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00:00My name's Mike Rowe.
00:02This is my job.
00:06I've made a mess in all 50 states.
00:08A big one.
00:09Now, I'm packing my bags for Australia.
00:12Land of kangaroos.
00:13Look at me. I'm over here.
00:14And didgeridoos.
00:17But I'll be doing more than cuddling koalas.
00:20Oh, her bum is soaking wet.
00:22I'll be getting dirty down under.
00:26I'm still trying to get my head around what I just saw.
00:31Coming up on Dirty Jobs Down Under.
00:34Australia.
00:34It's a big country.
00:35But somewhere in the middle of nowhere,
00:37a fortune is waiting to be found.
00:39That's Opal.
00:40Opal is not easy to find.
00:41And not much fun to look for.
00:43But if you can't get lucky in a deep shaft.
00:45Oh, man.
00:46Try your luck with a smaller hole
00:48at one of the most unique golf courses on the planet.
00:51In this town, whether it be pleasure.
00:54Oh, look at that.
00:55Or pain.
00:57The flies get the last laugh.
00:59Ugh.
00:59Geez, that was a big bastard.
01:01Got it.
01:01I got one in there, too.
01:10If you look at a map of Australia,
01:11a whole continent,
01:12and somebody tells you you're going from Adelaide to Coober Pedy,
01:15you would look at the map, and you would find Adelaide,
01:17and you would find Coober Pedy.
01:18So you'd look for a scale on a map.
01:20So this is like a hundred kilometers.
01:23This much.
01:23And then you start doing this.
01:24Huh.
01:25Huh.
01:26Hey.
01:27Huh.
01:28Huh.
01:29Huh.
01:29Huh.
01:30See, Coober Pedy's up here,
01:31just north of what we call the Woomerera prohibited area.
01:35We'll be driving right through that.
01:37So today, we're going to start down here,
01:39east side, port of Gulf of St. Vincent,
01:42and drive for approximately a hundred years to Coober Pedy.
01:47Looks like it's in the middle of the continent.
01:48It's just up the road a piece.
01:51South Australia, north of Adelaide, 10-hour drive.
01:53Want to come?
01:54This road to Coober Pedy.
02:03So it's a helpful thing they do here in Australia,
02:05as you're driving down the highway,
02:06just to let you know where the prior fatalities and accidents have occurred.
02:12They're all over the place.
02:14Australia is an island.
02:16It's also a continent.
02:17That makes it an island continent.
02:19A big one.
02:20And today, we're headed to the middle of Australia's nowhere.
02:25Our ultimate destination is known as the opal capital of the world,
02:29Coober Pedy.
02:3351% of all the opal in the world comes from this place.
02:37Miners dig up over two tons of these precious gems every year.
02:42Seems like there should be plenty left for me,
02:45assuming we survived the 12-hour drive to get there.
02:48The roads to Coober Pedy is long and straight and full of dead things.
02:51The government here in Australia would like to do all they can to make sure you're not among the fatalities,
02:56so every couple of miles you'll see little helpful reminders like this,
03:01designed to keep you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
03:03Or, let's scare the hell out of you.
03:07We've all taken road trips before.
03:09Some are fun, some are boring, and some are downright dangerous.
03:13Well, the road to Coober Pedy was sort of fun, really long, and very dangerous.
03:18Why?
03:20537 kilometers, huh?
03:23Because this 3,000-mile stretch of Australia's deadliest highway pretty much looks like this.
03:28Two lanes of endless, hellish blacktop that'll put you to sleep faster than a fistful of Ambien.
03:34And according to authorities on the road to Coober Pedy, if you fall asleep, you'll never wake up.
03:41On the road to Coober Pedy, you find inspirational signs like these as well.
03:45All along the highway are various markers of various colors.
03:49You see lots of white ones, which are simply there to reflect back at night to keep you safe.
03:54But you'll also see some red ones, which indicate marks in areas where people have been seriously injured,
04:00and black ones, of course, where people have died.
04:02Constant reminders of impending doom on the road to Coober Pedy.
04:08If it were a song, it would go like this.
04:11On the road to Coober Pedy, you got time to contemplate
04:15The accidents and injuries across this endless state
04:18If you're jacked up in a car wreck, then your marker's painted red
04:22That's not as bad as painted black, you're dead
04:26On the road to Coober Pedy, there are a thousand ways to die
04:31People pass the time in different ways when they're hopelessly trapped inside a moving vehicle.
04:35Some like to play the license plate game.
04:37I like to write songs.
04:38I'm not very good at it, but when the inspiration is everywhere,
04:41you've got to let the art just wash over you.
