,720
He's easy to stir up.

186
00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:14,280
This is Digger's Gully field.
We're back here 'cause she's done
well for us over the years.

187
00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,200
Nice thick ground to dig nice opal.

188
00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:21,280
We've found opal here
up to $1,500-$1,800 an ounce, so...

189
00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:25,040
The type of crystal that
just burns your eyes out, nearly.

190
00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,240
Thanks, Dave, mate. Appreciate that.
(HORN BLARES)

191
00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,000
Ah, looks like he's got bogged.

192
00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:40,920
We'll get the excavator.
You want to go back or forward?

193
00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:47,200
Is he bogged?
Yeah. It's another hold-up,
but we've got to get him out.

194
00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:51,120
Oh! Had the moment of relief
we're here

195
00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:55,120
and now there's another hold-up
with the truck getting bogged.

196
00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,680
COZZA: Here he comes.
MATHEW: Oh, here he is, mate.
You beauty.

197
00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:18,680
How you going, mate?
Thanks for coming.No worries.
What seems to be your issue?

198
00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:23,720
We've got a bit of
a "alternator didn't want
to stay on" issue.Oh.

199
00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:25,960
Just snapped off its bracket, man,
right here.

200
00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:29,160
Probably be easy enough
just to weld it where it is.
Yep. Sweet.

201
00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,200
That'd be good, bro.
If we can get this fired up,

202
00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:33,960
we can fire up the noodler.Yep.

203
00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:37,440
We're good
with just about everything,
but we can't be good at everything.

204
00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,160
So we called Jarrod here today -
he's a much better welder
than we are -

205
00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,720
to come help us out today and try
and weld this alternator back on.

206
00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,040
Second cousin to Matty and Cozza.
My dad's their cousin.

207
00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:49,840
I moved over a few years ago

208
00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,320
and just help them out whenever
they need some help with the opal.

209
00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:57,280
You won't get paid until we get
some stones out of the noodler.
Yeah.

210
00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:02,520
Are you happy to do this job
if we give you the first few stones?
Yeah, that should be all right.

211
00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:08,520
NARRATOR:
At their Hallion Hill claim

212
00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:12,440
the Mooka Boys are trying to revive
an ancient noodling machine

213
00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:17,640
to process the opal-bearing dirt
they've stockpiled from three mines.

214
00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,600
Cozzie and I decided
to take a bit of a detour,

215
00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:23,600
invest what money we've got
into this noodler, get it running.

216
00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:27,080
I mean, without this we're down
to buckets and and picks again,

217
00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:30,720
so, yeah, it's really valuable
to the Mooka Boys right now.

218
00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,760
The main components of the machine
is basically the hopper end -

219
00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:37,480
that's where we fill up the dirt.

220
00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,360
That travels through
to a screening process.

221
00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:45,320
It's like a big vibrator screen
that sorts all the sizes out
with a belt in front of it.

222
00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,800
It goes into the dark room
with UV lights

223
00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:49,640
so it's really easy to see the opal.

224
00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,400
You just pluck it off the belt
as it comes through.

225
00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,560
You ready to roll, bro?Yep.

226
00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,200
Let's get ready to rumble.

227
00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:01,600
Here goes nothing.Yep.
Take the lid off.Rog-gee.

228
00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,760
It's an old Kloeckner-Humboldt
German diesel engine,

229
00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:10,240
and we've got about
a 13-kilovolt generator on the back.

230
00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,360
Pretty serious electricity
comes out of it.

231
00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:15,920
Could absolutely kill you
if you get it earthing
through your bodies.

232
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,440
Hey.

233
00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,600
Yeah!Ha-ha!

234
00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:26,560
Let's go.

235
00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,080
It's been a couple of years
since we've fired up this noodler.

236
00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,840
We've got a lot of moving parts
so we're gonna have to go over it

237
00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:43,400
and make sure
everything's running properly
before we throw some dirt in.

238
00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:47,080
Off we go.
All right, the table's on.

239
00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:48,760
(MATHEW SPEAKING)

240
00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,000
Sweet.

241
00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:10,600
Here comes the material!

242
00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,920
Yeah, one of the biggest problems
we have,

243
00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,640
we've got a sliding door
that controls the feed.

