"Outback Opal Hunters" The Foreign Claim

1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,040 NARRATOR: On Outback Opal Hunters... 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,840 I'm not liking the way we've got it set up. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:09,520 ..the Misfits are forced to drag their opal processing plant 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,200 across brutal outback terrain... 5 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:14,320 I'm now spinning tyres. 6 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,400 We don't need to be bogged. 7 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,080 ..desperate to find opal before season end. 8 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,920 Ooh. The belt stopped moving. 9 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:24,760 Hopefully, it's not a seized bearing. 10 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,320 That ain't no ten minute fix. 11 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:30,120 ISAAC: Sofia can't be be here. She's on the coast working. 12 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,080 I've just got to push forward, really. 13 00:00:32,160 --> 00:00:35,000 Opal Whisperer, Isaac, is out of his depth... 14 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:39,400 That looks like it's about to drop. There's a big crack in that. 15 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:41,480 ..in a 30-year-old mine. 16 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:43,320 I'm not scared of ghosts or anything, 17 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,840 but I am scared of big Eastern Brown snakes. 18 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,720 Holy ! 19 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:50,920 MATTHEW: That's the money shot, man. 20 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,760 The Mooka Boys, without team leader, Leif, 21 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,640 stake a new mine on fiercely guarded ground... 22 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,320 What are you doing? You jumped on my claim. 23 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,720 COLIN: No. We come and pegged it last night. 24 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:03,920 ..and build a bare bones black lighter 25 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,040 to scour the opal rich claim. 26 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,520 Hey, hey. Whoa! Whoa! Found something. 27 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:11,720 I knew there was opal there.Whoo! 28 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,320 # ASH GRUNWALD: Money 29 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:17,440 # Money 30 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,920 # And fancy clothes # 31 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:30,074 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE www.osdb.link/lm 32 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:33,280 ISABELLE: Back. 33 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,040 We're in.Perfect 34 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:40,760 We bought this noodling plant. 35 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,360 It's the equivalent to blacklighting with UV lights. 36 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,920 Just have a look at this... I'll put these chains on. 37 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,680 This is going to help us out immensely on the claim 38 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,600 because we're not seeing opal during the day. 39 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,560 So if we use the noodling machine, 40 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,280 hopefully, we're going to find everything that's there. 41 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,200 If you can jump in there for me. 42 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,120 We'll put these chains on. 43 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:02,800 This is an old truck chassis. 44 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:04,640 The front wheels turn independently, 45 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,640 so I need to chain the wheels so they're straight. 46 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:09,880 We don't want the noodling plant to go one way 47 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,920 and the truck to go tipping the machine. 48 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,040 All right. By chaining this forward, 49 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,560 it should stop it from turning. 50 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:20,800 I got to put a lot of tension on these chains. 51 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,520 OK, technically, she should travel straight. 52 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,680 We need to get it on the claim ASAP 53 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:34,960 because the season's only got a few weeks left. 54 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,840 Really nervous about moving this machine. 55 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:41,080 With all that weight, you know, this truck gets bogged pretty easy. 56 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:42,960 How's it looking back there, Issy? 57 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,200 Yeah. I don't think it'll make it all the way out to the claim, 58 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,640 so I might drop into Joe's and see what we can do. 59 00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:15,280 The Misfits, Angel Dempsey, 60 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:17,320 mentor, "Opal" Joe Kalmar, 61 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:19,520 and new recruit, Issy Glen, 62 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,440 are desperate to justify six back breaking weeks 63 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,040 of digging an open cut mine, before summer storms... 64 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:27,920 Oh.Oh. 65 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,000 ..and 40 degree Celsius temperatures shut down the season. 66 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,680 Pressure's on. It's only a few weeks left of the season 67 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:37,800 so I don't even want to think about not finding opal. 68 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:39,760 JOE: I've basically stepped back because 69 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,760 my health's up creek. 70 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,120 I've got no knees, I've had strokes, 71 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,640 I'm basically investing in the young people out there. 72 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:51,200 We've set ourselves a big goal. It's 160,000, 73 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,200 but we're still a fair way off of our target. 74 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,520 The team have invested cash from their opal sales 75 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,800 in a blacklight noodling machine, 76 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:02,920 in the hope of processing larger volumes of dirt 77 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,720 to find more opal. 78 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,560 Angel and I have sunk $20,000 into a machine, 79 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:10,320 you know, because without it, 80 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,320 I don't know how much longer we can keep running. 81 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:17,520 Yeah, that jumping around's scary. 82 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,080 Not good. This bit of sand is acting like a handbrake. 83 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:22,840 We don't need to be bogged. 84 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,040 I'll put the lockers on and see what happens. 85 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,320 Hopefully, I can get over this sand. No worries. 86 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:30,720 With three kilometres still remaining, 87 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,760 Angel needs to engage the differential locks 88 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:36,560 mechanically locking the axles together... 89 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,480 Right, lockers are engaged. 90 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,640 ..forcing the truck's power to be evenly distributed 91 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,520 to all the wheels, increasing traction. 92 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:53,920 There we go. 93 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,280 Whoo. That was close. 94 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,800 Shows you how quick you can lose traction with such a heavy load. 95 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:03,920 There's Joe. 96 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,720 "Opal" Joe. He's my go-to man when I'm stuck. 97 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,720 Hello.Why is the chain all on the steering? 98 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:12,720 Because it's broken. We need to fix it. 99 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,040 Yeah, I tried to dodgy it up to get it to site 100 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:18,800 but it's not working. 101 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:20,600 You got to get the wheels straighter, 102 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,120 so when Angel's towing it not wanting to get bogged. 103 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,480 Get the porter pound, push it out. 104 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,680 All we got to do is move it over about another say inch to the right 105 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,240 and then we've got to weld it and lock it into place. 