04:44On the road to Coober Pedy, there are a thousand ways to die
04:47You can fall asleep just counting sheep and never wonder why
04:51And if you chose to cross the road, I'll tell you this right now
04:55Please look twice, especially if you're a cow
05:00On the road to Coober Pedy
05:03I don't have any government studies to back this up, but it seems to me that roadkill, strategically placed,
05:09is a far more effective motivator to stay focused on all the signs and markers in the world
05:13And as you can imagine on the road to Coober Pedy, the roadkill is... exotic
05:18Of all God's creatures great and small, the kangaroo's unique
05:21They hop around from town to town upon their great big feet
05:25They live for years without a fear because they're super speedy
05:29Unless that is, they pause upon the road to Coober Pedy
05:33On the road to Coober Pedy, there are a thousand ways to die
05:39Of course, like any self-respecting road trip, a leisurely drive on the road to Coober Pedy wouldn't be complete
05:45without a rest stop
05:46Unfortunately, there are no proper rest stops on the road to Coober Pedy, only death
05:51On the road to Coober Pedy, you will need to take a break
05:54But laboratories can't be found, of that there's no mistake
05:58So when your teeth are floating and your bladder is afire
06:01Just hop out and pee upon the tire
06:05On the road to Coober Pedy
06:08By the ninth hour on the road to Coober Pedy, you find yourself working through Cooper Ross's five stages of
06:13grief
06:14Then somewhere between depression and acceptance, you encounter something that wasn't in the triple-A manual
06:20Something hideous
06:22On the road to Coober Pedy, you know you're getting closer when the flies come out of nowhere and cover
06:29you
06:29And attempt to suck your blood and fly up into your nose
06:32Infecting your entire head with the smell of the rotting flesh that they were most recently sitting upon
06:41Being a former Boy Scout, I like to be prepared
06:44So, I'd like to tell you that I brought this to Australia with me
06:48I didn't
06:49Marlene here was in Australia not too long ago
06:52She remembered and she brought it
06:53And being larger and stronger and faster than Marlene, I simply took it from her
06:57Thank you, good work
06:5824 kilometers to Coober Pedy and Opal Mining
07:01The last 24 miles, or kilometers, or whatever the heck it is
07:05Is always the hardest
07:11Eventually, we made it to Coober Pedy
07:13A town of less than 2,000 people that exist today for one reason
07:17Opal
07:18For decades, people have come here to strike it rich
07:21They still do
07:22Most will fail
07:24Miserably
07:25But
07:25One in ten
07:26Will prosper
07:27And those are much better odds than I'm accustomed to
07:33As soon as we arrived, I went to apply for my Opal Mining permit
07:37Just need another signature
07:38Mm-hmm
07:39Ten minutes later, I had it
07:41Opal mining in Coober Pedy is a bit like the gold rush was back in California
07:45Only hotter and harder and a lot more dangerous
07:48It's official
07:49I am now duly accredited to begin opal mining
07:54Troy, I do want to share one thing with you based on our past experience you'll notice here
07:58That's the cameraman backing up into a deep shaft
08:03Okay?
08:04I want you to be especially careful not to do that
08:06You too, Doug
08:11To get another perspective on this vast desert
08:13I found a local pilot to show me around
08:17Turns out the middle of nowhere looks pretty much the same at 500 feet
08:21I think it's downtown
08:22I think it's downtown
08:24I think we can get a touch
08:24Right
08:25And uh...
08:26I think...
08:27Over there
08:27We can localize the bar
08:30This looks like uh...
08:33Great ground hallway
08:34You see?
08:36And just to get a sense of how desolate and remote this mining town really can be for any prospector
08:41The pilot thought it might be useful for me to scroll around alone
08:48Note to self
08:49Pilots are not directors
08:52So I've been walking for maybe 15 minutes
08:56Maybe...
08:57Maybe a little more
08:59I could walk for 15 hours
09:01I could walk for 15 days
09:03I could walk until I can't walk anymore
09:06Which wouldn't be 15 days
09:07I doubt if it'd be 15 hours
09:09I'm suddenly overcome with thirst
09:12Dently it...
09:13Lies
09:14Lies!
09:17Uh...
09:18I guess if I were, you know, a survival expert
09:19I would...
09:20I would take a minute to say
09:21You know, okay, here's something
09:23Or, you know, here's a way to make shelter
09:25But I...
09:26There's just nothing
09:27There's nothing to work with
09:29All you could do is probably find one of these holes
09:32Maybe end the whole thing a little faster
09:33I... I... I don't know
09:45I'm listening to the sound of a helicopter
09:48I'm listening to the sound of a helicopter
09:49But all I hear
09:51Are the sound of flies
10:00I've only been out here 20 minutes
10:01I've only been out here 20 minutes and that's about the best thing I've seen
10:04Can you imagine really being rescued for real?
10:06Oh
10:08Oh
10:09It's supposed to be a very specific
10:11And a fortunate way to go
10:13Yeah
10:16Oh
10:17Australians have been pressing their luck in Coober Pedy since 1916
10:20Back when Opal was first discovered
10:22No matter how rough, dirty, and deadly the terrain, they keep coming
10:26And today you can still see the results of their efforts
10:28Massive machines, mounds of earth, and thousands of holes
10:32Deep and dark and forever abandoned
10:34Only one of every 200 exploratory shafts will pay off
10:39But the land is endless
10:40And so are the chances of hitting Opal
10:42If you're willing to get a little dirty
10:44Luckily, I've found just the guys that can help
10:49Coming up
10:50And I'm in the hole
10:51Oh, s***
10:52Where there are holes
10:54Oh
10:54There are hazards
10:57Ah!
