When we visit places of interest it is always wonderful to see natural beauty, historic places, landscapes and the terrain, infact anything of local significance. The best part of discovery for me are people. Local people doing whatever they do. Interacting, sharing, learning and speaking their own personal legends.
I have a friend who lives in Coober Pedy with her husband and we had decided before hand to make contact and catch up, as it had been some years since seeing them and now was our chance . So on the last day we headed out to their dugout on the out skirts of town. Actually they lived at the beginning of a track off the main road that takes you to Oodnadatta. Tracks like this are very much four wheel drive affairs however the Stuart Highway is a good sealed road. Finding their dugout did present us with a few problems though.
Ok, we were told to look for horses in a paddock and this is a most unusual sight up here for reasons of pasture and water. The animals do take some special attention, but for those who love their animals then nothing is too dificult. We located the horses and sighed in relief but where! oh! where! was the house? After climbing up gravel roads and searching the horizon we spotted a track between two rocky hills. Ah! this must be it, so slowly we drove down to the end of the track which took us right outside of a doorway leading into the hillside. The door looked promising. We knocked hoping for a reply. The door opened, yes we had found the house. After greetings we entered and an inspection of this Huge Dwelling began.
Very soon our hosts took us to the underground kitchen for tea. So many stories told and so much to learn it was all very fascinating. When the conversation turned and I asked a question my hostess made a reply that nearly made me choke on my tea. You see, on the way down the track where the car was now parked I had spotted a little window and door high up on the side of the hill. I asked what was up there, and with that my friend pointed to the area next to the fridge in the kitchen and said " Thats where he died up there" I said "what!! WHO" and forthwith I was duly told the tale of this their home, known locally as Deadman's Dugout.
You see up there in that section of the dugout the former owners body had been found many years previous. There was a stairwell beside the fridge and that took you up to this part of the dwelling. So actually it was a room above us up there that no one used anymore where the poor deceased gentleman had been found many days after his demise. He was an attorney in Adelaide who had a passion for opal mining and as he retired to this his dugout home with mighty plans for his future his dreams were not realised before he departed to the great opal heaven above. Now his home is home to these very enterprising people, our friends.
The day was moving along very quickly as it does when your engrossed in conversation, so it was suggested a little scenic tour of the town was in order. Off we went following our friend along the sealed and dirt roads until we came to of all places the local graveyard, Now, I know much can be gleaned from these places especially the history of a town, where if you have time to read the headstones so much can be interpreted about the area and its inhabitants. Actually this place had so many bizarre headstones that I was glad to have my friend explaining the stories behind them to us.
Stories like... the man who was buried in his beloved car, lock, stock, and barrel. Or another man who has an eighteen gallon keg as his personal headstone. The stories go on and on but one thing was for sure this was no ordinary town. There is always a larger than life figure in any town whose past will amaze you and if your fortunate enough to meet with them before they end up here you can make up your own mind about the lives these folklore legends lead.
It was further along a winding, dusty track that we entered into the terrain of the Croc Cave and it's legendary inhabitant Crocodile Harry, Some of the photos in my album show his cave and the car with the garden growing inside is on the outside of it. This is from his domain. Croc Harry was a very unusual character indeed. He is shown in the photo above in his cave.
I was introduced to him and he escorted us around the cave. Harry was from Latvia and came to Australia after World War Two turning himself into a legendery crocodile hunter in the Northern Territory of Australia . He was a very interesting man with a chequered past. His cave featured in many movies not the least Mad Max and his gift from the crew of that movie was a singing sculpture of metal trash which they called THE ORCHESTRA. It still tingles in the breeze outside his cave to this day.
You see Croc Harry was also very infamous as well. It is said that he seduced many women over time and the evidence being in the cave where you will find bras and panties, hats and paraphernalia of all kinds left behind by women from all over the globe in tribute to this legendary mans passion for women. He had a room a very special room he was building into the rock and in it was the most beautiful furniture and effects you could see. All very European and beautiful. He dedicated this room to His Princess a lady from his past as he was also a Baron from his native land.
I was very privileged because this room was shut up to all and sundry and was not fully completed. It so happened this croc man had befriended my friend because he grew plants and needed manure. She had the horses hence the manure and so a friendship was established on horse manure. I laugh here because actually they were good friends in this often hostile environment. As with many encounters we are often privy to special treatment when we are a friend of a friend.
On Friday another legend went to Great Croc Heaven. The talented eccentric and lovable Croc Harry passed away in his beloved Coober Pedy, aged 80 years. So I write this epic in memory of meeting a Legend and to recall a Wonderful Outback Adventure in Coober Pedy. This is a story that now leaves Croc Harry as a True Outback Legend to those many people who visited him in his Croc Cave. Also those who came to know about him from all over the world and came to see his amazing collection of croc art.
Milli.
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