106 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,000 Put it against the springs. 107 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,120 Put it across that and just push it out. 108 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,040 We used the water power. 109 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,960 It's a ten tonne jack. Get those wheels aligned. 110 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:42,840 I... I'd put it the other way. 111 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,160 This way. Put it on the rim itself. 112 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:47,960 Tighten up the knob. That's it. 113 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,840 Just make sure it doesn't jump and bloody...Yeah, I'm pushing down on the wheel. 114 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,040 Oh, hey, hey. Keep going. 115 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:55,800 I hate this one. 116 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,080 Oi. 117 00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:18,280 ISAAC: This is the new mine. 118 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,160 We're in, um, the main run of the hour. 119 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,960 It's hard not to freak out when you're alone down here. 120 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:27,680 Never seen... 121 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,480 you know, ground like this. Very crumbly. 122 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,240 I don't know what the roof's doing. 123 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,680 Actually, that looks like it's about to drop completely. 124 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,360 If in any way I become incapacitated, 125 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,120 whether it be an animal bite 126 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,680 or whether it be something falling on me, 127 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:44,920 I'm done for. I can't get up the ladder. 128 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:46,720 I'm not scared of ghosts or anything, 129 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:48,960 but I am scared of... 130 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,760 big Eastern Brown snakes. I don't like them at all. 131 00:06:52,840 --> 00:06:54,520 They can kill you. 132 00:06:56,280 --> 00:06:58,800 Sofia can't be here. She's on the coast working. 133 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,680 Er, you know, I've just got to push forward, really. 134 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,600 This is the other shaft. 135 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,480 Holy ! 136 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,000 Hello, little guy. 137 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,520 You frightened the life out of me you little fellow. 138 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,840 That's a little bearded dragon. Thought it was a snake. 139 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:16,600 It literally jumped on me, 140 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:18,600 and I'm thinking that's it, I'm dead. 141 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,520 Sofia and Isaac, the Opal Whisperers, 142 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:28,680 are losing partners and mines as season end draws near. 143 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,480 The Flying Doctors have been on at me for a while. 144 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,240 Got to go for some tests. Uwe Barfuss, 145 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:35,920 veteran Yowah miner, 146 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,760 had to part ways with the siblings due to treatment for cancer 147 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:42,520 and took his mine with him, 148 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,840 leaving them desperate for new ground. 149 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,000 Thirty by 30.Thirty by 30. OK. 150 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:50,160 Yeah, that's the claim.Yep. 151 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,680 An opportunity came up and, 152 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,280 mate, we just jumped at it. It's hardly touched. 153 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,520 This whole area's untouched. 154 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,160 Sofia and Isaac have bought a claim... 155 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,400 Yeah, thank you very much, mate. Awesome.Cheers, mate. 156 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,880 ..sitting on major, opal-bearing fault lines, 157 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,680 the 100-year-old JoJo Run, 158 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:13,000 an area famous for ironstone Yowah nuts. 159 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:17,720 Roughly one in one thousand will have valuable opal inside. 160 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,840 We need this new mine because this season hasn't been that good. 161 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,400 We're about a third of the way up to our season's target. 162 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:27,720 Once in a generation flooding across Australia 163 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:31,040 has cut off major roads throughout the Outback, 164 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:35,760 meaning Sofia can't return from her opal shop in Airlie Beach, 165 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,600 1,300 kilometres away. 166 00:08:38,680 --> 00:08:40,480 We need opal. Er, if we don't find it, 167 00:08:40,560 --> 00:08:43,480 we won't get big machines, we won't be able to continue mining 168 00:08:43,560 --> 00:08:45,600 and we're not in this to... to fail. 169 00:08:45,680 --> 00:08:47,680 We're here to find opal. 170 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,400 Yeah, it's... I'm not, um... 171 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,040 I'm not going to be able to do this on my own. 172 00:08:58,120 --> 00:08:59,920 Call Eddie Maguire. 173 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,840 EDDIE: Yo, Ed Maguire. 174 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,680 Eddie. It's Isaac. How are you? Oh, Isaac, hello, mate. 175 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,800 I bought a opal mine with Sofia.Yeah. 176 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,760 I've got to admit, it's, ah... it looks a little bit hairy 177 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,920 and I don't know if I'm a little bit out of my depth and I was... 178 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,520 just wondering if you had any time over the next week or two or... 179 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:21,920 Look, I'm really happy to come up and and look in 180 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:23,840 and give you a hand and just, you know, 181 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:25,760 give you an idea of what could be done. 182 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,280 Mate, that'd be unreal. 183 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,000 Eddie Maguire's someone who I've grown up looking up to. 184 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:35,080 He's a mentor, he's an artist. 185 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,080 How are you, mate?Struggling. 186 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:44,200 Eddie Maguire has spent the last 30 years in Yowah, 187 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,120 combining his artistry with opal finds. 188 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:49,320 She's a big piece of conglomerate, 50 kilos. 189 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:51,720 Oh, that is beautiful. 190 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:54,960 The quality of that is tremendous, isn't it?Yes.SOFIA: Beautiful. 191 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,600 One of his prized works is a Yowah nut conglomerate 192 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:02,880 with an estimated value in excess of $100,000. 193 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,120 You couldn't see much, the odd dots of colour, 194 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,960 but they're not revealed until you actually polish it. 195 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,560 So keen to get going. I would like to have a look 196 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,760 just to make sure that things are not going to fall on top of you. 197 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:17,760 I'm just ready to start digging the wall. 198 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:19,680 I bet you are.Cool. 199 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:23,120 There's enough rope here. This is at least... that's more than 20 foot. 200 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,000 I've got a bucket full of tools. 201 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:29,280 So we've got everything we need. Ed, Ed you clear?Yep, all clear. 202 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,400 Bucket itself must weigh 20-30 kilo. 203 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:41,640 Ah, sh - 204 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,200 Eddie? Are you clear, mate? 205 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:45,960 Eddie? 206 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:47,960 He's not answering. Ed? 207 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,320 Eddie? 208 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:04,840 MATTHEW: We're going to have to find some opal. 209 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:06,600 Make sure we got enough. 