10:58This...
11:05Alright, let me tell you what I know
11:06I know that this is John and this is Paul
11:08And we are at an Opal mine in Coober Pedy
11:12Beyond that, John, you can fill a book with what I don't know
11:16Don't worry, you're going to learn a lot today
11:18The first thing we're going to do is we're going to start this shaft
11:23The shaft, so we're going to dig a hole straight down?
11:25That's it
11:25So are you basically prospecting?
11:27Yep, looking for Opals
11:27Why Opals?
11:29Why do you care?
11:29Why do people want them?
11:31Opal mining is probably the toughest job you'll ever come across
11:35Because every day you put up with the elements
11:38Dust, flies, mozzies
11:40But once you find that Opal, you forget about all those things
11:44You know what Coober Pedy means?
11:45Yep
11:46What?
11:46White fella in the hole
11:47White fella
11:48It's not even mad, it's fella
11:50White fella in the hole
11:51Because the white fellas came, dug the holes
11:53And then they went in the holes
11:54That's it
11:55Yeah
11:56Why are there so many freaking flies here?
11:59Friendly, aren't they?
12:00Just a few weeks ago we had about two and a half inches of rain out here
12:04It's a
12:05And they're breeding
12:05It's a very, they're breeding on my face
12:07Yeah, yeah
12:08And they come straight from the cow patties
12:10Right, so they fly
12:11The flies right now that we're seeing are flying right out of the cow crab
12:14Landing on our face and having sex
12:16That's it
12:17That's it
12:17Yeah, by the way, you guys know how this works
12:19You boss me around, I'll do the best I can
12:20Yeah, yeah, yeah
12:21I won't boss you too hard, but get over here
12:23I'm just
12:24I'll pass you this cable
12:25You've got to pull this as a dump arm
12:27That pulls the bucket out
12:28So you've got to pull that right out
12:29Straight out that way?
12:33Geez, that was a big bastard
12:34God, I got one in there too
12:37Did you get one too?
12:38It's the same time I swear I swallowed a fly
12:40And I blinked and I killed another one
12:42Mine's gone
12:44The way they explode in your eyes
12:45I'll do it again
12:47All right, go
12:48Hey, you know what?
12:49If it gets crazy
12:50I got one of these
12:51But I don't believe you guys wear these, do you?
12:58Pull it this way
12:59This way?
13:00Just pull it slowly
13:03All right
13:04Keep going
13:05We're going to drill a shaft straight down
13:07Using this massive Caldwell drill
13:09You're going too far
13:12Hold it
13:13Back a bit
13:15Back
13:15Yeah
13:16Oh hell
13:17How am I going
13:17As you can tell
13:18The placement of the drill
13:20Is a precise
13:21And exacting science
13:22This way?
13:23Just pull it slowly
13:24Don't be fooled
13:25This is a dangerous job
13:27Where a million obstacles
13:28Can lead to injury
13:29The most common of them
13:30Falling into one of the thousands
13:32Of uncovered holes
13:34Left from previous drilling
13:36Barsky will now demonstrate
13:37A little bit
13:38Good
13:39Oh
13:40That's it
13:42Time
13:43Staying pulling a hole
13:45He could have broke his leg
13:46Yeah
13:48So
13:49So
13:49If that was a little bigger
13:50He'd still be falling
13:51Pull that right back a bit
13:52I'll have a talk to you in a minute
13:54You all right?
13:54Yeah I'm okay
14:01Hey
14:01Hey
14:04Just in time
14:05Yeah good thing
14:08You're lucky
14:09You're lucky your legs still connected mate
14:11Cause normally your momentum
14:12Puts you forward and you snap here
14:16The key to this operation
14:18Is to keep things moving smoothly
14:19We're a gajillion miles
14:21From the nearest Caldwell mechanic
14:22And believe me
14:23The last thing you want in Australia
14:25Is to get your drill stuck
14:27In some deep and unfamiliar shaft
14:28Can't have too much lubrication John
14:33So far so good
14:35This is tricky
14:37This swings out
14:38Uh huh
14:39And you have to get up there
14:41And you gotta try and put it in that hole
14:44On the top of the bucket
14:45Yep
14:46This is tricky
15:01Once you've managed to hoist up the 5 ton drill bit
15:04The only thing left to do is burrow through 60 feet of rocky earth
15:08Now he's gonna start drilling
15:10What you have to do is you have to hold that
15:15Cause this is swinging around
15:16So you've got to hold that
15:17Until you can pop it into this
15:21You can just stick that on your head
15:23Sure
15:25How's that?
15:26You really think it's gonna make a difference?
