Outback Opal Hunters Season 13 Episode 8

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Outback Opal Hunters Season 13 Episode 8  #PrimeUSTV   🎞 Please join  https://t.me/CinemaSeriesUSFilm

Transcript

00:00It doesn't sound alright does it?

00:05Sound good.

00:07I don't know what the hell that could be.

00:10No idea what that is.

00:12Careful coming through you mate.

00:18Stay with us Sam, don't stay with us.

00:21The heart's absolutely racing. I'm terrified.

00:30Look out, look out, look out!

00:32It's a bloody goat!

00:44Hey ladies, there's a goat down here!

00:46What did you say, a boat?

00:48It's a bloody goat, not a boat you wombat!

00:50It's a goat down there, what's a goat doing down there?

00:53At least we know what it is Sam.

00:56Get behind the rickshaw Sam.

01:02I just gotta be careful, he doesn't come flying around one of these corners at me.

01:09Look out, look out, look out, look out!

01:12Sam!

01:13Yeah?

01:14He's coming!

01:16Jesus!

01:18So what are we gonna do here? We're gonna have to try and catch this thing, aren't we?

01:21Oh!

01:22Yeah, well let me get over that for a second, eh?

01:24Yeah, let's just take a breather.

01:25Yeah, collect yourself mate.

01:26You'd jump out of your skin.

01:28That'd absolutely frighten the crap out of me.

01:29All I could see was these two bloody eyes coming towards me.

01:33I can't even talk.

01:34When it came round the corner I was that flinching tight.

01:39It's a bit of a relief we know what it is, Glace.

01:41Look at the size of it though, is that a relief or not?

01:43He's a big boy.

01:44Yeah, you know, he's decent isn't he?

01:46Yeah, he's got a decent set of horns on him and he's probably cranky.

01:49All right, he's coming.

01:51The Bushmen are having a disastrous mining season.

01:54Where'd it go?

01:55And now Rod Manning...

01:56That's a big goat.

01:58Les Walsh, Sam Meehan and Jake Bogger-Wallace have hit a new low in a face-off against a 50-kilo

02:06feral goat.

02:08I have heard of this happening before.

02:10They get to the top of the shaft and they eat the minerals out of the clay dirt.

02:14Yeah.

02:15And something else pushes them, another goat pushes them and down they come.

02:18And down mine goes, yeah, really.

02:20You know, we've had enough setbacks.

02:22We're running around a mine, chasing a bloody goat, but that's not making us money.

02:27We need to catch this goat, get it out of the bloody hole so Bogger can get back to work

02:32and we can get back to work.

02:33But it's not a real easy thing.

02:36He's a big goat, he's stirred up and he's got some horns.

02:39Enough's enough, come on.

02:42You stay close, Sam.

02:44Oh, here we go, we've lost him again.

02:47Problem now is it's stuck between us and the way out so we're going to have to work it out

02:52to get it back up off the top of the ground and it's probably going to end up going up

02:55like a load of dirt, I reckon, in the bucket.

02:58Jake.

02:59Yeah, mate.

03:00What if we try and run it back up to where the hoist is and then we tackle it up there?

03:04What do you reckon?

03:05It's called mustering, mate.

03:06Where is it?

03:07It's down this drive down here again.

03:08Okay.

03:09You stay behind me, Sam.

03:10You'll be right.

03:14Look at the size of the horns.

03:16Bloody hell, mate.

03:17It's huge.

03:18Definitely something out of horror movie.

03:20I still don't like the bloody look of it.

03:21No.

03:23You be careful up there, Jake.

03:25Oh, bloody hell, mate.

03:27Bogger, be careful, mate.

03:28This doesn't look like it's going to be a bunch of fun, is it?

03:29Look out, look out, look out, look out.

03:30Look out, look out, look out.

03:31Look out, look out, look out.

03:32Get him, bro, get him.

03:33Oh, bloody hell.

03:34You're right, mate.

03:35Okay, what do we need?

03:36Bread?

03:37Bread?

03:38Bread?

03:39Yeah.

03:40Cinnamon.

03:41So we're going to go open mining today?

03:42You're excited?

03:43Yeah, it'll be nice.

03:44I never have done that before.

03:45No, me too.

03:46Maybe we find something.

03:47Yeah, that would be great.

03:48Then we can quit working.

03:49I'm Jasper.