210 00:11:06,680 --> 00:11:10,240 There's no way we get that noodler and everything running without Leif here. 211 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,640 Remember that place at Steven's, we pulled out when it was raining? 212 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:18,120 The hole we were doing before we started with Leif. 213 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:19,880 Those walls were caving in and that 214 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:21,760 but it hasn't rained for a bit now so. 215 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:23,520 Yeah, we'll go have a look. 216 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:26,520 Is that a peg there, bro? 217 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,560 There is a - which way's that gone? 218 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:30,600 Oh, there's a loader in the old hole, man. 219 00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:32,720 There's somebody there working it. 220 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,480 They've pegged it, man. That's no good, bro. 221 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:40,600 Me and Matty used to have a claim here, 222 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:43,920 and we just started a whole new partnership working with Leif so, 223 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:45,760 yeah, sort of let this one go. 224 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,000 Hello? 225 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:50,400 Sorry to disturb you, mate, I'm Matty.Steve. 226 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:52,840 How you going? I'm Cozza. This is Joe.How are ya? 227 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,640 We're actually the ones that dug this hole out originally. 228 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:57,840 You're joking? Yeah. It was all mud and water 229 00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:59,600 and everything when we left. 230 00:11:59,680 --> 00:12:01,880 We couldn't believe there's colour in the wall. 231 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:03,960 A pocket there and another one under there. 232 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:05,720 We're even on right now, actually. 233 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,080 Oh, you are finding colour. Oh, geez. 234 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,000 Look at that. That's good bloody material, man. 235 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:14,360 You snooze, you lose, I guess, innit.Yeah, man. 236 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:17,280 A lot of miners pull out of a claim thinking that it was dry 237 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:21,160 and somebody else goes in there, sticks something in the wall and finds the opal. 238 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,160 The hardest thing, knowing where to start and where to finish. 239 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:25,920 Really a kick in the guts. 240 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:32,960 Season end is looming 241 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:35,480 and it's crunch time for the Mooka Boys, 242 00:12:35,560 --> 00:12:37,880 Matt Kathagen, brother, Cozza, 243 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:41,280 and team leader, Leif Tanzer. 244 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,120 Alternator's snapped off the bracket. 245 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,080 Lost the belt, everything. 246 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,240 This season's nothing but breakdowns and bad luck. 247 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:51,280 If it was ever a time where it was more important to find opal, 248 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:53,040 it's kind of like right now. 249 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,200 We're not even halfway to our season target, 250 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,960 and it turns out I've got a little bubs on the way this year 251 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:03,120 and I'll be starting a new family, ah, at the end of the season. 252 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,720 Team leader Leif has left the brothers 253 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:07,600 to scrape together some funds 254 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:10,080 working as a heavy diesel mechanic. 255 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:13,800 Gets a bit rough out here in the Outback. 256 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,200 Temperatures can rise up to melting your skin off 257 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:18,840 and, er, getting cold enough to freeze your bones up. 258 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:21,960 You feel like giving up every day but you got to keep doing it. 259 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,600 With or without Leif, we'll make sure that we get opal 260 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:26,520 and everybody gets paid. 261 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:30,960 So just down the hill from where we are here 262 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:33,360 is actually an old claim that Cozzy and I dug out 263 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:35,760 before we worked with Leif and his old man, Paul. 264 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,280 We come back this morning to have a quick look at it 265 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:40,200 to see if we could do a bit more mining 266 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:41,960 but somebody else has pegged it up 267 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:43,960 and they're doing really well down there. 268 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,200 So, one thing they didn't notice is that, er, 269 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:48,120 there's a big pile of, ah, dirt up here 270 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,400 that actually comes from where they found opal, 271 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:52,640 so now we're back here today to peg it all up, 272 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,360 go through it and hopefully find that opal that we missed. 273 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:59,840 Before Matt and Cozza can mine the opal bearing dirt 274 00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:01,880 still sitting on unclaimed land, 275 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:06,880 they need to set their claim pegs in a perfect 50 by 50 metre square. 276 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,840 If the pegs cross over another miner's boundary, 277 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,720 their claim will be invalid. 278 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:14,880 Make sure we get this right in one hit, man. 279 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:17,360 We don't want anyone complaining where we are here. 280 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:19,480 Opal mines are like people's 281 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:21,840 life savings and banks, all in one sometimes, 282 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,080 so they can get pretty protective of their claims. 283 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:27,040 So, we're just using a little tool. 284 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,000 It's just like a right-angled lens here, 285 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:31,840 so it can actually pick up the first peg we put in 286 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:33,600 and stick it on your second peg 287 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,160 and it makes sure our next one goes in square. 288 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:38,120 Keep going, this way, bud. 289 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:41,880 Two more metres. 290 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,520 Yo. Right there, man. That's it. 291 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:47,560 That's the money shot, man. You beauty. 292 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:49,320 Looks good, mate. 293 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:51,080 Oh, better be opal here, brother. 294 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,000 Better be. We got this, man. Come on.We got it. 295 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,120 What we want to do is, er, 296 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:07,520 spread this pile as flat as a pancake, 297 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,000 get it nice and thin and bring in some blacklights later. 298 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:14,080 The more he spreads it out, the more surface that we're going to 299 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:15,960 have to go over with the blacklights, 300 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,360 the more chance of finding this opal. 301 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,320 Yeah hold on, bro. Hold on. Oi! 302 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,640 MAN: What the hell you blokes doing? 303 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,040 You jumped on me claim? 304 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,200 No. We come and pegged it last night. 305 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:48,520 I think I've got him with the tools. 306 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,080 EDDIE: Hey, what's up? What's going on? 307 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,600 I'm here. 308 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:55,560 Oh, mate, you scared the life out of me. 309 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:58,800 Oh, sorry, mate. I just got carried away. Had to go and have a look 310 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:01,440 at the rest of your mine. I was just so interested. 