244
00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:23,520
If it's too far up,
too much will come out

245
00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:25,440
and block everything up
at the top end.

246
00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,280
If it's too far down,
every little rock jams it.

247
00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:30,320
You're constantly trying
to dig 'em out.

248
00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,040
Yeah, we just had a big rock
drop through.

249
00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:41,000
If we let this keep going,
it'll burn the belt out
up top there in the motor.

250
00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,640
Cozzie, shut that feed down, mate.
What was that, buddy?

251
00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:49,080
Shut the feed belt down, mate.
Shut the hopper down.
What was that? Turn it on?

252
00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:52,560
Turn it off.Yeah, I have turned
that conveyor off.

253
00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,880
(INDISTINCT)...useless. Is it off?
Yeah, the conveyor's off.Yeah.

254
00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,640
Yeah, originally this machine was
built with a hydraulic ram

255
00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:05,600
that Cozzie could control
inside the box

256
00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:09,000
but over the years
the hydraulic pump
has just worn itself out,

257
00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:11,840
so I've got to do everything
manually with this bar.

258
00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:16,520
Oh, mate, if I don't get this right,

259
00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:19,440
this door could come down
and chop my bloody fingers off.

260
00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:22,280
(GRUNTS) All right.

261
00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:27,640
It tries to turn
and then it just won't turn.

262
00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,200
It's like everything's jammed,
but I can't find one thing
jammed anywhere.

263
00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,800
(BLEEP) me!
There's too much going on it.

264
00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:38,440
(BLEEP)

265
00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:41,840
Argh!

266
00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:44,600
(BLEEP) that.

267
00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:53,840
If we don't get this thing going,
then we're kind of
out of options, mate.

268
00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:56,000
We don't have much money.

269
00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,440
Yeah, I don't know, mate.
Might be the end for us.

270
00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:14,280
Put this hole down here.
Nine-inch prospecting hole.

271
00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:18,320
We drilled up
a lot of material here.
You can see potch in the wall there.

272
00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,160
Basically it gives you something
to dig to underground. It's a guide.

273
00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:24,360
And it gives you a target
to work towards.

274
00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,880
Hey, Luca, can you just spot this
for us up here, please?Sure.

275
00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,760
Colour in there?
Looks like there could be
a little, tiny sliver of red.

276
00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,640
The tiniest, tiniest bit in there.

277
00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:50,080
I don't even know
whether you'd call that...
It's not gonna feed Buster tonight.

278
00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:56,160
We've had a pretty good run.
And the good times
don't last for ever, too,

279
00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:59,760
so in the back of my mind I'm always
thinking, "Hey, you know, this is...

280
00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:02,320
"This could end, you know,
it could end this week."

281
00:19:05,120 --> 00:19:08,400
Rory and I will just continue on
digging here in the trench,

282
00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:10,640
see if we can come across
a bit more colour.

283
00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:12,560
It's just teasing us at the moment.

284
00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,800
Just little bits and pieces.
Just little bits and pieces, so...

285
00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,160
Hopefully, yeah, we'll come into
a big pocket sooner or later, but...

286
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:22,720
...that's a maybe,
so see what happens.

287
00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,560
Yeah, there's still potch here.
I can see it from here.

288
00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:37,480
So, is that trying to turn green?
No, it doesn't look like it.

289
00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,120
Yeah, right-o.
Oh, there's more potch down here.

290
00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,200
It's missing the colour.

291
00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:54,320
I think we will just get
all this dirt out.

292
00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,440
You haven't driven
that bogger for months.

293
00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,920
Remember how to drive it?
I think I'll work it out.

294
00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:07,000
So, the bogger, yeah,
it's pretty much like a toy car,
to be honest.

295
00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:10,520
It's like playing a video game.
You use these little levers here.

296
00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,880
It can have a mind of its own.

297
00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,920
She was on that bogger all year
last year, and didn't take her long.

298
00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:22,160
It's just like riding a bike, eh?
Never forget how.

299
00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:27,280
Bit like Buster, it runs all around
and can get in the way sometimes.

300
00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:29,080
(BUSTER YAPS)

301
00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,520
She's doing a good job,
isn't she, Buster?