15:28Yeah
15:28Alright
15:30Uh yeah I'm gonna take this one
15:32I'm gonna put it here
15:33That's it
15:34I'm gonna take this one
15:35I'm gonna put it here
15:36And then jump down
15:37Then I'm gonna get it all the way
15:38Grab the rod
15:39Yeah
15:39Give it a pull
15:41Pull
15:42Pull
15:42I'm pulling Paul
15:43Alright
15:43It's a big bastard
15:47That's it
15:47That's it
15:48I got you
15:49Oh I see
15:50You're gonna get it
15:51No worries
15:51Never put your hands where they can get hurt
15:54Yeah don't put them anywhere on the thing
15:55That's it
15:56Oh sorry sorry sorry
15:57That's it
15:57Now you hold that
16:00That's it
16:01That one here
16:02Yeah
16:02And that one there
16:03And there
16:03That's it
16:05That's it
16:06Whoop
16:07It's hot out here
16:08So hot the sweat dries before it rolls down your face
16:12That's it
16:12The dust gets in your eyes
16:14Flies
16:15Like something out of the Old Testament
16:16So I do it
16:18Simple
16:18An ounce of Opal goes for 900 bucks
16:2170 pounds
16:22And you're a millionaire
16:23Probably do what
16:2420 of these
16:25About uh
16:2640
16:2640
16:27Yeah
16:29The chances of hitting Opal are scarce
16:31What Paul and John are looking for now
16:33Is the right layer of rock
16:35Where it tends to live
16:37We're looking for Opals
16:39I'll let you know if I see any
16:41Dig deep enough in just the right place
16:43And you might find the rock you're looking for
16:45So are we in sandstone?
16:47Not yet
16:47It's not quite sandstone
16:49The key to finding good Opal
16:50Is finding good sandstone
16:52This brittle gem
16:53Usually lies on a level of sediment
16:55The change in the rock level
16:57Is where Opal forms over millions of years
17:01But unfortunately
17:02It's like finding a needle in a haystack
17:08A little further
17:10It's another level
17:11But no Opal yet
17:13I'm guessing that means
17:15More digging?
17:16Yeah
17:19So we've got a way to go
17:20Yeah
17:27Now this is really exciting ground
17:31It's proper sandstone
17:32When you can break it like that
17:33That's good sandstone
17:35And that can only mean one thing
17:36We're getting close
17:38Sandstone
17:39Very exciting
17:40You find sandstone
17:41You find Opal
17:43Hopefully
17:47Sometimes the Opal's in a vertical
17:48And it's in the ground
17:49Lying like that
17:51And
17:51You could be right next to it
17:53That's it
17:53You're gonna miss it
17:54Well can you do
17:55You do any horizontal drilling?
17:56Yeah we do
17:57If we like the ground
17:58When we finish this hole
17:59Then we might drill one out there
18:00One out here
18:01One over there
18:02And just keep drilling around
18:04Until we actually find something
18:06Yeah
18:06You're not doing your job
18:09He's very strict
18:14If you find Opal
18:15You'll probably be 50 to 80 feet below the surface
18:18It's formed over millions of years in levels, dirt and sediment
18:22The combination of sandstone and different mineral levels
18:25Is a big clue that Opal may be near
18:28How do you know where to dig?
18:31Most times it's only a gut feeling
18:34A gut
18:35Gut feeling
18:38You liking it John?
18:39Beautiful sandstone
18:41It's a definite level
18:42You can see the big change in the ground
18:45Well sometimes you find the Opal right in that
18:47The very next bucket we bring up will be the proper sandstone
18:51That's the Opal ground
18:54Okay
18:58So what do we know?
18:59We know it's good ground
19:01And there's a couple of levels there
19:04But no sign of any Opal yet
19:05But we're gonna go down and check
19:09In the hole?
19:10Yep
19:11Down the hole mate
19:14That's great
19:17John and Paul will spare no expense at finding their treasure
19:21Including this $3 makeshift chair
19:23Which will be used to lower me into the chasm
19:26Now
19:26I just remember one thing
19:28If anything happens to you
19:29We don't have to go far to bury you
19:32Yeah
19:33Joe, comedian
19:34Australian comedian
19:35Not many of them
19:43So here's the thing
19:46Heights, fine
19:48Fine
19:49Even tight spaces, fine
19:53But I got this thing
19:55It's not really claustrophobia
19:57But if there's a recurring
20:00Nightmare
20:01It's buried alive
20:06Coming up
20:08I find the right hole
20:09Nice and slow Paul
20:11We're not even moving yet
20:13That's Opal right there
20:14Yeah?
20:15Look there
20:16There, there, there
20:17And hit it big
20:18No
20:20Sort of
20:21Draw my Opal
20:28Okay, you got it up
20:29Based on the rock levels
20:30John is hopeful
20:31There may be a fault
20:32At the bottom of this shaft
20:34Where there's a fault
20:35There's the possibility
20:36Of Opal
20:37The gem
20:38Is often found
20:39In between rock layers
20:41Or breaks in the rock
20:42So my job
20:43Is to go down
20:43And confirm his suspicion
20:4560 feet below the surface
20:46In the center of the hole
20:47Drop your feet
20:48Drop your feet
20:48That's it
20:49They're dropped
20:50I'm in the hole
20:52Just gotta go down like that
20:53Alright
20:54Steady steady
20:58Oh man
20:59Oh
21:02Crap
21:02You gotta say Dan or Up
21:04Oh God
21:06Hey Mike, if that light's too bright
21:08There's a dimmer on top
21:09Thanks Doug
21:10It's okay
21:13I think
21:15I guess I'm not at the bottom yet, am I?