311 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:04,480 Mate, I thought I dropped the bucket full of tools on you. 312 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:06,960 Sorry, mate.Thank God you're cleared, man.Sorry. 313 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:10,600 Something like that makes you realise, you know, in a split second, 314 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:14,560 if you screw up, you can't undo it. 315 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:18,600 As extreme summer temperatures mark the end of the mining season, 316 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,080 Isaac, without sibling Sofia, 317 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,040 is relying on veteran miner, Eddie Maguire, 318 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:28,720 to teach him the ropes in a dangerous old mine. 319 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:30,520 This is nice. 320 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:32,280 Yeah, it's nearly standing room. 321 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,040 We really got to find some opal. 322 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,120 What do you reckon we got? This drive here. 323 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,280 We've got customers waiting for nice stones, 324 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:42,280 and if you don't service the demand, you'll lose traction. 325 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:44,480 But those stones are... they don't come easy. 326 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,920 Is this the other side of the... Hey. Have you seen this? 327 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,200 If you can't get your generator to go... 328 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,280 What have you got? You've got candle power. 329 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,200 What they're mining with? That's what they were mining with. 330 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:58,040 Using this for light?Yeah. That's keen, isn't it?Yeah. 331 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,320 That's keen. Imagine looking for opal with a... 332 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,280 Yeah, but that's what they were using back in the 1880s.Wow. 333 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,040 1884 was the first registered lease here in Yowah. 334 00:17:06,120 --> 00:17:08,040 Hundred and thirty-eight years ago and... 335 00:17:08,120 --> 00:17:11,400 ..these were the relics that they were using.Yeah. 336 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,480 The sandy roof, I'm not sure about. 337 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,360 You can nearly pull that down with your hand, couldn't you? 338 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,800 Exposure to the elements over the last 30 years 339 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,920 has caused the binding clay in the walls to weaken, 340 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:26,040 releasing its hold on the grains of quartz sand 341 00:17:26,120 --> 00:17:28,520 that now gathers in piles on the floor. 342 00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:34,040 Why's it hollow? 343 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:37,600 Well, if it's separation in the sediment.I know.Yeah. 344 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:42,640 It all going to come down or? 345 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:44,440 Flaky bit. 346 00:17:48,360 --> 00:17:50,320 COLIN: Is that your peg over there, is it? 347 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:56,080 Like taking a million dollars off me. 348 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:57,880 We're not going on your claim. 349 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,840 We know we're on the edge. We pegged it up last night. Sorry. 350 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,440 I thought we might give you a surprise this morning. 351 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:05,680 Sorry, mate, we're just here to get this pile. 352 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:07,920 That's all. We're not digging, not going down, 353 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,960 so we'll stay well off all your working.All right. OK, then. 354 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:14,600 Sorry about that, bro, ay. All right. 355 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,600 I was a bit worried there. They could've jumped out with a bat 356 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,600 and could have been on for young and old. 357 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:21,720 This is the way it goes in the opal fields. 358 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,880 Everyone's a little bit, er, worried if you peg up next to them. 359 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:28,760 Surrounded by active mines, 360 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:31,600 the Mooka Boys are banking on a new claim 361 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:35,480 which still holds piles of opal bearing dirt. 362 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,920 Just looking at what he's pushed over, hoping to find something, 363 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:43,960 little bit of trace, little bit of colour, 364 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:45,760 little bit of anything would be good. 365 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,880 Out here in the desert, gets a little bit lean in between, er, finds. 366 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:54,720 Er, got two young kids and the Missus at home. 367 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,480 They all rely on me to find some opal. 368 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:01,640 It gets quite hard to keep the family fed and everybody happy. 369 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:05,040 I'm looking for anything that shines up like opal. 370 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:10,000 Got to hit them to crack them open 371 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,240 so you can see what's on the inside of them. 372 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:17,000 The blokes that are finding colour are just over there. 373 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:18,920 That's where all this dirt came from, 374 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,360 down in that hole. We dug it out. 375 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,760 If they're finding colour there, we should be finding colour here. 376 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,080 We've been pushing all day, 377 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,560 so would have been good to see some by now. 378 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,720 We got the pile spread pretty thin. 379 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:47,320 Nothing. 380 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,360 That should have been one. 381 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:00,960 JOE: Oi. 382 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,440 Scared the crap out of me. ISABELLE: Scared me too. 383 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:05,760 Hey. It moved. It did move. 384 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:09,120 ANGEL: Did it move too much though? Well, let's have a look. 385 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:10,880 No, it's pretty well it, Angel. 386 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,720 See how much easier that was without sledgehammering away. 387 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,920 Yeah, but you almost pooed yourself. 388 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,680 Yeah, well, that's all right. 389 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,800 Under pressure, you don't know how far things are going to move. 390 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,280 Thankfully, it only moved a little bit and it moved 391 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:26,160 just enough to align the wheels where we needed them. 392 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:30,720 In Andamooka, the Misfits are trying to turn their season around 393 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:34,000 by dragging an aging opal processing plant 394 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:37,080 three kilometres to their Lunatic claim. 395 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,400 Watch your eyes. Joe was able to 396 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:42,120 make this bracket up and weld the wheels into place. 397 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,240 Gave it a basic wheel alignment. Bit of air in the tyres after 398 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,240 and she'll be all good to go. 399 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,520 And we'll be back to mining. That'll do it. Done. 400 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:53,680 This is a very good outcome. 401 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:56,000 We couldn't keep going the way we were cos, 402 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,640 yeah, we would have had a major breakdown. 403 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:00,960 Off we go. 404 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,880 It's very important for me to become an independent miner 405 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,320 purely because I want to do what I love for work. 406 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,000 By smashing our s- target this season and, 407 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:11,880 you know, next season and a few years, 408 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,240 I should be able to, you know, set up my own mining operation. 