302
00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,080
The bogger clears up all the dirt
that we dig from the face

303
00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:50,640
and then dumps it into the bucket,
which then goes up the hoist
into the truck.

304
00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,000
Having Luca here on the job
to help me,

305
00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:00,480
it's one of the joys of the job,
because I get to work with her
and she's learning new skills.

306
00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:02,480
Come over this way a little, Luca.

307
00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,280
Nothing fazes Luca.
She doesn't get rattled at all.

308
00:21:06,360 --> 00:21:10,040
You know, she lost
her right-hand index finger.
It got cut off.

309
00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:11,880
She was only two years old.

310
00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,680
And they flew her to Sydney
and they sewed it back on
and saved it...

311
00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,360
...and she did not cry once,
so she's as tough as they come.

312
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,480
Nothing in that?

313
00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:31,480
No. No colour there.

314
00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:44,320
Come on.

315
00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:48,160
All the time the colour
just comes and goes.

316
00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,480
It's there and then it's just gone,
you know.Not ideal.

317
00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:53,560
We're gonna call it a day.

318
00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:08,120
DAN: That'll give us
a bit of pulling power.

319
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:10,280
The truck is bogged.
All good to go?

320
00:22:10,360 --> 00:22:14,080
It's really urgent.
He's spent all morning helping us
and he's running late now.

321
00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:16,040
Starting now to put some tension on.

322
00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,480
Nice and slow.

323
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,840
Right-o. Stop, stop.

324
00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,400
Looks like it's worked.
That's a relief.

325
00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:32,080
I owe you one.Cheers, bud.

326
00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:37,880
Should have charged him 1,500
for getting him out of that.

327
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:42,680
(DRIVER SPEAKS)

328
00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:45,080
Digger's Gully opal's waiting.
Let's get it out.

329
00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,160
Back at Digger's! It's great.
That's it. Back where
Dad and I started.

330
00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,920
Mm. (SQUEALS, LAUGHS)

331
00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,400
This is where the money is.
This will make us.

332
00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:02,840
Digger's Gully is very special
to me.

333
00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,480
Where Dad and I, working together,
found our first
reasonable-size money.

334
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:10,920
Dan and his dad had a bit of a go
mining this claim
about 20 years ago.

335
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,720
They found about $40,000's worth.

336
00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,840
Dad was definitely addicted to opal
and loved opal.

337
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,520
He mined it on and off
for 50 years at least,

338
00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:21,920
so from an early age
I caught the bug,

339
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,960
from Dad's experience
and also Mum's.

340
00:23:27,360 --> 00:23:30,720
Growing up in Coober Pedy, I guess
you could say it was rough and ready

341
00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:32,480
but it was brilliant
and I loved it.

342
00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,880
Initially my attraction to opal was
probably pocket money,

343
00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:38,440
but as I got to find and see
more opal

344
00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:42,560
it was just the brilliance
and the depth of the opal
that really caught me.

345
00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:46,560
The plan is to get the excavator up
and going.

346
00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:49,440
Dan's just doing maintenance work
on it at the moment.

347
00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:53,560
The flies are really bad
this season...

348
00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:57,920
...and it's only early
in the season, as well.

349
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,400
I'm just having
a little bit of a prospect,

350
00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:03,360
a bit of a fossick around
and see if I can find anything.

351
00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:10,480
Oh, look at this. Oh, my God. Dan!

352
00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:15,160
Dan, I reckon I found some opal!
Over there?

353
00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:17,120
Yeah!

354
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,280
Where's that from?
Just up on the dump there.

355
00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:22,360
So we might have missed
a heap of stuff.

356
00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:24,040
Look at that.That's a shell.

357
00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:26,920
NARRATOR: Millions of years ago

358
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:31,200
Coober Pedy was covered
by the inland Eromanga Sea.

359
00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:34,760
Over time, shells decomposed
in the sea-bed,

360
00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,040
leaving voids
for silica-rich water to fill,

361
00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:40,840
eventually hardening to form opal.

362
00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:43,560
We can't leave that sitting there.

363
00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:45,680
Look how big the dump is.
I can't go to sleep

364
00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:49,000
thinking that there could be
shells in there.
We've got to try it.

365
00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:58,440
Dan's gonna organise
a noodler for us

366
00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:00,960
and we're gonna noodle
that whole big pile of dirt.