21:17You're not even a quarter of the way yet
21:20Getting warm yet?
21:21What?
21:22Is it getting warm?
21:23Yeah it's warm
21:24Well hell's a bit further away than that
21:26Yeah
21:27Nice and slow Paul
21:30We're not even moving yet
21:31Alright
21:33Oh
21:33Did you get closer baby?
21:40Maybe we can chat about it later
21:42Alright
21:43God
21:45I did
21:46You got the sandstone yet?
21:48Uh
21:49No, not yet
21:50Alright
21:51Only bad enough 30 feet to go I reckon
21:56Oh
21:57Slow it down, slow it down
21:58Oh God
21:59Yell out when you come across the fault
22:03Oh
22:04Jeez
22:05You'll come across the fault
22:06Any minute
22:07Any minute now
22:07Any second
22:08Alright, give me another couple feet
22:09Any foot
22:09Oh I see a fault
22:11I got it
22:12I'm looking at that
22:13I'm looking at a fault that seems to be running
22:16You know
22:16Up and down
22:17Like on an angle
22:18So I see red
22:20I see yellow
22:21Yeah that's it
22:22That's the ironstone in the fault
22:24Hey you know what happened to a guy once?
22:28Paul really?
22:29He pissed his partner off so he pissed down the hole on him
22:33And he told him it was raining
22:34Ha ha ha ha ha!
22:37Ha ha ha ha!
22:38Australians are funny people
22:41Okay..up!
22:41Yeah
22:44I can't even think
22:45Just wanna get out of the hole
22:46Just wanna get out of the hole
22:51I don't wanna dig my own grave
22:53No thank you
22:54Out of the hole
22:58I just traveled 12 hours to the middle of nowhere to bore through the desert and drop
23:03six stories into a tiny hole to look for a small fault on the side of the shaft.
23:08Why?
23:09Because that crack in the earth just might point us in the direction of some opal.
23:14Just kick yourself backwards.
23:16Go or not.
23:18Good on you, mate.
23:20You did a good job.
23:22Excellent.
23:25All right, so we saw a fault, and we've learned that based on the fault, we're hoping there's
23:29opal in that direction.
23:30Yeah, just out in front of that fault.
23:31From the original hole that they drilled, Paul and John will dig another hole, a really big
23:36hole.
23:37Well, I think we're going to find some opal today, Mike.
23:39About 80 feet under the surface, we're going to excavate with a large pick they call a ripper,
23:44sifting through thousands of pounds of earth by hand.
23:47To my shame, I'm holding a flyswatter, a pink one.
23:50We just stand here on the side, watch and gouge all that there.
23:55We've got to get back into there.
23:57So that's opal.
23:58There's some traces there on that level.
24:00You can see the level.
24:00You see it's a distinct level.
24:03Uh-huh.
24:04So Paul is going to show us how this thing works.
24:10Opal excavation is a delicate balance between the brute force of the ripper and handpicking
24:16a few inches of rock at a time.
24:20Something shiny.
24:22Gypsum.
24:23Yeah, the shiny stuff is gypsum.
24:26But in there, we should find some opal.
24:29Just got to go a bit further.
24:32There you go.
24:35We'll switch back and forth like this, from ripper to handpick, until a good trace is
24:40found.
24:41And then, the two of us will go forward, chipping one piece of rock at a time.
24:45Yeah.
24:47You're thinking the opal's under this layer?
24:49This is soapstone.
24:51And then, where the sandstone is, that's where the opal can be.
24:54So this is sandstone, and that's soapstone?
24:56Yeah, that's soapstone.
24:58Yeah.
25:00Now he's going to drag some of this dirt back out of the way.
25:07It's all a game of luck.
25:09You need the luck behind you, you know?
25:14But the harder you work, the luckier you get.
25:17Yeah, that's exactly right.
25:18That's exactly right.
25:20With every pick of the ripper, we're hoping to get a little closer to the valuable gems.
25:25But, 90% of the time, a dig like this yields nothing.
25:33That's open, right there.
25:34Yeah.
25:35Not that.
25:36What's that?
25:36That's gypsum.
25:37That's gypsum.
25:38There's trace there.
25:38Look.
25:39Right there.
25:40Right there.
25:41Yeah, right there.
25:42I can see it shining.
25:44Now, to your right, I can see some material.
25:47To your right, further over.
25:48Look there.
25:49You're looking right at it.
25:50Look where your light is.
25:51There.
25:52There, there.
25:52Up a bit.
25:53Up a bit.
25:53Right there.
25:54Look at the material.
25:55Oh, yeah.
25:56See?
25:57Yep.
25:57That's open.
25:59So, that's the stuff.
26:00That's the stuff.