409 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:19,920 Up ahead there's, like, three tracks 410 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:21,680 and I don't know which one to take. 411 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:23,400 Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. 412 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:26,320 But I think the middle one, that kind of looks less sandy. 413 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,240 Almost got bogged then. Even with the lockers 414 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,400 she was, like, spinning and not going anywhere. 415 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:48,600 Nearly there. 416 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,440 Yep, I can see the claim. That feels so good. 417 00:21:55,200 --> 00:22:00,040 The old noodling room is powered by a 20 KVA generator. 418 00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:02,800 OK.Moment of truth. Moment of truth. 419 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:07,320 This should turn itself on. 420 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,480 Hopefully. Oh, fingers crossed. 421 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:12,600 Awesome. Ha. 422 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:14,760 Started up the gennie... 423 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:16,800 and that seems to be working well. 424 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:20,280 We've got to make sure that everything in this noodling plant's working. 425 00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:23,520 OK. So fuses, a bit loose and wonky. 426 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:25,960 I mean, it's an old machine. Hopefully, it doesn't 427 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,920 catch alight, you know. I mean, old wir- who knows. 428 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:30,640 This has got to work today. 429 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,000 I'm just going to press it and see what happens. 430 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:35,920 Oh.Na. That's not good. 431 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,000 It's not responding at all. 432 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:46,000 EDDIE: Looks OK. I mean, that's just my first impression. 433 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:49,400 ISAAC: Yeah.Without sort of going around it. See, that's solid. 434 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,720 So it's not going to just crumble in or something like that?No. No. 435 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:55,640 Look, here's the band up here. 436 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,080 It's sort of come down. 437 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,920 Hey. It's up here. 438 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,440 There is a dip this way. 439 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,680 This is definitely your place to work on. 440 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,240 I - I like what's... yeah, I like what's going on into here. 441 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:11,600 Opal Whisperer, Isaac Andreou, 442 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:13,920 and veteran miner, Eddie Maguire, 443 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:16,720 are on the hunt for opal bearing Yowah nuts 444 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:19,040 in a 30 year old mine. 445 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,800 Yep. Just go straight ahead. Just go below the ironstone band. 446 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:43,120 We're in the famous area. A lot of people have made it rich here. 447 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,080 Look at that thing. No.Na. 448 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,240 We've been dreaming of getting an excavator. We need big machines. 449 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:50,240 And we've got to find opal to make money. 450 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:52,720 Where would you like it? Get that out? 451 00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:03,520 Gee, she's hard, isn't she? I'll get it this way. You got it? 452 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:05,720 Oh, yeah. Just wedge it. 453 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:08,800 That's it.OK. Got it.OK. 454 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,480 What have we got? Is it a boy or a girl? 455 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,280 Look at this? 456 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:18,280 Oh, we're onto something. Oh, mate, the rest of it's up there. 457 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:20,600 Have a look at that. I can see it. 458 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:22,560 Oh, it's a rainbow up there, mate. 459 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:26,720 Come on, baby. 460 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:28,400 Ah!Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! 461 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:30,800 Pull the jackhammer away. We can do this by hand. 462 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,800 Just leave it there. Like an artwork. For a caveman. 463 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,480 We'll put a frame around it and turn it into a gallery. 464 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:38,240 Oh, Eddie, it's too hard, mate. 465 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:40,960 Use the hand pick to get to lever it over the top there. 466 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,760 There was movement before. That's why I got you to stop. 467 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,400 Yeah, no, just underneath, see. Got. Stop. Stop. Stop. 468 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:50,200 OK.There she blows. Hey! 469 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,560 Oh, hello. I'm your daddy. 470 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:55,680 There's some colour here. Is there? 471 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,280 No, it needs to come out. Properly, doesn't it. Yeah. 472 00:25:02,360 --> 00:25:05,320 We'll have to work under it? There's those little floater nuts. 473 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,080 Why don't we just pick them out cos they can have anything in them.Sure. 474 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,320 Could probably get that one with my hands. 475 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,440 Ah. It's a Yowah nut. 476 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,000 That is floating between the layers 477 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:19,880 of boulder ironstone, opal and the clay. 478 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,040 Sometimes that'll have a cavity in it that'll fill up with, er, 479 00:25:23,120 --> 00:25:24,840 beautiful crystal opal. 480 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,080 All right, mate.Good on you, man. 481 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:30,920 Oh, best day. Thanks, mate. 482 00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:34,160 Thank you. Thank you. That was great. 483 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,640 Nothing's lighting up. It's... it's not responding at all, 484 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,520 so maybe it's not getting power from the generator. 485 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,400 Maybe that's the issue. So I don't know 486 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,320 if it's something to do with this gauge 487 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:54,120 which is reading zero, zero amp, 488 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,520 or if it's this switch here that's off. 489 00:25:57,600 --> 00:25:59,360 Just flick it. Oh. 490 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:01,160 Oh, we'll go in and try it. 491 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:03,720 Hopefully, that was the problem. Well, tell you what, 492 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,160 my heart's in my mouth at the moment. 493 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:12,200 The Misfits have just invested $20,000 in a 50-year-old opal processing plant 494 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:13,960 known as a noodler 495 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:15,920 and it's refusing to start. 496 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,520 Fingers, legs, toes crossed. 497 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,640 Please work. 498 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:22,720 Ooh. Ooh. 499 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,600 We done it! All right. 500 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,880 Thank God.Thank God. I was so nervous. 501 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,240 Are you ready for the first bucket? 502 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:33,960 Go for it. 503 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,760 The Misfits are feeding their noodler rock 504 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:46,280 extracted from their open cut mine, 505 00:26:46,360 --> 00:26:51,000 dug out to access dangerous opal bearing old timer's tunnels. 506 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:53,120 Got a dust storm out here. 507 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,400 The trommel tumbles the rock, removing the dust, 508 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,720 before sending it to the darkroom. 509 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:02,920 The divider in here, 510 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,760 it spreads the rocks evenly across the belt for us. 511 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:11,200 Here, ultraviolet light causes the opal to fluoresce. 