"Outback Opal Hunters" Episode #6.4

1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:01,999 . 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:03,839 NARRATOR: On Outback Opal-Hunters... 3 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:05,519 We had the camp nearly collapse. 4 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:08,199 ..dangerous flood damage at Rod's camp... 5 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:13,119 I need to fill that hole in where Amanda turns the solar panel every day. It's not safe for her. 6 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:14,359 Back you come. 7 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,359 ..forces an urgent earth-moving operation from the Bushmen. 8 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,239 There's more up here than down there! 9 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,759 Bayden? We've got too much dirt up top now. 10 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,399 A hazardous build-up of dirt at the entrance to their mine... 11 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:28,399 If the hoist topples over, we're . 12 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:33,879 ..brings the Tunnel Rats' search for precious black opal to a grinding halt... 13 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:37,999 ..while they build a makeshift dump-truck. 14 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,239 If Leesie and I don't find opal soon, 15 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,519 I don't know how long we can stay out here for. 16 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,399 And in Coober Pedy, the Bishop... 17 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:49,519 Whoa! Even when you know they're coming, they still catch you. 18 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:51,759 ..blasts his way towards opal... 19 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:53,439 Look at the size of that. 20 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:55,039 ..for a higher cause. 21 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,919 Whether God wants me to have some opal, it's up to him. 22 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:02,959 # ASH GRUNWALD: Money 23 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:10,074 24 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,999 Gotta be careful or I'll end up down this hole. 25 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:30,199 See, that's what happens. People walk up to these to have a look over the side, 26 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,319 and it gives way on them. 27 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:35,679 There was a shaft here that collapsed, 28 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,479 and all of a sudden there's a bloody great hole in front of us. 29 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,959 There's shafts everywhere that have been filled up a long time ago, 30 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:43,839 so I got no idea where they are. 31 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:48,479 A collapsed mineshaft at Rod and Amanda Manning's bush camp 32 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:51,119 has revealed a dangerous new problem. 33 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,239 Cos all the water down there, it's eating away at the bottom of it 34 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,399 and then just letting go. Letting 'em go. 35 00:01:57,480 --> 00:01:59,119 I don't know what we're gonna do. 36 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,919 We've never had rain like this before. It's never, ever done this. 37 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:07,759 Five months ago, 38 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,199 record-breaking floods hit this area hard. 39 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,999 Water trapped inside the underground mines... 40 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:17,119 ..is still taking its toll. 41 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,199 And the clay here is really, really different. 42 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,039 When the water hits it, it just dissolves. 43 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,439 It just turns to this soupy sludge. 44 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,639 And then you get these big collapses. 45 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,999 Amanda's a little bit nervous about it, and I don't blame her. 46 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,119 That hole that opened up there, that's only, like, 2m away from 47 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,719 where she stands every day turning the solar panels. 48 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,039 I need, for peace of mind, to know what's happening down there, 49 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,239 and I'm not gonna know unless I go down. 50 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,759 I figure this hole here's gonna be the safest. 51 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,199 That hole over there, it's too dangerous to go down. 52 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,839 This one here, all around it's solid ground, 53 00:02:53,920 --> 00:02:56,959 and from here I can see what's happening. 54 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,159 I'll get you to hook me up onto that man-hoist. LES: Yep. 55 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,359 Be careful. I'll be careful. 56 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,399 Les, lower me, mate. 57 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:17,519 Right, stop. 58 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:19,559 Just hold me there. 59 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,719 One of the hazards of going under there after water is 60 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,279 you get down the bottom of the ladder and run out of air. 61 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:32,159 Rising water levels can push concentrated toxic gases up the mine. 62 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,279 Heavier than air, they sit on the surface of the water, 63 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,359 unable to dissipate. 64 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:39,999 I'll take an oxygen monitor with me. 65 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:44,159 Air's not real good down there. My monitor's not going off, so... 66 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,479 I've still got enough to survive. 67 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:50,439 Right, Les, give me a little bit... a little bit of lead. 68 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,319 Keep coming. 69 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,479 She's only got about a foot clearance, maybe. LES: Yeah? 70 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:09,319 The columns are eaten back a fair way. Yep. 71 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,279 And there's a big expanse of water under here. 72 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,959 Right-o, mate, you need to pull me up, I think. Up you come. 73 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:27,799 You all right? 74 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:29,679 Good, you're out. 75 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,039 We definitely need to get something done. 76 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,439 You just can't leave it the way it is. 77 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,839 The only thing I can figure out is fill the things in. 78 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,559 The dirt that we get from mining, we'll just bring it here 79 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,719 and drop it down these holes and get these holes filled up. 80 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,559 It's one more setback 81 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,319 in a difficult season for the Bushmen. 82 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:57,439 Ploughboys just hasn't worked out the way we thought it was gonna, you know? 83 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:59,679 We thought we'd be rich by now. 84 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,399 Mining their Ploughboys claim for a 50% share 85 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,119 with claim-owners Martin and Owen Hutchison 86 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,919 has produced disappointing results. 87 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:10,639 Everything's gone wrong. 88 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,119 The blower's broke down, brand-new blower. 