26:01Yeah.
26:02Oh, yeah.
26:03That's opal.
26:04You just found opal, mate.
26:07Beginner's luck, that's what it's called.
26:09Yes, it is.
26:11There are better ones in there, mate.
26:13Now, this was for real.
26:15You found it?
26:16Yeah.
26:17This is real.
26:18No, I got it.
26:19Believe me, it's real.
26:19We're 60 feet underground in a giant tavern you guys dug out.
26:23That's it.
26:24A piece at a time.
26:28This may not look like much, but every strike starts with a little trace just like this.
26:33These guys will probably strike it rich right after I leave, of course.
26:37So, at this point, it's pick work.
26:39That's it.
26:40Once you find the trace, then you dig it out by hand.
26:45That's it.
26:48Grab it.
26:50Grab it.
26:50Play.
26:51It takes big stones to keep these guys down here for 16 hours a day.
26:55More often than not, they don't find anything.
26:57But, when they hit, they can hit big.
27:02Oh, f***.
27:04Draw my opal.
27:07Now, you've got to go noodling.
27:08That's what they call that when you go through the old dirt.
27:11Okay.
27:12It's a game of luck.
27:15Pig's ass.
27:20That's blue, right?
27:21Yeah, that's blue.
27:25Is this what you do?
27:27This is my life, mate.
27:29Forty, uh, how?
27:30Forty-five years.
27:31Forty-five years.
27:31Yeah.
27:32You still love it?
27:33Yep.
27:34Some days are better than others.
27:35Yep.
27:36Most days are better than others.
27:38Okay, Mike.
27:39It's a real pleasure.
27:40You've done a good job, mate.
27:41All right.
27:41You've done a good job.
27:42Thanks again.
27:42I'm going to say goodbye to Paul.
27:43Yep.
27:44I want you to keep this.
27:45Remember me.
27:46That's pink, mate.
27:48It's crimson.
27:49I'll leave it up here for you.
27:50I think you'll change your mind when I leave.
27:52You're going to miss me, Paul.
27:54See you, John.
27:55See you next time.
27:56I'll be back.
27:57Jeez, I'm bloody glad he's gone.
27:59Now we can get some work done.
28:02Mining for opals in Coober Pedy.
28:04He's got everything.
28:06Flies, intense heat.
28:08Flies, lots of dirt.
28:10Big machines, small tools.
28:13Flies, mosquitoes.
28:16Noxious fumes.
28:17Danger everywhere.
28:19Tiny claustrophobic holes.
28:20And if you're lucky, once in a great while, along with the flies, a little bit of opal.
28:31Coming up, in Australia, they speak English.
28:34Hey, Mio.
28:35Yes?
28:35Why don't you have my dad?
28:36He's good at that.
28:38What do you say, Mio?
28:39That doesn't mean they always communicate.
28:42Mio?
28:42Yes?
28:43Why don't you try it?
28:43I might try it.
28:44I don't think you can do better than I do.
28:47I'm not sure we've embraced the spirit of our silly little show.
28:56Hi, I'm Mike Rowe, and I'd like to talk to you about a very serious problem here in Coober Pedy,
29:04Australia.
29:05Guys like Doug don't have enough money to afford simple fly nets like this.
29:11Guys like Doug sit quietly listening to the sounds of flies having rough sex on his lips.
29:19This is a tragedy that can be avoided, but we can't do it without your help.
29:24Just a few pennies will make all the difference in the world.
29:36After spending ten hours mining for opal in the Australian outback, bitter and broken
29:40and covered with flies, I like to relax and unwind in the blazing heat of Coober Pedy's
29:45municipal golf course, bitter and broken and covered with flies.
29:49Out here, the monthly temperatures average over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
29:53Consequently, the links are conspicuously void of all things green, including grass.
29:58And yet, they have a greenskeeper.
30:01His name's Mio, and he's from Croatia, and he's never heard of Mike Rowe or Dirty Jobs or the Discovery
30:05Channel.
30:09Fortunately, Barsky is on hand to explain everything.
30:14We have to wait until we get all our cameras ready to start shooting this.
30:18Can you hold on for a bit?
30:19Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
30:20All right, we'll just have this out.
30:22We're going to need about 20 minutes or so.
30:23I'll do the group of Joe.
30:25Good night.
30:25So this is a very interesting moment.
30:30We've got this groundskeeper here at the golf course.
30:35He's never, I don't think he owns a TV.
30:37He's never certainly seen Dirty Jobs or the Discovery Channel.
30:40Before I started, I better put it in the spark box.
30:44But these are the kind of things we like to do on the camera.
30:49It's just fun to watch.
30:50The deal is, you have to show our guy how to do the work.
30:54You instruct him like he's your new employee.
31:00Your first name is Mio. What's your last name?
31:02Markovic. Markovic.
31:04And you are the official groundskeeper here for the Coober PD.
31:07Yeah, for the last couple of years.
31:08Is it fun?
31:10Yeah, it is.
31:10I'm a greenkeeper, but no greenkeeper.
31:15How did you get this job?