512 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,680 It's my first time in a noodling room. 513 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:20,760 So, yeah, I'm concentrating really hard at the moment. 514 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,440 I don't want to miss anything. 515 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:25,280 It's literally the unknown, you know. 516 00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:28,680 Any bucket could be holding, you know, 50 grand or 100 grand, 517 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:31,880 you know, a million bucks. You just don't know. 518 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,000 That's what excites me about opal mining. 519 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:39,560 Another massive boulder. 520 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:41,320 Can't get away from them. 521 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,560 Probably processed... 522 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:48,800 maybe 1,500 kilos of dirt so far. 523 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:50,680 No opal yet. 524 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:53,480 Hey, where's all the opal, Angel? 525 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:55,600 Come on. Give me a good bucket. 526 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,200 I'm working on it. 527 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:00,240 Oh. 528 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,680 I heard that noise. Something got stuck. 529 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:08,360 Heard a horrible noise. I'm going to go in, 530 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:10,560 make sure nothing's damaged. 531 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,720 Everything's still working, so, 532 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,560 you know, no need to panic at this point in time. 533 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:20,360 Er, everything still looks all good on the outside, Issy. 534 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:25,560 Na, I've had to shut it down. 535 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:27,280 Oh, what happened? 536 00:28:27,360 --> 00:28:29,560 The belt stopped moving. 537 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:33,080 All right. There must be a rock stuck there somewhere. 538 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:35,040 Yeah, we'll have to check the sheet. 539 00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:37,920 Hopefully, it's not a seized bearing. 540 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,560 Cos a seized bearing, that ain't no ten minute fix. 541 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,920 MATTHEW: Put together a bit of an invention. 542 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,080 We call it, er, Blacklightersaurus. 543 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,160 Mooka Boys, Matt and Cozza, 544 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,920 are modifying their loader with ultraviolet blacklights, 545 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:02,680 hoping to uncover opal on their new claim. 546 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,840 This is a high intensity UV blacklight spotlight. 547 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,040 We're going to get it up nice and high and... 548 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:10,800 and it can actually throw, er, a blacklight, er, ah... 549 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:12,680 a good ten metres away from it. 550 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,720 COLIN: Trying to get as big a spread on the floor as we can, so... 551 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:19,880 better chance of finding this opal. 552 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,000 We've all got bills to pay, we've all got families to feed. 553 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:27,200 So, yeah, if there's no opal, then this dream ends. 554 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:29,080 Alright, this is a, um... 555 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:32,400 fluorescent tube, UV light. 556 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:34,400 This is the same ones that we use in the, 557 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:36,920 um, noodling blacklight rooms. 558 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:38,880 Yeah, the more blacklight the merrier. 559 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,320 We're just going to chuck the generator in a bucket 560 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,920 and that's going to power all these lights. 561 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,240 All right. That's on, that's on. 562 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:54,440 Yep. Yours working?Yeah. It's working. I just turned it off. 563 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:56,800 Awesome, bruv.Yeah...Whoa! 564 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,560 Well, just have to wait for that sun to go down 565 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:03,400 and test her out. 566 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:07,800 Right, Matty, you ready? Yeah, man. 567 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:09,640 Steady as she goes. 568 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:15,720 Yeah, so it seems to work the way we wanted it to. 569 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:17,800 We're getting a nice decent spread. 570 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:20,280 I'm just walking around in the middle of the spread 571 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,960 having a look for the opal as he's backing up and driving forward. 572 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:25,800 So we haven't had much luck just yet. 573 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:27,560 Going forwards. Yeah, mate. 574 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:41,280 We've, er, done a few passes 575 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:43,280 with, er, Blacklightersaurus. 576 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,440 Cozzy's out front there having a look. 577 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:48,840 Picking up a few bits and pieces but not too much so far. 578 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:56,320 No big winners yet. 579 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:03,040 Wa-hey!Ooh, yeah.Ah, yay. 580 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:05,560 Found something? What have we got? 581 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:09,240 Got good sized material here in the window, mate.Oh... 582 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:10,920 yeah-ah-ah. 583 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:13,520 I knew there was opal here. Whoo! 584 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:15,280 Oh, man. 585 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,120 Got to be stoked about that, man. 586 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:19,200 Look at that. 587 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:21,240 Oh.I'm going to have go grab that bucket. 588 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:23,440 Yeah. Need a bucket man. There's heaps here. 589 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:26,640 Oh! Yeah, colour. 590 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:28,840 We'll have a look under some light 591 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:30,840 and see if they've got good colour in it. 592 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:32,800 Opal has a bit of a bad habit of, er, 593 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:35,560 becoming smaller and less brighter by the next day, 594 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:37,880 so, er, we don't like to, ah, count our chickens 595 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:39,800 until they've come home to roost, so... 596 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:42,280 we'll take this stuff home, give it a good clean up 597 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,120 and then we'll definitely be able to see what we got, man. 598 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:54,920 I - I really hope that these rocks here, 599 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:58,680 these opal boulders will provide the opal that I need 600 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:01,760 to list on the Opal Whisperers' website. 601 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:03,440 Back at his base camp, 602 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:07,480 Isaac is preparing to work on 20 kilograms of Yowah nuts 603 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:10,680 and boulder opal mined from his new claim. 604 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:18,680 Nothing really. He needs to make a series of cuts 605 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:20,720 using a diamond-tipped blade 606 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:22,920 in a process known as blocking, 607 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,200 hoping to expose opal colour. 608 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:27,880 When you're blocking out opal, 609 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:31,840 ah, you don't see the magic straight away. 610 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:34,720 This is the one that's got the red flash in it. 611 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,440 So, hopefully, that red orange colour has pooled inside. 612 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:40,760 Only one way to find out. Cut it through the guts, mate. 613 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:47,400 Can I please have a $50,000 red on black crystal centre. 