89 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,719 The fan has moved on the shaft. How? 90 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,999 Argh, no! 91 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:20,799 Super-digger's broken down. 92 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:23,919 Whoa! What happened here? 93 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:25,719 Les has broken down. 94 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:27,599 Take your time, mate. 95 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:32,559 All right? Yeah, right, mate. 96 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:34,239 And no opal. 97 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:39,999 The only thing to fix our season total is keep on digging. 98 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,919 And to keep on digging you gotta have the gear, and we keep breaking the bloody stuff. 99 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,359 Just checking the blower. She's getting real dodgy. 100 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,159 I don't know whether we should keep using her or not. 101 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,559 For the last three months 102 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:57,159 the Bushmen have been relying on a 25-year-old blower 103 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,079 to extract their waste dirt 104 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,039 while their brand-new blower gets repaired. 105 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,079 The fan blades are worn that much 106 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,479 that it really is a safety issue now. 107 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,959 To fill up the exposed shaft back at his camp, 108 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,239 Rod wants to use the waste dirt from their mine. 109 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:17,479 But that dirt can only be shifted with a working blower. 110 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:21,359 Just looking at that, I reckon it's . 111 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:25,559 If those things came off, we could kill our next-door neighbours. 112 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:29,959 We can't use this any more, so we need to get that new blower over here right away. 113 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,919 Rod's been assured by the mine-owners 114 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,679 their new blower will be fixed and returned today. 115 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,159 We're not digging, we're not making money, 116 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,559 we're not filling the holes in, we're just... 117 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,959 just wasting time. That's all we're doing, is wasting time. 118 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:04,959 Inch by inch, in the flint-hard ground of their Grawin mine, 119 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:07,039 Bayden Pearse and Leese Grobe 120 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,399 are on the trail of an elusive pocket of opal. 121 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,239 We've pretty much dug all this bench out - 122 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:15,319 this is what we call the "bench", here. 123 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,479 This is what we're mining over. This is the really hard ground. 124 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:20,679 So, we've worked all the way in. 125 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:25,079 Now we're very much underneath where we found some of the opal last time, 126 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,759 so I think we've made fair progress 127 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:31,279 just in using jackhammers. 128 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:36,879 Plenty of activity, which is good. 129 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:38,559 Just potch at the moment. 130 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,919 Potch is opal, but it's opal that's got no colour in it. 131 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,839 It's just a black base. 132 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,799 You need all the little sparklies and that to go in it. 133 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:50,359 When coloured opal forms on a black potch base, 134 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:52,439 it's known as black opal. 135 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,399 Worth up to $43,000 a gram, 136 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,999 it's the most valuable opal in the world. 137 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,119 It looks like it's wanting to try and change, but I think it's still further in. 138 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,879 LEESE: We could be centimetres off finding something big, 139 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,279 and that "something big" could pay for everything. 140 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:16,679 Throwing the jackhammer in, I don't know exactly how much dirt I'm gonna move a day, 141 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,359 but it's not gonna be anything near what I used to move. 142 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:24,439 Eight months ago, authorities closed Bayden's hometown Mintabie, 143 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:27,559 returning the land to its indigenous owners. 144 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:30,479 We could no longer work in Mintabie or live in Mintabie. 145 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,759 The Tunnel Rats could no longer mine their successful claim - 146 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:37,679 and then they suffered another blow. 147 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:39,639 I went up there to collect all my gear 148 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,319 and found all my other mining equipment stolen. 149 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,639 Homeless, without a mine or equipment, 150 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,919 Leese gambled her life savings on a truck and mobile home 151 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,039 fitted out for opal-cutting 152 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,959 to give the couple a second chance. 153 00:08:55,040 --> 00:09:00,199 I've put a lot of money in. We need to find this opal to put it back in the bank. 154 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,079 We're here in Grawin. Made it. High-fives. 155 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:08,439 They've set up again 2,000km away in Grawin, New South Wales. 156 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:10,679 How you going? Good, mate, how are you? 157 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,079 Friend and local miner Craig Mann 158 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:18,999 has agreed to give them a 70% share to work his mine. 159 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,399 As you can see, it's terribly hard. BOTH: Yep. 160 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,639 But beautiful opal is found in hard ground. 161 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:29,439 But without Bayden's heavy equipment, finding opal has never been more difficult. 162 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:31,559 We're pushing for $40,000, 163 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,479 so there's a big gap there to try and fill. 164 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:36,839 We kinda wanted machinery to do the task. 165 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:40,759 We would need the likes of a super-digger and a bogger, which we can't afford. 166 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,999 Leese has invested so much in the business. 167 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:47,559 Like, I've got no other choice but to use jackhammers to work this ground. 168 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:49,679 It might break me before I break it. 169 00:09:50,680 --> 00:09:52,639 Now this has happened. 170 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,239 I was jackhammering underground, sort of on my back, 171 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:57,159 on the side, with my jackhammer, 172 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,239 and it sort of kicked back and hit my teeth. 173 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,559 That's about three grand, 174 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,039 so we'll have to put that on top of the total as well. 175 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,239 That's really pushing things uphill. 176 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,719 So we're living for a miracle, really. 