367
00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:02,920
We've got a lot of dirt to pick up,

368
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:04,880
probably 80 to 100 tonnes.

369
00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:09,280
Ideally we'd like our own noodler,
but that's more time and money.

370
00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:10,960
Good to go.

371
00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,760
The noodling machine is
about 15 kilometres from us.

372
00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,080
A good friend of ours,
Mick and Ron,

373
00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,320
they generously said,
"If you ever need the noodler,
if you get stuck,

374
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,640
"go ahead, use it,
chuck a bit of fuel in,

375
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:30,000
"break it, fix it, go for it."

376
00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,240
I've only noodled once before
and I did actually get quite sick
in there.

377
00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:40,480
I do have these.
They're like a armband that stops
travel sickness.All right.

378
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,440
So hopefully the armband will help
and I won't get sick.

379
00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:45,680
There's heaps of buttons
there, Dan.Yeah.

380
00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:47,720
This is the important end
of the machine.

381
00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:51,960
Emergency stop.
Anything you get worried about,
hit the stop and let me know.Yeah.

382
00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,560
Pick lots of opal.
(MACHINE POWERS ON)

383
00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:00,440
Opal shells, depending on
the quality of the colour,

384
00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:02,720
they can be worth
quite a bit of money.

385
00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:07,000
I've got to be constantly looking
at the belt.

386
00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,520
I'm not allowed to look away,
because if I look away,

387
00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:13,120
I could potentially miss picking out
some opal.

388
00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:19,080
You're standing in a dark box.
There's no light
except a blue light.

389
00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:21,320
And then this belt's running
past you.

390
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,840
You're not really moving,
but that's moving,
and it disorientates people.

391
00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,280
Some people are fine.
Others just can't hack it.

392
00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:40,800
Oh. No. No good. Got to get out.

393
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:42,800
What's going on here?

394
00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,120
(RETCHES)

395
00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,240
Oh, just gonna get something else
to lever it with.

396
00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:04,600
We're really gonna have to make
a go of it this year.

397
00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,360
Otherwise, even though
our families are supportive of us,

398
00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:09,840
we can't put 'em through this
much longer.

399
00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:11,840
At their Hallion Hill claim

400
00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:16,200
the Mooka Boys are desperate to fix
a conveyor belt
on their noodling machine.

401
00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:20,200
Any one of these belts
comes together
with a metal strap joiner.

402
00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,680
If those belts travel off
one way or the other,

403
00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,800
that joiner can catch on the edge
of all the metal on the side.

404
00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,040
Should be right. Go, Coz.

405
00:27:31,360 --> 00:27:35,200
All right. Well, it is sitting okay,
so we might be all right here now.

406
00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:38,080
Seems like the belt's sitting
where it should now,

407
00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:41,400
so I'll get some dirt in
and hopefully
this is gonna work out.

408
00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,440
This stuff
we're about to put through
comes from Horse Paddock.

409
00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:50,160
With a bit of luck
it'll run smoothly for Matty
out here

410
00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,840
and I'll just be picking opal
off that belt.

411
00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:56,960
So, this material comes from a dig
we were finding opal in,
which is really good.

412
00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:00,240
And hopefully today
we'll find some stuff

413
00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,920
that we left behind
couple of seasons back.

414
00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,760
Oh, noodler, noodler, here we go!

415
00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:15,080
The idea of the noodler here
is to keep your hands hovering
over the belt,

416
00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,800
so you've got quick access
to pick this material.

417
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,160
Sometimes it'll come through
and it'll come through really quick.

418
00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:26,440
Yeah, it's really important to have
the right bloke in the black room.

419
00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,160
Really easy to miss that opal
coming past, so...

420
00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:32,000
I'm lucky to have Cozzie with me.

421
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,040
We've been doing this
for a long time now,

422
00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:36,160
so you can really trust the bloke
in there.

423
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,680
Yeah, so, you're just sitting
in the one spot.

424
00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:43,560
And I've heard that people
can go blind from these blacklights,

425
00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:47,720
so, you know, you really don't want
to get the UVs shining
straight into your eyes.

426
00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,360
You only want to be looking down
onto the belt.

