This
is an above-ground view of our mine. The truck at the left carries the generator
which runs the mining machinery. The entrance to the mine is a hole in the ground
near the bottom of the picture, just right of centre. The pale blue contraption
is a 'blower' which sucks opal dirt up from underground and drops it into the
truck on the right.
Peter
climbs down steel ladders to the mine, 65 feet below ground level. Behind his
head is the blower pipe. The corrugated iron collar at the top of the mine shaft
helps to keep the rim of the shaft stable.
Down
to Earth Opals was established as an opal wholesaling business, but it wasn't
long before Peter wanted to try opal mining. For two years he mined without
finding opal.... a familiar story in Lightning Ridge. Black opal is very rare
and hard to find.
Today
- thanks to hard work and persistence - we're finding opal. Here's how.