177 00:10:11,560 --> 00:10:14,519 Until they can afford better equipment, 178 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:16,439 Bayden must do the heavy digging 179 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,759 while Leese removes waste dirt into a hoist bucket 180 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,479 which dumps it on the surface. 181 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,359 Bayden? Yeah? 182 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:30,919 Think we've got too much dirt up top now, hon. 183 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:32,799 It's on them posts. I don't like it. 184 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:36,119 So, we've got a big dirt pile happening at the bottom of our hoist. 185 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,319 If that pile gets too big, 186 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,919 it actually starts to push the legs that hold the hoist up. 187 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,559 I don't want pressure there, cos if the hoist topples over, we're . 188 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:50,039 So what are we gonna do? We really need to get that truck moving, hon. OK. 189 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:51,999 You park your truck underneath the hoist 190 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:54,479 and you fill up the back of your truck and drive off. 191 00:10:54,560 --> 00:10:58,599 We have a truck, but unfortunately the truck hasn't been up and going. 192 00:10:58,680 --> 00:11:02,839 How much more dirt can we move until we can't move any more dirt? 193 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,279 No, look, maybe another five or six buckets. 194 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,879 This area here, right next to the ladder, 195 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:23,199 there's two levels of material trace there, very thin... 196 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,759 Yeah, I see them. ..but it could thicken up behind. 197 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,759 Down here, Ivan, is the other part I thought we might do some blasting. 198 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,439 We've found green crystal trace here, 199 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:38,119 and so what I thought is maybe put some bombs in this area 200 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,719 and clean this other rock so we can work this level as well. 201 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:47,559 13km from Australia's opal capital Coober Pedy, 202 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:52,799 opal-miner Greg Scully and his explosives contractor Ivan 203 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,679 are setting up for blasting. 204 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:04,119 Ivan's just doing the drill holes for the bombs. 205 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:07,399 I'm looking forward to today, because this is a really good field. 206 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:11,239 We've got some virgin ground, we got level, we got trace, 207 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,039 so all those combined is as good as you get 208 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,559 before you start putting bombs in. 209 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:20,199 And then it's...it's up to God. 210 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:34,799 My name's Greg Scully. I'm an opal-miner, security officer, 211 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:36,839 and a bishop in the Orthodox Church. 212 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:39,679 Been here for four seasons - 213 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,799 this is my fourth season as an opal-miner. 214 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,919 When I arrived in town I was shown how to opal-mine 215 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,719 by experienced opal-miners. 216 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:50,759 One of my main reasons to be out here 217 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,159 is the solitude of the desert. 218 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,719 It's the spirituality side. 219 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:58,839 If I find opal, I've got plans to do a mission. 220 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:01,919 Coober Pedy is not a religious town in any way. 221 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,199 The people here are like an opal themselves - 222 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,919 they're surrounded by rough stone and rock, 223 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,559 but inside there's a precious gem. 224 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,479 What we have here is a property 225 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:16,879 that I'm hoping to acquire for the mission. 226 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:18,999 It's an abandoned property. 227 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:23,159 I think they might have wanted to build a hotel here in the past, 228 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,039 but then they ran out of money. 229 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:29,919 There's a nice area inside that'll make a beautiful little Orthodox chapel, 230 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,559 and this could be accommodation for people in rehab 231 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,159 on drug and alcohol dependence. 232 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,359 The Bishop has years of experience 233 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:42,639 working for the vulnerable and the homeless on the coast in the city of Brisbane. 234 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:44,919 It was a very successful mission, 235 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,959 and we went from zero to 100 people inside the mission 236 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:50,639 within 12 months. 237 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:54,399 And then I came down here, had the same idea - 238 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:56,999 we needed a community centre. 239 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,519 The Bishop's dream is to help addicts 240 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,239 in and around Coober Pedy. 241 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:07,839 I have a heart for people that are suffering, if they want help. 242 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:09,999 So this is why I opal-mine. 243 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,639 If we hit a good parcel of opal, 244 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,919 then this will be the property that I'll come looking for 245 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,599 for the mission. 246 00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:23,039 He's praying his claim on the Eight Mile Field will deliver. 247 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,719 The opal at Eight Mile is a special opal. 248 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,399 There's beautiful crystal there, red and green crystal. 249 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:31,679 Highly-prized Eight Mile red crystal 250 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:35,679 is worth up to $25,000 a gram. 251 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,399 I'm chasing $100,000-$200,000 to do this, 252 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,359 but I realise that I have to be realistic, 253 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,839 so if we can come up with even $10,000-$20,000 in opal 254 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,879 as a deposit, then I've got a start on this place. 255 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:54,079 There's one other key member in Greg's team. 256 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:58,319 This is Rocko, my opal-mining dog. He's a Great Dane. 257 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:01,239 He's only eight months old. He's a good boy. 258 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:03,959 Very faithful dog. Great with people... 259 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:06,959 ..but a good guard dog at night as well. 260 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:17,359 What we're doing here, Ivan's got all the components for the bombs. He's putting them together. 261 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:21,639 He's got special tools to do it with that doesn't create static electricity or sparks. 262 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,039 You've prepared these. What are these? Newspaper? 263 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:42,879 So, Ivan's now cut the safety cords. 