427
00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:54,320
How they looking in there, bro?
Yeah, sorry, mate,
hands were busy then.

428
00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:56,280
Yeah, actually
we're doing all right.

429
00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:58,520
Got opal coming?

430
00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:00,680
Yeah, I got one good piece
just then, mate.

431
00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:03,520
I've put a few handfuls
into that bucket now.

432
00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,200
You beauty! Yeah, ha-ha!

433
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:11,920
Yeah, boy,
we've got some opal, man.Yes!

434
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,800
You beauty.
Check it out.Oh.

435
00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,360
Good colour, mate!

436
00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:21,240
Mate, there's money here.Yee-hoo!

437
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,040
Do you want to pluck a bit from here
and there in that pile?

438
00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,640
We might hit a honey-hole.
MARK: That's the thing.

439
00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,200
You don't know.
You just don't know.

440
00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:41,760
The Cheals' Turner's Rush claim is
refusing to give up any opal,

441
00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,480
so the team want to test out
a new strategy.

442
00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:46,720
RORY: We thought we'd try
something different.

443
00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:49,600
We've got some dirt that was
too hard to wash at the time.

444
00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:53,360
It's been there for a few years
and we're hoping it's softened up
with the sun.

445
00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:57,800
Mark's just gonna run up here
with the excavator,

446
00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:01,400
and the weight of the excavator
is 50 tonne, so he'll crush this up.

447
00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:07,280
If we see colour, we're gonna
pick it up and wash it,

448
00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:11,760
but we physically can't wash it all,
because we'd be there for ever
trying to do that.

449
00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,800
It's a little bit like looking
for a needle in a haystack.

450
00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:19,960
I'm hoping we come across
a big needle.

451
00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,600
Yeah. There's potch in here.

452
00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:29,520
You know, we've found green.

453
00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:34,240
It's only a thin bar,
but it shows there's colour in here
and I've picked other potch up.

454
00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,680
Thin, but it's still colour.
I've picked thin stuff up
there before.

455
00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:40,000
What do you do? You know, it...

456
00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,520
It's a gamble at the end of the day.
You can only...

457
00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,720
You know, we could wash it
and that could have been
the only bit

458
00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,960
and it can cost you, you know,
your fuel and your time.

459
00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:53,080
But then again, you could wash it
and pick out a $50,000 stone, too.

460
00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:56,400
You know, it's just how it goes
in this sort of country.

461
00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,640
My main concern is getting the dirt
in there washing,

462
00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:10,600
'cause that's where we make
our money,

463
00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,200
and while there's no dirt
in that agitator
we're not making any money.

464
00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:35,640
Nice to get a bit of sunshine

465
00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:38,680
and have a tail-out with the boys.
Happy days. That's right.

466
00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,440
Ooh. Oh. That looks promising.

467
00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,200
Oh, yeah.Nice work, Mark.
I'm happy with that.

468
00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:10,240
I was a bit worried for a second.
Yeah. So was I.
"Well, I can't see anything."

469
00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:14,320
LUCA: Found anything exciting?Yeah.

470
00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:17,600
Not a heap of material but it's all
touched with colour. Crazy.

471
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,280
Yeah, very good.
Gee, that's beautiful colour.

472
00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,720
MARK: Yeah, that's nice, isn't it?

473
00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,720
Ooh, that's looking promising too.
Oh, beautiful.

474
00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:34,760
Oh, yeah.That's lighter.

475
00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:38,320
Shape of Australia.Oh, yeah.

476
00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:40,280
That is cool, eh?

477
00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:44,160
Oh, Mark, you're on fire, brother.
On fire, brother!

478
00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:59,120
DAN: You all right?
I don't feel real good.You sick?

479
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:01,560
That motion sickness comes back
to haunt me.

480
00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:04,080
So where's the armbands I gave you?

481
00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:07,800
I forgot to put 'em on.
Ah. I didn't really give you that
to look at.

482
00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:12,480
We've got a lot of dirt
to still go through.Really?

483
00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,560
Just put them armbands on.
All right, I'll...I'll give it a go.

484
00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:17,560
Sorry you're feeling crook.

485
00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:29,280
Sometimes I do feel
a little bit down.