31:16Did you, uh, did they...
31:18No, most probably nobody else wanted.
31:21That's exactly how I got this job.
31:24Um, what do you do with this?
31:26A rake, what we call it, on the back of it.
31:28Uh-huh.
31:29Take me about a couple of hours to rake 18.
31:32Could we show people what that looks like?
31:33Yes.
31:33And then maybe we could, uh, we could play a few rounds?
31:36All you have to do, pull that hard as you can.
31:38Pull this as hard as I can?
31:39Yes.
31:39Just a minute, sir.
31:48I like the delegation of responsibility.
31:51All I have to do is hold this.
31:52I think he's getting a rake.
31:56My job.
31:59We will go down on this scribe.
32:01Okay.
32:02And we do it.
32:02The first one?
32:03Yes.
32:04Should I get on or you get on?
32:05I get on.
32:06Okay.
32:07Because we go on a, we don't have insurance.
32:11Hey, Cooper, Pete, I don't think anybody has insurance.
32:14Watch yourself.
32:15All right, we'll follow you.
32:18So what we have here is, uh, Mio working.
32:23Normally, I would be there doing the work and Mio would be instructing, but not this time.
32:29This time I'm just here to point out a couple of heart-stoppingly obvious things.
32:36Like that.
32:39You bring the shot that you think we should get.
32:42Okay.
32:43Here's your job for the day.
32:44All right, that's fine.
32:44Look, I'll do anything.
32:46Hey, Mio.
32:47Sorry, my job today, since I'm not allowed to do the job, is to do Doug's job.
32:53I'm sorry about all this, Mio.
32:56Let's see.
32:57If I were Doug...
32:59All right.
33:00Oopsie-daisy.
33:02All right, this just screws in.
33:06Okay.
33:07I tell you, Mio, I wish you could see this.
33:09You look handsome in a way that is staggering.
33:13So in case you missed it before, what you're seeing now is exactly what we showed you before.
33:17However, if we cut to the camera that I so painstakingly mounted, this is what you see.
33:25Now you see what Mio looks like doing what he does.
33:30But he's a good sport.
33:32And he's doing whatever it is he does.
33:34If I were doing it, I'd be telling you exactly what it feels like, but I'm not, so I can't.
33:38All I can do is invite you to continue looking until we run out of tape.
33:43How much tape do we have, Doug?
33:44Hours.
33:46Hours.
33:50Not bad for a fake TV host.
33:52Mio was so impressed, he drove off with our camera.
33:54Not even a good buy.
33:56We're all good.
33:58Hurry back.
34:00Where was I?
34:02Luckily, I ran into a priest.
34:04Father Paul is actually the man in charge here, but even he won't argue with Mio.
34:09Can you confirm something an opal miner told me the other day?
34:12I can't even confirm any opal miner story, but go on.
34:15Can you tell me what Coober Pedy means?
34:17Oh, different people have said different things, but maybe white fella in a hole, white man in a hole.
34:22That's what I've heard.
34:23Yeah.
34:23Okay.
34:23But it kind of translates to the golf course as well.
34:26Well, yes.
34:28Whether you're mining for opals or just trying to get the ball in the hole.
34:30Yeah.
34:30What kind of maintenance do you do on the drive?
34:32Well, would you like to remove some of the weeds?
34:36I'd be pleased and honored to remove some weeds.
34:38Yeah, well, we can hook on with the four-wheel drive.
34:40We have to just walk over there.
34:41Okay.
34:42Put an A-frame, and we'll just do one lap up and down on the second fairway and remove some
34:46of the weeds.
34:47Will that be the two of us?
34:48Yes.
34:48Okay, great.
34:49All right, well, let's do some weeding.
34:50Okay.
34:51All right.
34:52Just go up there.
34:54How fast can I go in this?
34:55I'm a friend of this way.
34:57This is desert golf gardening at its finest.
35:00And as I ripped all remnants of living vegetation for the dusty earth, I just had to ask.
35:06Whose idea was this golf course in the first place?
35:09Oh, there would have been some golfers.
35:13And it's known pretty much among serious golfers as a...
35:18But we take it seriously.
35:19Me and I like to beat each other.
35:22So that's how we get rid of weeds, but we don't have to do it unless there's an exceptional year.
35:27And last year was a really, really wet year.
35:30I felt pretty confident in our weeding job.
35:33One person didn't seem to agree.
35:35Back up.
35:36Back here.
35:36Okay.
35:37You have to do it.
35:38You have to drive.
35:39I'll start.
35:40I'll start.
35:40It doesn't matter what you drive all the way.
35:43You can sit on this side.
35:45As long as you keep it, I'll keep it in the middle.
35:46Okay.
35:47So this is delicate, so I'm out.
35:50I've gone as far as I can.
35:51All right.
35:54Honestly, I feel like I'm six years old, man.
35:56Maybe seven.
35:59How many bugs does the average human accidentally eat each year of their life?
36:04Is it A, 3, B, 40, C, 430, or D, 3,000?
36:10The answer, when we come back.