264 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:45,599 Ivan's been doing this for 47 years 265 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,199 and he's got all his fingers, so he knows what he's doing. Yeah. 266 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,599 What Ivan's doing is connecting the detonators to the bombs, 267 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:57,999 so from this point, once that detonator is taped to the Cordtex, that's a live bomb. 268 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,319 Ready to blow some stuff up, eh? 269 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:13,479 Soon as you get a bit of trace that looks good, 270 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,079 it just disappears. 271 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,839 Unable to move dirt to fill a dangerous mineshaft 272 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,479 until their new blower is repaired, 273 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,599 Rod Manning is searching for opal by hand, 274 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,679 desperate for any cash they can get. 275 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:33,639 When you break it up over the months that we've been here, we wouldn't have even made wages. 276 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:35,839 We'd be well and truly under the poverty line. 277 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,359 And now we've got to get the new blower set up. 278 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:40,199 Les is in the drive next door. 279 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:44,279 He's cleaning out the hole so that we can drop the blower pipes down it. 280 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:47,799 LES: This is an old exploratory hole. 281 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,439 If I can clean that out, we can stick the blower pipes down here 282 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:53,919 and dig through there. 283 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,079 We're hoping to get that new blower back today. 284 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:01,159 Keen to start work as soon as their new blower arrives, 285 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:05,919 Les has over 10m of backfilled dirt above him to chip away 286 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,959 to create access for the blower pipes. 287 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,479 I'll go down the other drive where Les is cleaning that hole out 288 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:14,759 and I'll clean around the hole for him. 289 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:18,119 You finished? No! Probably about ten feet. 290 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,079 Just gotta grind a bit away, that's all. 291 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:23,999 To function properly, 292 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:28,879 the blower pipe will need to rest squarely on flat ground under the hole. 293 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,319 Watch yourself, Les. I'm coming across. 294 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,919 Where we are at the moment, we're following a big fault through on the roof. 295 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,559 So, the roof is a bit unstable, 296 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,759 hence the big blow-up. I thought I'd broke my finger there. 297 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:53,399 Keep an eye out for colour up there, Les. 298 00:17:55,640 --> 00:18:00,559 Rod may just be clearing space for a pipe, but in an opal mine... 299 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:01,799 Whoa! 300 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:03,119 ..any digging... 301 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,039 That's nice. 302 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:07,079 ..comes with possibility. 303 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,399 Yeah, we've got a little bit of nice colour. 304 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:13,159 It's looking all right. Les is just under-cutting it all now. 305 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,839 Arms getting sore, Les? They're getting a bit heavy. 306 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,599 Whoa. Look, look, look, look. 307 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:26,239 Cor, Les. Jesus, that's a nice stone. 308 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,319 We're in for some cheese. 309 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,519 Just 8km away, to the northeast... 310 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:41,399 A bit that size... 311 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,599 ..Bayden has downed tools to find a solution 312 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:48,279 to a dangerous build-up of waste dirt around his mine. 313 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:50,959 Think that one might be a bit too big. 314 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:55,599 As the Tunnel Rats re-establish themselves after a run of bad luck, 315 00:18:55,680 --> 00:19:00,399 old friend Murray "Muz" Cantwell is letting them camp at his property, 316 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,239 with free access to his scrapheap. 317 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:08,159 In Muz's camp, he's got plenty of stuff like steel and old stuff lying on the ground, 318 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:12,199 so if we can use that steel, then that'll save us money. 319 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:14,959 I think this one's perfect. 320 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,799 I reckon we'll use a bit of bush mechanics and make this work. 321 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,479 Bayden's plan is to modify their truck, 322 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,359 normally used to tow their mobile home, 323 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,319 into one that can carry dirt. 324 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:29,159 There's a little hole at the back 325 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:31,719 where the little hitch connects up to the trailer. 326 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:36,079 I want to cover that over, and I also need to pin the sides up, as well, 327 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:38,239 to make it so it can hold the load. 328 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:40,919 So, what I'll do now is I'll head into Lightning Ridge 329 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,319 and get a little bit more steel for the back tray. 330 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:46,719 It's a 70km trip into town, 331 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:48,759 costing time and diesel, 332 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,399 which is eating into the last of their cash. 333 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,759 If Leesie and I don't find opal soon, 334 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:55,839 I don't know how long we can stay out here for. 335 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,239 We need to find opal so badly, 336 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,239 and the only way to do that is to get this stuff out of the ground. 337 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:03,559 But with their mining stalled, 338 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:08,359 Leese has come up with another idea to help keep them afloat. 339 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:10,799 I'm just putting together some stones 340 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:12,639 that I'm going to auction off. 341 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,479 The market I'm diving into with these sort of things 342 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:17,479 is the hobbyist collector 343 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:22,119 and just in general the people that can't afford the $1,000 material. 344 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:27,639 Sell it online, I could get, maybe, $150 for the whole little parcel. 345 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,799 Leesie's brought something new to the table, 346 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,159 cutting the lower-grade material which I'd throw on the ground. 347 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:35,479 So it's good for us. 348 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,039 Bayden's actually been quite shocked 349 00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:40,919 with how well I've done with selling material. 350 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,279 But, yeah, if that pays for the week's fuel, 351 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:46,759 then job's right. And that's done. 352 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:50,959 This is what I've bought from Lightning Ridge. 