03:50I'm 29 years old.

03:51I'm from the Netherlands.

03:52I was firefighting and I just decided to quit my job and try and try and try and try

03:56and try and try and try and try and try and try and try and try and try and try.

03:59I'm Laura, I'm from Germany.

04:00I'm 20 years old and I came after school to Australia to get a new experience, see different

04:17places.

04:18Oh, yeah.

04:19No, me too.

04:20Maybe we find something.

04:21Yeah, that would be great.

04:22Then we can quit working.

04:24I'm Jasper, I'm 29 years old.

04:27I'm from the Netherlands.

04:28see different places and now I'm here in Kuropedi and it's definitely a different place because

04:33there's not much around. You need to talk with the locals, hang out with the locals. You're mainly

04:39living with the locals. I met Jasper and Lara in town. There are some backpackers that were cruising

04:44through. Met them and we got chatting and then offered them a place to camp for a few days.

04:48Lara and Jasper, they've never been mining before so it's going to be their first experience and

04:52we're really excited to take them out and show them the ropes. The house from Dan and Renee is

04:56so nice. It's so big. I've never been in a dugout before. It's a great experience. It's also nice

05:01that it goes up there, down there, it goes everywhere. Yeah. And they're super friendly

05:06as well. Can I smell smoke? Hey, hey, hey. What is this? Yeah, we wanted to make you guys a nice

05:14breakfast. This is a surprise as a thank you. Obviously we can't have things catching on fire

05:19out there or not paying attention because they're dangerous. Yeah, you really got to keep your eye

05:23on the ball. What am I doing? You sleep okay? Underground? Yeah. No worries? It's nice that

05:28it's so dark and quiet. Are you doing any snoring? No? Yeah, you were a bit. Ah. I think the bat

05:33was shaking. Coming up mining with us and hopefully, you know, if we do find opals, we look

05:40after it. Yeah. Maybe five percent? Maybe ten? Maybe. I think five is fair, especially after the burnt

05:47toast. Oh yeah. It's pretty generous five percent, but they're going to work for it. So I guess,

05:53you know, we do well, why not pass it on? Oh, look at that. I think that's ready. It's charcoal.

05:59I've never been mining before, so today it will be my first experience in a mine. I'm very excited

06:05for it. It will be different. Yeah. The opal lovers, couple Dan Meezy and Renee Everest,

06:14are struggling to successfully mine their digger's gully claim. So they've hired backpackers Jasper

06:21and Lara to ease the workload. Meeting our season target of $300,000 is really important.

06:30If we don't reach that target, I'm going to have to go back to Adelaide. So it's really

06:33important that we get there so that I can stay up here full time. There we are, ready to do some

06:39mining. Well, we don't get straight to mining, by the way. No. So mining is not just digging.

06:45There's a bit of maintenance. It's going to get dirty. Those flies. Yeah, the flies aren't even

06:52that bad today. No. Oh my God. We're really hoping to find opal here back at digger's gully.

06:58Dan and his dad mined here over 20 years ago, found about 30 or 40,000. So we're hoping to find a lot

07:04more than that. Now just be careful on that big loader. He's an old machine. He's like 40 years old.

07:09He's had hard life. And if you're up on top, it's a long way to fall. Okay. So the first thing we're

07:15going to do is take the air filter out. Three points of contact. We'll climb up. So the air filter's

07:21in here. Yep. That's it. Yep. Righty tighty, lefty loosey. And then we slide this one out.

07:27These are called nipples that we need to grease. Yeah. Yeah, I've really upskilled since I've been

07:33living and working up here full time. So I've turned into the teacher today. And you'll hear

07:39it click in. Yeah. And then, and then the grease comes out. And then if you want to do the next

07:45one, I'll hold that there. Just the top one? Yep. Just the top one. Blah. Yeah, that's where

07:51I've got the gloves on. Nice job. Looks good. So I think the next lot we have to do is actually

07:56underneath the loader. Renee's definitely pulling her weight a lot more. She's learning what to do.

08:02She's, she's in there having a crack, um, because she knows really ultimately, uh, doesn't go

08:08well for us this year. We don't get the target. There's a risk of her, uh, unfortunately going

08:13back, back to Adelaide, which is not what either of us want.