486
00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:32,000
I still feel like a bit of a rookie
on the team

487
00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:34,200
and I'm still
in that learning phase.

488
00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:46,840
I'm finding a couple of little bits.
Hopefully they've got colour.

489
00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,200
Oop, nearly missed that one.

490
00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:51,600
Ah, I reckon that could be a shell.

491
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:54,480
So maybe we're getting
to that cluster of shells

492
00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:56,680
that I found yesterday on the dump.

493
00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:01,160
Oh, my God,
there's a huge piece! Wow.

494
00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:04,200
I reckon I might have found
a really big piece of opal.

495
00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:05,960
(DAN SPEAKS)

496
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:14,800
Hang on. (MUTTERS)

497
00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:22,440
Turn it off!

498
00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:35,840
See colour glistening through.
Oh, yeah, there's some colour
in there, mate.

499
00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:39,160
Got some honey.Oh, wow.
A bit dirty but, man, it's big.

500
00:34:39,240 --> 00:34:41,760
So, honey opal, it's just like
any other opal.

501
00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:44,240
It's just got
a nice honey-colour base.

502
00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:46,080
Whoo!Look at that piece, bro.

503
00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:48,440
(CHUCKLES)
Man, that's full of colour,
isn't it?

504
00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:51,560
I think that's our king stone, bro.
Killer!

505
00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:54,840
All this honey adding up, bro.
Boom. Boom.

506
00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:58,360
Boom. Boom.
Oh, wow. (BLEEP)

507
00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:00,520
Holy (BLEEP). Man, we done it, bro.

508
00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:03,760
Mate, this piece here
is beautiful pattern, man.

509
00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:05,640
Oh, mate, that's killer.

510
00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:09,720
Bruv, that is some serious colour
right there.Yeah, bro.

511
00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:14,000
The Mooka Boys have a parcel
of honey opal,

512
00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:18,280
electric-blue seam opal,
and dark-based opal

513
00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:21,240
featuring blues, greens,
and purples.

514
00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:25,640
The total haul weighs 283 grams.

515
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:30,920
So, what have we got?
We've got seven ounces a grand
for honey. Seven grand.

516
00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,680
Fifteen hundred bucks an ounce
for this. We've got three.

517
00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:36,120
We've got another 300 bucks
of species here.

518
00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:40,600
That makes it a good day.
What is that? 11,800 bucks
for the week. Ooh, yeah!

519
00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:46,240
So, bro, we have just found
this week

520
00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:49,760
the equivalent of
our whole last year, mate.Wow.

521
00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:52,480
So I'm feeling more confident
now, bruv.Yeah.

522
00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,080
So we add that with last week's win,
mate, we're...

523
00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:57,240
It takes a bit of a weight
off the shoulders.

524
00:35:57,320 --> 00:35:59,960
We're well past last year, mate.

525
00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,280
Don't know about you,
but I'm getting rather thirsty.

526
00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:08,240
Yep, these lips are dry, bruv.
Let's go.

527
00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:10,720
You legend.
Killer.Yeah.Ooh!

528
00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:14,600
Every bit of colour we find is
one step closer to my dreams,

529
00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:17,560
our one-stop
Mooka Boys headquarters.

530
00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:21,000
So I'm feeling pretty confident now.
If we can keep this pace up,

531
00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:24,720
then we're gonna come really close
or we're gonna hit these goals.

532
00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:27,400
Oh, well, bruv,
here's to some nice colour, eh?

533
00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:30,200
Cheers, bro.
You legend, man.

534
00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:33,280
Mooka Boys, yeah.
(WHOOPING)2024.

535
00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:49,360
Okay, they're not world-beaters,
but there's still beautiful stuff.

536
00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:51,360
Yeah, nothing
to jump up and down about,

537
00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:53,680
but still nice, bright colour.

538
00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:57,960
Beautiful colour.Yeah.
Little earrings or something
like that'd be perfect, I reckon.

539
00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:01,200
NARRATOR: After being teased
by colour all week

540
00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:05,480
the Cheals have finally secured
a parcel of crystal opal,

541
00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:08,080
blue-green with flashes of purple.

542
00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:11,920
It's in the rough,
weighing 150 grams.

543
00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:16,520
They're big pieces, you know,
and unique pieces.