353 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:56,039 Now I've got it on the ground, I'll get the angle grinder and measure it all up. 354 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,479 I think she might go. Like a glove. 355 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:13,639 Now hopefully I can get these pinned in place. 356 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:22,559 That'll do. 357 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:27,119 Well, it's good Bayden's getting in and doing some welding on our truck, 358 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:31,159 because this means that we can get back to digging and get back to moving dirt, 359 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,039 and that's the most important thing. 360 00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:35,519 Good job. That'll work. 361 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,199 THE BISHOP: Bombs are used for, mainly, moving dead rock. 362 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,399 You don't want to blow opal and you don't want to blow the level. 363 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:55,079 In search of an unmined level of opal-bearing dirt, 364 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:58,759 the Bishop and his explosives contractor Ivan 365 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,879 are close to detonating 24kg of explosives. 366 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:06,199 I'm what's called a pillar-basher, 367 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:10,519 which is, I guess, the most inexpensive form of opal-mining. 368 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:12,679 You use hand tools 369 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,839 and you go down into the cuts of former mines 370 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:18,919 and you look for trace. 371 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:20,879 For a pillar-basher, 372 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,199 using an explosives expert is very cost-effective 373 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,479 compared to heavy machinery. 374 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,599 The Bishop's Eight Mile lease 375 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,279 is 100m by 50m. 376 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:35,679 He's targeting two different areas for blasting. 377 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,279 The reason I want to work this area 378 00:22:38,360 --> 00:22:40,399 is because this is an open cut 379 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:45,119 and a bulldozer-driver spent months moving thousands of tons of rock 380 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:47,119 to get down to this level. 381 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:48,999 Now, he had to push his ramp 382 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:51,039 on a part of his claim that he couldn't dig, 383 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:53,039 and that's where we're standing right now. 384 00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:56,919 When a bulldozer creates an open cut, 385 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,959 it must push waste dirt up the other side, 386 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:03,479 leaving virgin ground under the pushed heap. 387 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:06,439 The solid ground here that has not been 'dozered 388 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:11,079 is right above this level that's dropping at our feet. 389 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,999 The other blast site is a section of wall 390 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,079 on the side of the cut. 391 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,119 All right, Ivan, let her go! 392 00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:24,599 It'd be a blessing if we found material, some opal. 393 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:28,479 Whether God wants me to have money and do a mission here, it's up to him. 394 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:30,999 Let's go. 395 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:33,039 All ready to go, Ivan? Yeah. 396 00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:35,319 Whoa! There we go. Number one. 397 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,599 That caught me by surprise, that one. 398 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:42,359 Oh! Two. Three. Even when you know they're coming, they still catch you. 399 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,079 That's the lot. 400 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,799 ROD: Little patch there is looking beautiful. 401 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,399 It's cheesy. 402 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:11,999 All we were doing was trying to clean out behind this hole here 403 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,479 so we could put the blower pipe down, and, er, 404 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,639 I think we've struck a little bit of a pocket. 405 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:20,639 NARRATOR: In a rare stroke of luck, the Bushmen have hit opal 406 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,319 while clearing access for blower pipes. 407 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:25,599 Keep going, mate. 408 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:30,359 That's moving it. That's... Hang on, hold on, mate. 409 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,359 This is gonna tell the tale. 410 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,439 Oh-ho-ho. 411 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,879 It's hard to see, but I'm pretty sure this is good stone. 412 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:44,199 We've just hit a little bit of a pocket in there, and it's quite nice. 413 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:47,199 It's a bit hard to tell because they're all coated. 414 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,919 I think we might stick her in the tumbler, clean her up, 415 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:51,759 and just see what we got. 416 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:55,199 But with their new blower due to arrive today, 417 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:59,359 their first priority is to create a hole for its suction pipes. 418 00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:02,839 Rod needs the blower to shift dirt 419 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,119 to fill in a dangerous collapsed shaft back at his camp. 420 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,399 We got a big pile of dirt down here you couldn't jump a horse over. 421 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,279 Without the new blower to clean it out, 422 00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:14,079 the digger can't go any further forward. She's jammed. 423 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:17,999 Our Les is cleaning out that exploratory hole 424 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:19,919 that we want to drop the pipes down, 425 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,639 and I'm just trying to figure out where he'll be. 426 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:28,199 It's got to be in this area here somewhere, I reckon. 427 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,559 Yeah, I can hear him. Somewhere here. 428 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:41,519 There. See it? 429 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,079 Some of them rocks are coming down now... 430 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:47,799 Wa-hey! 431 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:51,039 Oi! What are you doing? 432 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:56,439 Good on you, Les. You get Employee of the Month award. 433 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:59,799 Now we'll clean it from the top down to make it wider. 434 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:05,879 The old exploration drill hole is 33cm wide. 435 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:11,119 It's now ready to install the new blower's 27cm suction pipes. 436 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:15,519 I'm gonna give him a ring, Les. See how far out they are, right? Right. 437 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:19,359 But the new blower still hasn't arrived. 438 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,959 Yeah, no worries. All right, see you. 439 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:25,839 Worked pretty late last night to get it ready to bring over. 440 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:29,119 We're at a standstill. We can't do anything until it turns up. 441 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:33,799 Oh, I can see a bit of movement, Les. 442 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,479 Yeah. Yes. It's coming. 