08:18So you blow from the inside out? Yeah, but try not to touch the paper or you can put a hole

08:22in the paper. If we don't do this, we'd get a big breakdown. If the engine on the loader

08:27blows up, it's $40,000. I think we'd be, uh, finished. No good.

08:34And if you put your hand on top of my hand... Yeah.

08:38And you feel that knobbly thing? Oh, yeah, I have heard.

08:40Yep, that's what you've got to grease. And then just one pump.

08:44Can I see that one? Yep.

08:46Excellent. All right, let's get out of here and we'll go, um, see how Dan and Lara are going.

08:51Oh, good.

08:52Uh, obviously it's burned up a bit of the day getting these jobs done, so we're definitely

08:57going to go into the night, but that's all right, because it's what we want to do. We're

09:00better at night when we see with the blacklight. Yeah. We do have a dingo that comes to visit

09:04now and again, but... Oh, sounds good.

09:06Great. Finally the real matey.

09:08Finally.

09:08See how precise he is? Yeah. Yeah. He really doesn't take much off. No, not at all.

09:25Dad and I found Opal here. I've found Opal since. Renee and I are confident about Digger's

09:30gully and we're going to find it for sure. It's a bit up and down Dale, so we'll start here.

09:37Yeah. If you guys turn your blacklights on. So this is what we're looking for. Oh yeah.

09:43So see how that glows under the blacklight? It's really bright though. It's really bright.

09:47So we want to find a lot of this. This is Potch. This is Opal without any colour. Yeah.

09:52But we want to be finding big chunks of Opal with colour. Okay. Yep.

09:58Opal and colourless Potch fluoresce when electrons in the silica react with ultraviolet light.

10:05And we'll start blacklighting the wall. Sounds good.

10:08Yeah, let's go.

10:10So you're looking for the glow, that aqua glow.

10:13With that stuff?

10:15That's not Opal. So that's a mineral. So that's not Opal. Otherwise we'd be really rich.

10:21So.

10:23And you said also on the floor?

10:25Yeah, on the floor as well.

10:25So also on the floor, on the ground.

10:27Something close here. Looks like a big piece.

10:32Renee.

10:33It's a bigger one.

10:34I think we've found a big piece.

10:36Um, nah. There's nothing to get excited about. That's just a bit of Potch.

10:41Yeah.

10:41It was glowing a lot with the blacklight on it.

10:44But then when we turned on the normal light, it had no colour. So nothing worth it.

10:50No colour. So that's not worth anything.

10:53No.

10:53You can keep that.

10:56We're allowed to keep it. That's fun. But, I mean, it's not worth anything. So we need to keep looking.

11:00You know colour? Worth keeping? No keeping?

11:21Yeah, chuck it in the bucket.

11:24Oh, no.

11:24You're a hook at the mud pants.

11:25What's going on, man?

11:26Oh, we got a bit going on up here.

11:29Oh, yeah?

11:30What's that colour?

11:32Coober Pedy. South Australia. The opal capital of the world.

11:39Electric blue, man. Beautiful bit of blue just fits in there. Nice.

11:44The blacklighters. Team leader Mark Ianson, Paul Kuhn and John Nasser are chasing a promising opal seam at their servo claim.

11:54I haven't even checked this bit behind me yet.

11:57Oh, no. I had a little quick wander.

11:58Since securing the claim last season, it's been the most profitable of their five mines.

12:04All right, man. We're all going to get going, eh? I've parked the dozer up. You'll be able to drive it.

12:09Going? Where?

12:10To Adelaide.

12:11You've got to have a specialist appointment.

12:13I told you this.

12:15End of last season, an excavator hit me in the head.

12:18I had to have plastic surgery and they really pushed my face back out into place and had to all heal.

12:24So I'm just going back to the specialist to just check it out.

12:29You just don't listen to a thing I say, do you?

12:31I might as well just mumble to myself in the corner.

12:34When are you coming back?

12:35Well, I was going to come straight back, but Sinan's going to be in Adelaide and he's about to go on an overseas trip, so he wants to buy.

12:42If you guys stay, punch out a bit more, bring down a parcel, we sell it to Sinan, we should try and get everything we've got together.

12:50Get some money in the bank so we can attack this thing properly, eh?

12:55After unearthing a major haul last week, the team stockpiled some of their opal.

13:02I've got a parcel put aside here I want to sell to Sinan, so at least Sinan's definitely got something to buy.