544
00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:20,200
Let's face it, like, you know,
there's no two stones the same.

545
00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:22,640
That's right.One of
the rarest gemstones on Earth.

546
00:37:22,720 --> 00:37:24,560
What do you reckon
this could cut to?

547
00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:31,920
I think about five grand.
It's gonna be at least five.

548
00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:37,080
It paid for fuel and...
...food for the week.

549
00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:40,960
That's about it.
But it's better than nothing.Yeah.

550
00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:42,640
Exactly right,
better than nothing.

551
00:37:42,720 --> 00:37:45,200
Certainly five grand's
nothing to be sneezed at.

552
00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:47,960
We'll take it and we'll use it
to keep moving forward

553
00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:49,840
and hopefully get some big wins.

554
00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:51,720
We've got our map
of Australia there.

555
00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:54,520
I'm really shocked that
that came out like that.

556
00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,960
Anzac Day as well.
Yeah.It's quite special.Yeah.

557
00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:07,840
It's Anzac Day today.
We just pay our respects

558
00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:12,440
and remember all of those Australian
and New Zealand soldiers
that have fought for our country.

559
00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:15,040
MAN: (ON MICROPHONE)
We will remember them.

560
00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:18,200
CHRIS:
My father was big on Anzac Day.

561
00:38:19,240 --> 00:38:21,280
He's since passed but, um...

562
00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:23,400
it's just good
to step back for a day

563
00:38:23,480 --> 00:38:25,320
and forget about the mining.

564
00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:27,880
The opal game's
really tough sometimes.

565
00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:32,040
I don't want my kids out here
working for nothing.
I want them to have a future.

566
00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:39,000
As the business grows the kids will
probably take over one day.

567
00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:41,160
None of us know
when we're gonna step off.

568
00:38:41,240 --> 00:38:43,040
You know, none of us live for ever.

569
00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:46,320
It'll be up to them
if they want to carry on.

570
00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:50,280
There's pressure all the time.
It's just part of mining, though.

571
00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:52,600
Basically, we're throwing
our hat in the ring

572
00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:54,480
and we're giving it our best shot.

573
00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:56,480
MAN: (ON MICROPHONE) Lest we forget.

574
00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:04,400
Two-up's a game
that the soldiers in World War One
played with each other,

575
00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:06,480
placing a bet, flipping a coin,

576
00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:08,600
and whoever picked right
wins the bet.

577
00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:13,760
(INDISTINCT CHEERFUL SHOUTING)

578
00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:17,160
You were close, mate.
Missed out on the end.
That's all right.

579
00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:19,000
(CHUCKLES) Good effort.

580
00:39:19,080 --> 00:39:22,720
It's a bit of a gamble, opal-mining,
and it's a bit like two-up, I guess.

581
00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:26,840
I'll bet my work ethic and knowledge
and my time to find opal.

582
00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:30,160
There'll be winners
and losers, obviously.

583
00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:32,600
What are you going?
Heads, I suppose, are you?

584
00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,240
MARK: You know I like heads, mate.
I'll go tails.

585
00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:38,000
Righty-o.Come on.

586
00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:39,680
(COIN LANDS)

587
00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:45,160
Yeah, brother!Your shout.

588
00:39:45,240 --> 00:39:47,280
My shout.

589
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,440
DAN: Hey! Turn it off! Off! Off!

590
00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:56,960
Turn it off! Stop, stop!

591
00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:00,920
What's going on?
Another blockage.

592
00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:05,240
That's the culprit, there.

593
00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:07,280
It's too big for the machine.

594
00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:13,400
Go on number three.
I think Renee's on top of it there.

595
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:16,080
Good to go when you are.
Okay, great. Thank you.

596
00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:21,320
Oh, my God,
that's another huge piece.

597
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,880
Wow. I hope this is colour
in all of these big pieces.

598
00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:30,320
I'm hearing from Renee
she's doing well in there.

599
00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:32,480
Hopefully she's doing well
with colour.

600
00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:34,720
You haven't got any more?
No, it's all done.

601
00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:38,680
I reckon we're in the money!
Hopefully she's got something nice
to show us.

602
00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:42,280
How did you go?Let's have a look.

603
00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:44,120
Is it what you were hoping?
Is it good?