443 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:40,079 Jeez, that's a good sight, seeing that roll in. , yeah. 444 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,199 We can get digging again. 445 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:45,879 How you going, Owen? Glad to see this roll up, I can tell you. 446 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:48,559 This new blower's going to be so good. 447 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,959 We've got the new hole down so it's right at our face. 448 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:55,199 Everything's going really good for a change. 449 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,119 All hooked up and ready to go. Suck a bit of dirt. 450 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,639 This thing'll make a huge difference, you know, 451 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,359 cos we had to the old blower so much. 452 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,799 We weren't feeding the dirt in real quick, but now with this thing 453 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,599 I reckon we'll get an extra truck-load out. 454 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:13,879 It all seems pretty good now. 455 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:16,919 Back in business, back shifting dirt, 456 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,679 back finding opal. 457 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:27,239 That's not sucking. 458 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:30,159 I'll go up and have a look, all right? Right-o, yeah. 459 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:42,559 Jesus Christ. 460 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:44,639 It's not sucking. 461 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:46,359 The motor's stopped. It won't go. 462 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:48,399 I'll go under and just check... 463 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:51,159 We've got no backup. This is it. 464 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,399 If this...If this doesn't go... 465 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,399 ..I don't know. 466 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:00,679 Cos this is it, and we're... You know... 467 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:03,279 We had the camp nearly collapse. 468 00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:05,239 We had the digger break down. 469 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:07,559 We had the old blower break down. 470 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:12,199 We brought the new blower over that we broke last time, and it broke down. 471 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,439 You know, you just don't get a crack at anything. 472 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,799 All right. What have we got here? 473 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:32,599 Oh, eating flies, yeah. Flying raisins. 474 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:37,839 In the fly-infested desert surrounding Coober Pedy, 475 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:41,919 the Bishop - Greg - and explosives expert Ivan 476 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,359 are ready to inspect the results of their bomb blasts. 477 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:49,719 Looks to me like there's been about 3-4 tons of rock been moved. 478 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:53,879 That would be a month's work with a jack-pick, so I'm very happy. 479 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:57,239 I see colour here, very good. I can see it from here, Ivan. 480 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:01,279 It's... That's opal. It's opal sitting in the cut here. 481 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:09,599 Here. Oh, that's a good piece. 482 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,439 There's good colour up at the top. 483 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:16,879 Wow. Hey-hey! 484 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,279 Look at the size of that. Look at the thickness. 485 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:21,879 Thicker than my thumb. 486 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:24,119 That's the biggest piece I've held in one piece. 487 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,759 It's great stuff. One more. Oh, there's more. 488 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:29,079 There's more opal, eh? 489 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:32,559 Oh, man, look at that. That's got a beautiful bar of colour. 490 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:37,559 A lot of the tourists, they ask for blue. 491 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:41,639 Though electric blue is the lowest on the scale of opal, 492 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:43,719 it's still opal, and it's still beautiful. 493 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:48,279 It's a very good sign, and it gives us an area to follow through. 494 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:52,279 Let's hope it forms into green crystal, 495 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,119 and that's what Eight Mile is known for, the red and green. 496 00:29:55,200 --> 00:30:00,479 Electric-blue opal is worth only about $2/gram in the rough, 497 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:04,719 but if it leads to sought-after Eight Mile red crystal, 498 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:07,079 worth over 10,000 times more, 499 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:11,159 the Bishop could be digging up enough to start his mission. 500 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,559 For the mission in town, we need to hit a nice pocket of good Eight Mile opal 501 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,199 to fund that, or we won't even get a start. 502 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:20,839 With Ivan's job done, 503 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,319 the Bishop can now check the second blast site. 504 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:27,119 We'd started a drive here. We only went in about 2ft. 505 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,039 Ivan's taken it through to 2m or 3m with his bombs. 506 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:35,399 I'll get in here and explore it with the black light. 507 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:38,279 We use a special UV light 508 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:42,319 which is set at 365 nanometres - it has to be 365 - 509 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,359 and it picks up the opal and it glows blue. 510 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:50,159 The light's wavelength of 365nm 511 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:54,039 is the optimum frequency to make opal fluoresce. 512 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:58,719 Oh, yeah, there's a really good line right here. 513 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,559 Oh, there's another one. 514 00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:03,999 Oh, that's nice and thick, actually. 515 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:08,839 Ah, yeah. 516 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,759 So, I'll chip away at them, see how we go. 517 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:16,799 You don't normally work 518 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,199 in such an uncomfortable position for a long time. 519 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:24,759 If you've got enough opal here, which we appear to have, 520 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:27,599 we will open the drive up so we can actually walk in. 521 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:32,239 It will take days for the Bishop to expand the tunnel enough 522 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:34,519 to extract all the opal... 523 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:36,439 So, I've done all I can do for the moment. 524 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:39,159 I'll collect the chips that have fallen onto the mat 525 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:41,919 and we'll just see what we're dealing with. 526 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:46,479 ..but he has pulled out enough to assess the opal grade, 527 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:48,839 and maybe even make some money. 