13:08But they need another big find to meet the demands of major Adelaide opal dealer Sinan Kogida.

13:16How long are we talking though? How long have we got?

13:18I think I've got to see him on Friday or Saturday, so you've got a few more days.

13:23Sinan in Adelaide, he's a buyer that buys a lot of opal off us at times.

13:26He'll take a lot in one hit, which is always handy for us.

13:30He's obviously got some hungry buyers over there, so this is a chance to sell the whole lot in one hit,

13:36have a big bank balance, and mine our asses off for the rest of the season.

13:41I know, but it's fueling you going because we're on.

13:43I know, I know. I don't want to go. I don't want to go.

13:46I hate going to the doctor.

13:49All right, well I'd better get up there and meet Rach.

13:52All right, man. Safe travels, man.

13:53We'll come on Friday.

13:56I don't want to go to Adelaide. The big smoke can get stuffed.

13:59This is paradise.

14:00Season target this year is another 350,000, you know.

14:07We chose that number because that's pretty much what we need to, you know, keep going out here,

14:12and no way near it yet, but, you know, that can all change in a day,

14:16so we've just got to be, you know, consistent, just keep coming out,

14:20keep putting the work in.

14:22At the end of the day, you never know what can happen.

14:24Thin, just trace, crap, not even worth keeping.

14:44Yeah, so I've decided to come over here.

14:46Yeah, just thought we'd double our chances, you know.

14:47I'll come over and go Aprilzilla,

14:48and, yeah, just, you know, we've got to get some more April for Sonarne in Adelaide,

14:53so we'll see how we go.

14:56Opal fluoresces under the blacklight,

14:58so just run the dirt through,

15:00pick it off the belt if there's any opal in it,

15:02and then it just goes out as tailing.

15:05Come on, old girl, give us some opal.

15:08Yeah, that is opal mining.

15:10You know, you think you're banging your head against the wall,

15:13just blowing diesel, and then some, you know, then it turns up.

15:17Other times, you know, you might want to give up, and you're a foot away,

15:20so, yeah, that's just the game we're in,

15:22and you've just got to accept what it is with mining.

15:27All right, here we go.

15:31Not too bad, nothing exciting.

15:40Mark's really not that happy about coming back to Adelaide.

15:44He's been swearing and cursing at me,

15:46but at the end of the day, his health really is of the utmost.

15:49We've got to make sure that he's OK.

15:51The boys have definitely got the clock against them,

15:54because, yeah, Sunarm flies out on Friday,

15:57so everything we've got by then, Friday is the deadline.

16:00They've got to really get into gear

16:02and get as much material as they can by then.

16:16He's a strong ****.

16:17He threw you around, didn't he?

16:19I thought you had him there for a second.

16:20I thought I had him too, Jake.

16:22I thought you were riding him for a second.

16:23I thought I had him, mate.

16:24I thought I had him.

16:27At their dead dog claim,

16:29the Bushmen are struggling with a dangerous feral goat

16:32trapped underground, preventing them from mining.

16:36Hang on.

16:37Oh.

16:38Yeah, you run him out, dogger.

16:39Yeah, right.

16:40Of course.

16:40Oh, ****.

16:41Nearly at him.

16:43Oh, missed him.

16:44Those haunts, they can be bloody deadly.

16:46I tell you now, you know,

16:47if they get you in the side or, you know,

16:48up under the ribs, you know,

16:49they can do a lot of damage.

16:51It's only got to be running at the right speed

16:53and putting enough pressure in there

16:54and it can be all over.

16:55I can hear it.

16:56Look out, Sam.

16:57Look out.

16:58Here he is again.

16:59Oh.

17:00Come on, get a hold of him here.

17:02The goat keeps trying to run at us

17:03and I don't want a goat running at me.

17:07Terrified.

17:08The solution is for Rod and Jake to catch it

17:11and me to stand on the sidelines.

17:15Come down here.

17:16Yeah?

17:16Oi!

17:17Go!

17:18Go!

17:22It's all over.

17:24He turned around and went back the other way.

17:26Yeah, I fell over on my way through.

17:27Did you?

17:28You're right.

17:28Yeah, I'm right, but I'm ****ing terrified.

17:31Look out.

17:32Here he comes.

17:33He's gone round the back.

17:34Hang on, hang on.