36:16The number of bugs that each human accidentally eats each year of their life is C, 430.
36:23But don't worry.
36:24Most of that happens while you're sleeping.
36:27My next task was to outline the fairway.
36:30With no grass, we literally had to carve out an outline of where the greens would be.
36:34To do that, we need to attach a ripper to the hitch of the truck.
36:38Mio, against his better judgment, finally allowed me to give it a try.
36:44Am I tightening it?
36:45Tightening.
36:47That's tightening.
36:48This is what I'm doing.
36:50That's right.
36:50You reckon he's tightening it?
36:52Yeah.
36:52So that's all the wrong way.
36:54You've got to come this way.
36:55Yeah.
36:55I'll tell you what, that thing's never been on there tighter than it is now.
37:02I don't think so.
37:05Just a little.
37:06Okay.
37:08Sometimes I must use the brine, you know.
37:10Okay.
37:11Try.
37:11All right.
37:13Oh, there you go.
37:14Oh, that felt right.
37:19It's hot.
37:20Next, we flip the hitch.
37:22If you get me.
37:23And when I say we, I mean Mio.
37:24We're taking more stuff off, Mio.
37:27Just turn it out of the Y.
37:29Hey, Mio.
37:31Mike's pretty good at that.
37:32Hey, Mio.
37:34Hey, Mio.
37:35Why don't you have Mike that?
37:36He's good at that.
37:38What do you say, Mio?
37:41I think Mike should try it.
37:43Mio.
37:44Yeah.
37:44Why don't you try and have Mike try it?
37:46I don't think you can do better than I do.
37:49I already did it once.
37:50I'm not sure we've embraced the spirit of our silly little show.
37:56Watch yourself.
38:03You sure I'm not tightening this?
38:04Hey, I think you're tightening it.
38:06That's what I thought.
38:07I thought it was tighter too.
38:08Hey, bring it towards you.
38:09No, no, no.
38:10Don't do it.
38:11We're in Australia.
38:12Everything goes the opposite direction, right?
38:16I've got to be tightening it, Mio.
38:17It's got to be tighter.
38:18Well, I'll do it the other way.
38:19I don't think so.
38:20If you try that, you will break it.
38:26It's broken off, I think.
38:27You broke it off?
38:28Yeah.
38:29Just get out of there.
38:30I tried to do it.
38:31All right.
38:31I'll get out of here.
38:32Get it out.
38:33With the hitch broken, Mio bolted the ripper as best he could.
38:37Tighten it up.
38:38Tighten it up.
38:39It entrusted me with the crucial task of tightening the nut.
38:44It was as if Mio, in his own small way, was finally giving me his approval.
38:49You better drive.
38:50I'll drive.
38:51Keep it in the middle.
38:52Yep.
38:52And he can sit with you.
38:54Come on, Mike.
38:54All right.
38:55I'll sit with you.
38:56I won't make any sudden moves.
38:58Well done.
38:59Off we go, then.
39:00And so we set off, with Mio occasionally running ahead to guide us on the right path.
39:07Boy, it'd be a mess to take this out on the road.
39:08Yeah, yeah.
39:09I forget you got that hooked up.
39:10Yeah.
39:14Boy, he really wants it, right?
39:16Right now, I just want to see Mio happy.
39:20It's better when we're not.
39:23We can sort of...
39:25I've cut about 20 metres off the fairway.
39:27It'll kill me.
39:28You see what happens when people don't let me do the driving?
39:30I lost the marker.
39:33He looks like the fisherman on the Gordons of Gloucester.
39:36Gordon's fisherman.
39:36He'll tell me to stop in a second.
39:39There we are.
39:40Now we've got to take it off.
39:42Oh, good.
39:43We're finished.
39:45We're finished.
39:46Oh, I missed it.
39:48Well done.
39:49Very well done.
39:50So, what do you say we...
39:52What do you say we...
39:53You're very welcome.
39:54Play a few rounds, you don't mind?
39:55No.
40:01And there you have it.
40:03As the sun sets on this desert oasis of holes, both big and small,
40:07I'm left to ponder the unique perspective of an inhospitable land
40:11populated by prospectors, priests, pay dirt, and flagpoles in the sand.
40:27Oh, jeez.
40:47Doug, you got lucky, man.
40:51Maybe you've got to go the other way.
40:53This course in Coober Pedy may not have many players.
40:56Oh, look at that.
40:56That's a good one.
40:57But it does have more dirty, sandy, level ground than any other course on the planet.
41:09And now, I can say I've played here.
41:11There you go.
41:12That was great.
41:13Before heading off across the barren Australian south,
41:17who knows where our adventures will take me and the crew next,
41:20as long as it takes us away, far, far away,
41:24from the one thing that will forever remind me of this little slice of heaven
41:29named for the white fella in the hole.
41:45I'm leaving Coober Pedy, my departure is a fact.
41:48At the break of dawn, I will be gone.
41:50I won't be coming back.
41:51The opal mine was mighty fine, but I can't tell a lie.
41:54I'm leaving Coober Pedy.
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