614 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:49,960 Come on, baby. Nearly, oh. 615 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,200 I got the nuts left and that's it. 616 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,080 And empty nuts, mate. disaster. 617 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:11,800 Two nuts left. I've done a $110 saw blade. 618 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:13,560 I've done thousands of dollars 619 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:15,560 on the finding the mine itself. 620 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:17,320 Fuel. 621 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:19,920 is that? 622 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:21,720 You're kidding me. What is that? 623 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:29,280 That's the best nut I've ever seen, mate. 624 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,400 Yes! 625 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:36,160 That's black opal, mate. That's a black opal Yowah nut 626 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,480 of the highest quality. Half of its black opal. 627 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:40,320 Look at it. 628 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:47,440 I've always got my eye out for that special stone... 629 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:51,320 Er, right... That'll go into the perfect bit of wood. 630 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:54,680 I have been making art for about five years... 631 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:56,440 That's a beautiful stone. 632 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:58,680 ..and I've kept it a little bit in the closet. 633 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:00,520 This is a burl off a tree. 634 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:02,480 So when a tree has a injury, 635 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:04,640 like, we create a scar, 636 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,280 ah, a tree will actually create a burl, 637 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:10,480 so it's like a little bubble on the tree where it's been injured. 638 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:16,200 This is my version of a dentist short set Dremel. 639 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:19,960 So this is a sanding bit for wood. 640 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:23,160 I'm following the natural lines, 641 00:34:23,240 --> 00:34:25,400 not changing much but just sort of, like, 642 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:28,120 enhancing whatever's there already. 643 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:31,600 There's a certain romance in hand made one off pieces. 644 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:36,600 When you're an opal miner, you - it's rough and it's tough, 645 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:39,680 but when you get the chance to sit down 646 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:42,680 with a beautiful Yowah nut, 647 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:44,520 nature starts to talk to you. 648 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,240 It whispers to you. 649 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:50,840 Maybe it fits in there quite nice. Oh, it does fit in there quite nice. 650 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:53,680 Got to fit them and fiddle around a bit but I like that. 651 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,640 Isaac has created a wood sculpture 652 00:34:57,720 --> 00:35:01,000 featuring both halves of a crystal Yowah Nut. 653 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:04,080 It's blue green with flecks of yellow and pink. 654 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:08,480 The nut has been polished and weighs roughly 20 grams. 655 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,280 I'll do a little video of this one, actually. 656 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:13,040 Oh, look at the red in that. 657 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:15,080 Isaac has put the piece online 658 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:18,080 with an asking price of $12,000. 659 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:22,080 And it's not long before he gets a bite 660 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:23,960 from a regular buyer. 661 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,200 ANDREW: Good day, mate, how you doing? 662 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:29,280 Hey, Andrew. I just put this on full screen 663 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:32,040 so I can see you properly. Hold on. There we go. 664 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:34,400 What do I owe the pleasure of your call today? 665 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:38,480 Today, I've noticed on your website here... 666 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:41,120 that, er, you put up some... some new artwork. 667 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,160 You see it there? Oh, man. 668 00:35:43,240 --> 00:35:46,320 That's, er, a very beautiful stone. 669 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:48,560 Got all the colours in there. 670 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:50,360 Here's the thing, 671 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:53,160 I'm hoping that maybe we could try to work out 672 00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:56,360 some wholesale pricing, you know, as as per usual. 673 00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:58,240 I don't know, Andrew. Um... 674 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:00,680 I think the price is pretty firm. Yeah. 675 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:04,400 I'd really love you to have it and I know how much you love opal. 676 00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:07,320 You're like me. You freak out when you see colour like that. 677 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:10,720 Is there anything else I can... 678 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:12,440 Well, um... 679 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:17,600 If I can achieve the $12,000 on this artwork, 680 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:20,480 I'd be more than happy to put a few in the parcel there 681 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:23,200 and I'll make sure they're bangers. How does that sound? 682 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:25,080 That's why I always keep coming back. 683 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:28,840 Good on you. I'd love to shake hands with you, but. 684 00:36:33,720 --> 00:36:35,880 Hello. Hello. Hello. 685 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,080 How was the drive? Watery.Roads all right? 686 00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:41,000 Er, mostly blocked. How'd you go?Yeah. 687 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:43,520 I made a beautiful piece of opal art 688 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,760 with this gorgeous crystal centre that we found, Eddie and I...OK. 689 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:49,000 And I sold it for $12,000, my artwork.Really? 690 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:51,080 Yes, on the website. Your own artwork?Yes. 691 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:55,600 I'm very excited. I've always known he's had this amazing potential, 692 00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:58,840 so I'm very, very proud of him. I can show you pictures.OK, great. 693 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:01,320 I'm going to do a barbecue. You hungry?Definitely. 694 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:03,520 I'm starving. I've got some steaks and chops. 695 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:05,400 We'll do a Greek barbecue if you want. 696 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:07,520 I mean, I'm vegetarian, you know that. 697 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,320 This is a bit of colour concrete opal 698 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,120 that we only find here in Andamooka. 699 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:19,320 A limestone based rock 700 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:22,040 with, er, opal infused inside the pores. 701 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:24,760 They look quite dry and chalky but once we treat them, 702 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:26,920 they can come up with a really nice colour. 703 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:28,800 We've got some really big chunks here, 704 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,760 we've got a couple of the smaller ones that broke off. We'll give them a good test. 705 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:36,200 Matt and Cozza, working without team leader, Leif, 706 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,160 are about to cook a batch of concrete opal 707 00:37:39,240 --> 00:37:41,040 discovered on their new claim. 708 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:42,920 We generally make up a sugar solution, 709 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:45,200 kind of one to one sugar to water. 710 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:48,480 We let our pieces soak in that water while it's heated up 711 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:51,360 to just under boiling temperature for at least half an hour 712 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:53,360 and then put them into the sulphuric acid 713 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:55,120 for about 15 minutes, half an hour. 714 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:56,800 It is a bit of a risky process. 