17:35Look out.

17:36Look out.

17:38No, he's gone.

17:39He's running.

17:39Running me in circles here.

17:41Hang on.

17:41Where are you?

17:43Here.

17:43Where's Sam?

17:47All right, Sam.

17:48You're going to stay in your cubby hole, are you?

17:49No, I'm not moving.

17:50All right.

17:51All right, next time it comes at me, mate,

17:53I'm diving on it.

17:54It's a bit dangerous, you know.

17:55I just don't know where I'm going to land.

17:57Hopefully not on the horns.

17:58That's the main thing.

17:59But we'll see what happens.

18:01You stay up there, Sam.

18:02I'm not moving.

18:04I'll run him to warders.

18:06Yeah, I might be able to get him as he jumps up here.

18:08Bring him up this way.

18:10Here he comes.

18:13Keep him coming.

18:14Now he can see me light.

18:17Keep him coming up this way, Bogger.

18:19Here, mate.

18:21Here he comes.

18:24Oh, Jesus.

18:27All right.

18:28You got him?

18:29I've got him by the horns here, mate.

18:31Whoa.

18:31Bloody hell.

18:36Bloody right around him.

18:38Oh, that a bit me.

18:41I reckon the only way to get him out of here

18:42is we'll have to tie him into the hoist.

18:45You got that horn?

18:46Yeah, I've got him, mate.

18:47Jesus.

18:49All right.

18:51Too old for this, Bogger?

18:53Bloody hell.

18:55See how sharp these horns are?

18:56I mean, Billy Gates fight in the wild

18:58and they're used to sort of hooking you with these things

19:01and that's what he's been doing.

19:03He got you up the leg, didn't he?

19:04Yeah, he did, mate.

19:06What's your leg look like?

19:08It's not too bad, mate.

19:09Just a bit of skin off.

19:11All right, let's get him out of here.

19:13Sam.

19:13Yeah?

19:14Get out of your hole

19:15because the gate's going up there.

19:16I'm climbing up the ladders.

19:17Give me the arse first.

19:19Bloody hell, he's got a bit of weight.

19:21That's the noise.

19:22That's the noise.

19:26Right-o, mate.

19:27You're going for the right of your life.

19:29Right-o, mate.

19:33So, yeah, we've got him tied in.

19:34We'll send him up and set him free.

19:42The goat make a bloody good curry.

19:44No, he's been through enough.

19:46That would slow him down altogether.

19:49Ready, go.

19:50There he goes.

19:54Good job, mate.

19:56Don't leave me hanging.

19:57Come on.

19:58Get out there.

19:59We shouldn't be chasing goats around.

20:01We should be digging opal.

20:03Well, we're rained off yet again.

20:05Yeah.

20:06So, yet another day of non-mining.

20:09Yeah.

20:10What can you do?

20:10You can't beat the rain.

20:12So, in the meantime,

20:13let's get out of this weather.

20:14No worries, mate.

20:15Let's get out of here.

20:15You all right, Sam?

20:16I am.

20:16You're safe now, mate.

20:17You can get out of the back of the you.

20:19The goat's gone.

20:19The big, scary goat's gone, mate.

20:21You're all sorted.

20:29Yeah, so Mark's had to take off,

20:31you know, back to the city,

20:33go and get a couple of tests done.

20:36So, I'm out here by myself.

20:37Johnny's over in Opalzilla.

20:39We're just trying to, you know,

20:40scrape together whatever we can.

20:43At ServoClaim,

20:44the Blacklighters are chasing a big Opal find

20:48for Sunan Kodjida.

20:49A bulk buyer based in Adelaide.

20:53Oh, hang on a minute.

20:54We've hit something here.

20:56Just busted into a whole heap of skin shells here.

20:59All in the corner here.

21:01We'll bust it up.

21:02Big shelf.

21:03It runs all the way along.

21:04There's more here.

21:06More here.

21:07Here.

21:08That could just be a big shelf in there,

21:10so we're going to have to be careful

21:11trying to get this out.

21:12Millions of years ago,

21:15Coober Pedy was covered by an ancient inland sea.

21:18Over time,

21:19shelled organisms decomposed

21:21and left voids in the seabed.

21:24On rare occasions,

21:25the entire void filled with silica-rich water

21:28and formed Opal.