604
00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:46,320
It's bright out here.
How about over here?

605
00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,520
No, that's nothing.

606
00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:52,040
Ooh, look at this.
That is beautiful!Ooh, wow.

607
00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,720
That's the money shot there.Yeah.

608
00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:58,600
Look at the colours.
Jeez, that's nice colour.

609
00:40:58,680 --> 00:41:00,960
That's got reds and blues and greens
and yellows.

610
00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,080
Wow. Worth dragging
all that dirt here.

611
00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:04,760
Beautiful colour.

612
00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:08,600
Fair few full shells in there
still in the host rock,
awesome-looking specimens.

613
00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:11,000
Well done. You did well.
Oh, thank you.

614
00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:13,360
Brilliant. It's a brilliant result.

615
00:41:16,440 --> 00:41:18,360
Gonna shoot down
and see Wayne and Sarah.

616
00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:22,080
I think it's the right sort of thing
for their shop.
They're friends of mine.

617
00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:24,680
When it comes to negotiating
for opal, though,

618
00:41:24,760 --> 00:41:26,440
that changes things a little bit.

619
00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:30,200
We're looking at trying to get
$25,000 for the parcel.

620
00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:32,280
(SHOP BELL JANGLES)

621
00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:34,440
Wayne.
Oh, g'day, mate. How are you?

622
00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:36,920
Good. How you going?
Haven't seen you for a while.

623
00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:38,680
What's going on? Good to see you.

624
00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:40,520
Oh, just a bit of business going on.

625
00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:42,640
Busy-busy in the shop.
What are yous up to?

626
00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:45,560
We've brought something in
for you to have a look at today.

627
00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:48,400
What do you think?Very nice.

628
00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:50,880
Don't have a lot of fossils.

629
00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:55,400
The Opal Lovers have
five white crystal opal specimens

630
00:41:55,480 --> 00:42:00,080
in sandstone host rock,
weighing 500 grams,

631
00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:05,360
and ten opalised shells
displaying red, pink, and orange.

632
00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:09,240
They're in the rough
and weigh 85 grams.

633
00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:14,680
Perfect thing for your shop.
Yeah. Yep.

634
00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:16,920
So you're looking to sell it?Yep.

635
00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:18,600
What are we looking at here?

636
00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:20,880
We were thinking 25...
Yeah....all up.

637
00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:26,160
Hey, Sarah.

638
00:42:26,240 --> 00:42:29,520
SARAH: How you going?
This is my wife Sarah.

639
00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:31,840
Yeah, you know...
Yeah. Nice to meet you.

640
00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,880
So, what are you thinking, darling?
Nice.

641
00:42:35,960 --> 00:42:38,760
SARAH: Mm-hm.
What are you asking?25.

642
00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:41,360
A little bit high, I reckon.
I don't know.

643
00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:44,560
Er, what's 13 sound like?

644
00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:46,800
What, are you serious or what?

645
00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:49,200
Oh, well, mate, you know, like...

646
00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:51,120
That sounds like a joke.
Pretty low.

647
00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:53,800
Fifteen all right, or not?

648
00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:55,520
Nah, that's way too low.

649
00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:58,040
What about if we meet up...
I don't know, 18?

650
00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:02,120
Are we there yet?
Close, mate, or not?

651
00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:06,040
How about if we meet at 20?

652
00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:08,600
What about 20? $20,000?

653
00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:10,920
That's it.20?

654
00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:14,000
Yeah. Do 20?
Do 20.All right. That's beautiful.

655
00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:16,280
Done.Thank you.
No worries.That's excellent.

656
00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:18,680
Thank you.Cool.

657
00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:22,800
75 grand up.
That's a good portion to our target.

658
00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:28,440
Probably shows how much we do need
a noodler. Big job, though.

659
00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:31,480
A lot of time, a lot of working,
a lot of welding, so...

660
00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:34,720
How are you going to build a noodler
if you can't find the keys?

661
00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:37,400
I wouldn't put 'em in the glove box.
It wasn't me.

662
00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:40,320
I wouldn't put 'em there.
No.Not in the glove box.

663
00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:43,160
Anyway, good week. Twenty grand.
Cheers.

664
00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:46,800
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