715 00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:58,760 It can really burn your skin, 716 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:01,680 cause you some serious injuries but we think it's worth it. 717 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:03,720 All right. Well, yes, it's nice and warm. 718 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:05,480 Just under boiling temperature. 719 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:07,680 COLIN: Drop them in, man. See what we can do. 720 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:09,840 There's a few things that can go wrong here. 721 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:11,640 We can overheat the stones. 722 00:38:11,720 --> 00:38:14,920 If we heat them too much they'll expand and actually crack in places, 723 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,680 and if we were to mix the acid with the water, 724 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:20,640 the acid actually instantly boils that water. 725 00:38:20,720 --> 00:38:24,840 If it's in a bit of a container, that water and acid can shoot straight up in your face. 726 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:26,600 All right.Well, have a look. 727 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:29,120 Let's have a gaze, man. 728 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:31,440 Been about 40 minutes do you reckon.Yeah. 729 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:35,160 Oh, it's not bad. 730 00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:37,720 Ooh, good one, dark. That's looking good. 731 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:39,480 Let's give it a quick flush out, 732 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:42,040 make sure we get every last bit of that acid off. 733 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:46,720 OK. 734 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:48,480 It's not bad. Look at that colour. 735 00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:50,480 Oh, yeah, it's nice, innit. Look at that. 736 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:52,240 That's some big broad flash. 737 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:54,880 Some green pinfire base under it. Yeah, it's killer. 738 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:57,160 Well, Blacklightersaurus worked well. 739 00:38:57,240 --> 00:39:00,480 The Mooka Boys have concrete and seam opal 740 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:02,680 featuring the full spectrum of colours. 741 00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:07,000 Treated and in the rough, it weighs 15 kilos in total. 742 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:08,880 This is pretty good material, Coz. 743 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:12,760 Yeah.I reckon we're going to get close to a top grade price.Yeah? 744 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:15,400 We've got 15 kilos sitting there, so...Fifteen kilos. 745 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:19,720 I'm happy to put a thousand bucks a kilo on this all day long. 746 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:21,560 Fifteen grand?Fifteen grand. 747 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:23,960 Yeah, bro. Yeah, man. 748 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:27,200 Think Leif will be happy with that, mate?Yeah. Definitely, man. 749 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:31,200 We're running out of season now and we've got a long way to go on our season target, 750 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:33,560 so we're going to keep pushing on. 751 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:35,440 Next for the Mooka Boys mining team, 752 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:37,720 keep working and just find opal. 753 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:40,640 Yeah, hopefully get rich. 754 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:56,240 ANGEL: Only one fan's working. 755 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:59,320 Bearings are not hot. That's not too bad. 756 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:02,120 No opal clogged up there. 757 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:03,800 Is it the belt? 758 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:05,640 Na. 759 00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:10,400 Sweltering season ending summer temperatures are looming... 760 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:14,360 I'll have a look on this side. ..and the Misfits are struggling with a shutdown 761 00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:17,880 of their 50-year-old opal processing plant. 762 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:24,560 And only that's... 763 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:26,680 oh...Ah.Ha-ha.Found it.Yeah. 764 00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:28,640 Found the problem. A boulder. 765 00:40:28,720 --> 00:40:31,760 That one there. Stuck in the divider on the belt. 766 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:34,360 Might even need a hammer. Another rock. 767 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:38,880 Well, that's a relief. 768 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:42,480 Hopefully, it just caused the belt to slip 769 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:45,400 and not caused the engine to burn out. 770 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:49,880 We'll just switch her on now, she's... and see what happens. 771 00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:51,640 Yeah. Perfect. 772 00:40:51,720 --> 00:40:54,040 But we're almost out of diesel, probably only got 773 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:55,920 maybe half an hour left in the bobcat. 774 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:03,000 You know, this belt at any time could just glow with colour 775 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:05,680 cos at the moment, you know, it's slim pickings. 776 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:10,160 I got a good feeling about this bucket, Issy, that's coming up. 777 00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:12,040 Awesome. 778 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:16,680 Oh, look at that one. 779 00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:23,040 Well, this is definitely starting to boost the spirits up a bit. 780 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:27,200 Bit of colour closer here. 781 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:33,040 We won't know what exactly we've got until we got out into the daylight. 782 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:38,240 Yeah, is the trommel empty? 783 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:40,320 She's practically empty now. 784 00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:42,120 OK. I'll shut her down. 785 00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:47,120 Whoa, that's bright. 786 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:51,400 So are we all set to go and show Joe all our spoils? 787 00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:02,600 Hey, Joe. We've got some pieces here. 788 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,280 Ah, cool bananas. Chuck these in the tumbler. 789 00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:09,760 The tumbler gets rid of the excess easy dirt to get off. 790 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:12,200 It allows you to look at the opal better 791 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:14,240 to see what colours are there. 792 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:20,480 Oh, well, it's been a hard week, you know. 793 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:23,720 I feel like I've aged 50 years. It's got some pretty colours in it. 794 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:25,760 Yeah.Look at that. Oh, that's beautiful. 795 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:28,760 Look at that. That's gorgeous. 796 00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:33,720 The Misfits have found a mixture of crystal, matrix and concrete opal 797 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,720 featuring colour from the blue end of the spectrum. 798 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:40,960 It's been tumbled and weighs approximately 850 grams. 799 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:44,400 This is beautiful. 800 00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:49,360 For the week, this is not great. 801 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:54,520 But it's still around 2,000 bucks with the opal. 802 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:58,520 But because it's above where we're heading... 803 00:42:58,600 --> 00:43:00,600 that's absolutely awesome. 804 00:43:02,240 --> 00:43:03,880 There was a few nice stones there 805 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:05,920 but there could be a million dollar pocket 806 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:08,640 right around the corner, you know. Opal's unpredictable. 807 00:43:08,720 --> 00:43:10,400 You don't know where it is. 808 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:12,200 Angel and I have redeemed ourselves 809 00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:14,200 because it's - it's letting us know 810 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:18,120 that we're actually not missing copious amounts of opal. 811 00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:21,000 By the time we finish the mullick heap that we've set aside, 812 00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:22,920 I suspect we're going to have 813 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:26,640 in-between ten and $20,000 worth of extra opal. 814 00:43:26,720 --> 00:43:28,440 Found a shovel laying around, 815 00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:30,360 chucked it on there for a little while, 816 00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:33,320 sterilise it with the heat and then turn her into a fry pan. 817 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:35,200 Hopefully, no one gets food poisoning. 817 00:43:36,305 --> 00:44:36,613