528 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,639 We'll go home and we'll tumble this up, Rock, 529 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:54,839 see if we've got any colour, buy you some dog food. 530 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:03,679 Yeah, I'll just turn the truck this way 531 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:06,119 and you can come up on the side and dump in. 532 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,199 Right? Yeah. We're back in business, mate. 533 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:12,719 Very thankful I got this done. If I didn't, I wouldn't be moving this dirt. 534 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:14,999 Bayden's "bush mechanics" 535 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:20,519 have successfully converted the truck that normally tows their mobile home into a dump truck. 536 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:23,879 The Tunnel Rats can now clear the waste dirt 537 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:25,719 that stopped them mining. 538 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:28,959 I've managed to find a little loader to borrow. 539 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:32,839 If we can get this dirt away, we can get back on the ground and get digging. 540 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,159 Well, honey, the truck is now full... Yep. 541 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:40,839 ..so I'll take that straight up to the dump. 542 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:46,679 It's a ten-minute drive to the community waste-dirt dump 543 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,239 set up for Grawin miners. 544 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,079 We'll dump this load now and then head back to the claim 545 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:56,799 and move in and get back underground and find some opal. 546 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:20,039 We're starting to get into a bit of black potch now. 547 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,759 All that has to do is turn into colour. 548 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:25,159 This is the normal stuff that you get 549 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:28,559 before, you know, you start finding some opal. 550 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:30,399 No money in it, unfortunately. 551 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:33,519 Opal formed millions of years ago 552 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:37,079 when an ancient inland sea drained into cracks, 553 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:40,719 trapping silica-rich water above impervious rock. 554 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:46,639 Over time, the water hardened, and the silica inside formed opal. 555 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:50,359 How's it looking up there, hon? I'm getting black potch, but no colour. 556 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:52,759 I still want to see what's there. 557 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,479 It's been hard going. We did find opal here, but... 558 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:02,999 ..it's very, very hard at the moment, just not much happening, so... 559 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:06,919 ..I might have to rethink my strategies, I think. 560 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:13,199 NARRATOR: 8km southwest from the Tunnel Rats... 561 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:17,079 It's starving of fuel somewhere, or getting air, or some freakin' thing. 562 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,599 ..the Bushmen have hit problems 563 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,999 just minutes after the return of their new blower. 564 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:25,439 Just hit the key again, mate. 565 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:29,839 It seems all right to me. 566 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:33,199 It sucked a bit of air. We tightened up the fitting and she's going now. 567 00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:37,279 An air bubble had blocked the fuel line. 568 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:39,039 It just got to me a bit. 569 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:42,719 I spat my dummy in the dirt and kicked it around for a while. 570 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,399 When you settled down, it wasn't that big a deal. 571 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:49,159 Finally the Bushmen can start extracting 572 00:34:49,240 --> 00:34:51,479 the 20 tonnes of white dirt they need 573 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,959 to fill in the collapsed shaft at Rod's camp. 574 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:57,279 I need some dirt to fill that hole in 575 00:34:57,360 --> 00:34:59,439 where Amanda turns the solar panel every day. 576 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:02,279 It's not safe for her. Need to fill that in. 577 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:08,319 We got a load. First load with the new blower. 578 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:10,039 See you at home, Les. 579 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:21,719 Back you come, straight back. 580 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:23,559 Left hand down. 581 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:26,399 That'll do you. 582 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:35,359 That's in. How did we go, Les? 583 00:35:36,720 --> 00:35:40,679 There's more up here than down there, Les. Nah. Yeah. 584 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:45,119 Jeez, I don't know, Les. Nowhere near the hole. 585 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:49,359 Well, it is, for you to shovel in. Yeah, that'd be right. 586 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:55,239 Was a bit of a balls-up at the start, 587 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,439 but we got there and we got what we wanted to do done. 588 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:00,159 The hole's full. 589 00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:01,879 That's it, Les, job done. 590 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:07,879 While they've been filling the hole, Rod's tumbler filled with water 591 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:11,439 has finished washing the hard clay off their opal find. 592 00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:15,599 This might have washed up all right, Les. Oh, OK. 593 00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:20,879 That's nice and flashy. 594 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:23,559 Trouble is it's gonna be hard to cut. Yeah. 595 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:26,159 You'll get stones out of it, but it's gonna be hard. 596 00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:29,239 Their opal is seam crystal, 597 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:31,319 predominantly greens and purples. 598 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,239 It's in the rough and weighs 300g. 599 00:36:37,240 --> 00:36:40,999 Eight grand, I reckon. Yeah, I'd be happy with eight. 600 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:44,799 Eight it is. You never know what next week's gonna pull out. 601 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:46,959 I know what it's gonna pull out. 602 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:49,279 Next week, gonna be millionaires. 603 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:51,799 That's what we keep on saying. 604 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:56,439 With 50% going to their business partners, 605 00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:59,719 the Bushmen are left with $4,000. 606 00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:04,399 Well, mate, why don't we go and have a couple of snags on the barbie 607 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,639 and a beer? That sounds bloody good. 608 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:11,799 It's knocked a little bit off the season target, but not a lot, 609 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:14,719 cos by the time you split it, it doesn't leave a lot. 610 00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:17,919 Oh, I think things will change. 611 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:20,719 Maybe not right away, but I think they will change. 612 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:23,079 There's a pocket there waiting for us. 613 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:26,679 One day we'll head in that right direction and there it'll be, waiting for us. 614 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:28,359 Cheers. 615 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,039 BAYDEN: We've put in so much hard work in here. 616 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:39,039 You know, we're so far off our season target. 617 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,399 It's just moving the dirt, so... 618 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:43,599 I've just got to put in the hard yards. 619 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:47,399 The Tunnel Rats are trying to scratch together enough money 620 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:50,319 to buy some bigger mining machines, 621 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:52,759 but days of back-breaking work 622 00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:57,359 has provided nothing but worthless opal known as "potch". 623 00:37:57,440 --> 00:37:59,679 You see the potch trying to change. 624 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:03,599 We're just starting to get little flecks of colour, nothing too fantastic. 625 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:10,439 Just starting to get this really nice purple-blue. 626 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:16,159 LEESE: There's still more up there, a little bit. 627 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:23,599 It's still there. Still there. You're going through something there. I could hear it. 628 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:30,759 Ooh! That's a lot prettier. 629 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:33,839 Oh, that's gorgeous. 630 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:36,959 It's... Like, it's not massive. 631 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:39,199 A lot of people would probably throw that out 632 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:41,559 because it's more like potch in colour, 633 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:44,039 but you cut a nice little stone out of it, 634 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:47,719 that'd look quite cute in a ring or in a pendant. 635 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:51,119 So it's always worth investigating these sort of things. 636 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:54,879 Why don't we just have a look at what we got? 637 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:03,919 So, what have we got, Leesie? Have we got anything that's really worth cutting? 638 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:08,639 There's one or two there might be actual solid, nice stones. 639 00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:11,679 And that one will be a nice stone, that purple one. 640 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:15,839 As a rough estimate, what do you reckon you can cut out of it? 641 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:23,719 Oh, a good 400 bucks. Eh? 642 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:27,879 You know what? Back in the day I would have tossed that out. 643 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:29,839 Straight to the dump. "See you later." 644 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:34,439 No, if you can turn that into 400 bucks, awesome. Yeah. 645 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:39,119 The Tunnel Rats have found low-grade seam opal. 646 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:42,239 It shows blue, green, and purple. 647 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:44,399 It will be cut and polished, 648 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:47,439 and should sell for $400. 649 00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:50,199 We really need to find some more opal. 650 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:53,719 I'd love to find $10,000 just to really kick us off. 651 00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:56,159 Yeah, just trying to keep our hopes up. 652 00:39:56,240 --> 00:39:59,359 We're on jackhammers. Our costs are low. 653 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,719 And you could be centimetres off finding the big one, 654 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:06,679 so you just want to keep going no matter how much you hurt. 655 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:10,039 It just could be one pick away and you're there. 656 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:27,919 You crazy dog. You've got water over there. 657 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:32,479 In Coober Pedy, the Bishop has washed his opal 658 00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:35,439 and is ready to have it evaluated. 659 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:39,079 So, what I'll do is I'll jar her up now and we'll see what we've got, 660 00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:41,919 and then we'll go and we'll see if we can sell it, eh? 661 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:45,919 A deposit on land for a mission and rehab centre 662 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,839 is riding on any money he can make from opal this season. 663 00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:53,839 I called Ivan. He's one of the people that also buys. 664 00:40:54,920 --> 00:41:00,039 Explosives expert Ivan is also an opal-trader. 665 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:03,879 Hey, Ivan, how you going? I got this opal from yesterday... 666 00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:07,679 Yeah. ..and some extra opal that you haven't seen yet, that are chips. 667 00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:11,439 All right. 668 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:13,679 The Bishop has mostly electric-blue opal, 669 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:16,759 alongside a parcel of coloured crystal pieces. 670 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:21,839 It's in the rough. It weighs 185g, or 6.5oz. 671 00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:24,359 So, Ivan, the pieces that we pulled out of the wall 672 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,239 that's electric blue, I was looking for $60 an ounce. 673 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:32,239 I think they're worth that. Mm. 674 00:41:36,040 --> 00:41:38,759 $45? Yeah. That's a bit tight. 675 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:41,759 How about...? Can you do $50 an ounce? 676 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:44,759 OK. Thank you. 677 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:49,839 Well, I've got this jar of chips and small stones. 678 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:52,799 I was looking at $400 for that lot. 679 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:01,239 Can you do $320? 680 00:42:04,080 --> 00:42:07,679 Well, $300 is it, if that's all you can go. 681 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:10,959 How much is that? Er... 682 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,079 OK. 683 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:18,359 $625. 684 00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:20,879 $625. OK? It's a deal. 685 00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:22,639 Twenty... 686 00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:26,839 Don't worry about the $5. Leave the $5. Good? 687 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:28,959 Yeah, it's all right. OK, thank you. 688 00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:31,639 Thank you, Ivan. No worries. All the best. 689 00:42:31,720 --> 00:42:34,519 I'll see you when I have some more, all right? Yeah, good. 690 00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:39,119 We were able to sell $620 worth of opal. 691 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:41,839 That'll fund us with petrol and the costs, 692 00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:45,199 and we'll look for some more opal, eh? 693 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:48,439 Sometimes I come up here and have a look around, 694 00:42:48,520 --> 00:42:51,039 just to remind myself on what I'm planning to do, 695 00:42:51,120 --> 00:42:53,759 to get some inspiration. 696 00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:58,719 I'm looking to dedicate the rest of my life to establishing this, 697 00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:01,159 and I'm prepared for the next 20 years 698 00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:03,159 to work towards that, 699 00:43:03,240 --> 00:43:07,959 or, if we get a good pocket of opal, to see it done quickly. 700 00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:10,439 Rocko, have a look. Look. 701 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:14,039 Look what we got today, eh? It's the first step, mate, eh? 702 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:16,919 We sold some opal. We gotta go and find some more. 703 00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:19,679 Eh? 704 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:23,999 subtitles by Deluxe 705 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:42,199 # Money 706 00:43:45,560 --> 00:43:47,879 # Money # 706 00:43:48,305 --> 00:44:48,464 Support us and become VIP member to remove all ads from www.OpenSubtitles.org