21:30But more commonly,

21:31only the thin outer shell,

21:33or skin,

21:35Opalised.

21:38Look at that.

21:39It's getting fatter.

21:41Yeah!

21:41It's what we come mining for, eh?

21:47It's right here.

21:48And there's more.

21:50Plenty more.

21:52What's going on, man?

21:54Just having a bit of a cluster problem here.

21:57Hello.

21:58That's a pretty one.

21:59You want to have a dig?

22:00I'll have a go.

22:01I've got more over here.

22:02Yeah.

22:03It's the whole way.

22:04I reckon in behind there,

22:06a few more hiding.

22:07Yeah.

22:09Try to set the kite.

22:11Oh, there we go.

22:15There's a full one.

22:16Full one right there.

22:17You keep digging wherever you find a shelf like that,

22:19you always get some nice big blobbies in there.

22:22So, hopefully,

22:23we've just got to march back a little bit

22:24and they'll start fattening up for us

22:26and, hey, it could be payday today.

22:29Oh, look at that.

22:31Boom!

22:32Ha-ha!

22:33Ha-ha!

22:41So, remember,

22:45not a yellow or gold glow,

22:47but an aqua glow.

22:49So, you even see it pretty good

22:51when it's up there with that lamp?

22:53Yeah.

22:53Yep.

22:53In their vast,

22:56open-cut mine,

22:58the Opal lovers have hired

22:59backpackers Jasper and Lara

23:02to help with blacklighting.

23:04It's definitely a lot quicker

23:05with more eyes.

23:06I mean, usually,

23:06it's better I stay in the machine,

23:08scrape,

23:08and then Renee checks it.

23:10With the extra couple there,

23:11they really check that a lot quicker.

23:13Got me back in there digging

23:14and, yeah,

23:15made a big difference to us.

23:17More look here, maybe,

23:18under that.

23:19It can be anywhere.

23:20Okay, I've actually found

23:23something over here, you guys.

23:25Oh, wow!

23:25So, see how this is glowing?

23:27It's different to all of the

23:29yellows and sort of golds

23:31in the wall?

23:31Yeah, now you can see it

23:31really good.

23:32Oh, cool.

23:33Oh, there's more hair.

23:34A little bit there, yep.

23:35Yeah, that one.

23:35That looks like colour.

23:37Yeah, yeah.

23:38That looks good, eh?

23:39Yeah, just take the blacklight away.

23:40That's top green crystal.

23:41Look at the colour of that.

23:42Find our first opal.

23:44Yeah.

23:45Maybe go like this.

23:48Go across,

23:48because then it breaks out.

23:49If you just go in,

23:50it doesn't really do much.

23:52It just goes in.

23:53There might be some pieces dropped.

23:55There's one up here

23:55that may drop down.

23:56Oh, that big one.

23:57That will probably bounce

23:58off your heart out.

23:58It won't bounce off your nose,

24:00but it'll bounce off your heart out.

24:01So,

24:02sounds exciting.

24:03Broke nose later.

24:08Okay, what we'll do next.

24:10Now, remember that opal

24:11once was water,

24:12so we're trying to theorise

24:14on where the water

24:14could have gone.

24:16We've got to be careful

24:17that if this dips like this

24:18or dips up or down,

24:20we don't hurt it,

24:20but I reckon we go in here

24:22and Lara's going to catch that

24:23with both hands.

24:24I'll light it up here.

24:27Yep.

24:28Catch it.

24:28There you go.

24:29Oh, there's more.

24:32Look at that, Dan.

24:34Oh, there's more behind it.

24:35How good is that colour?

24:36Oh, my God.

24:38That's exciting.

24:39That's cool.

24:40Look how green that is.

24:41Wow, yeah.

24:43That's beautiful blue-green.

24:45Don't do it, Dan.

24:46Oh, he's doing the milk tumble.

24:48It's not gum.

24:49What are you eating it for?

24:50Watch how much better it looks.

24:52Wow, great colour.

24:53That's cool.

24:55That's really cool to find.

24:56Yeah, definitely.

24:57I thought we need to search longer.

24:59Yeah, it is really, really fast.

25:01Okay, so next one,

25:03break this down.

25:04Here?

25:04Yep.

25:11Oh, there's some green.

25:13Yep.

25:13Oh.

25:14Hey, look at that one.

25:15Wow.

25:15Yeah.

25:16That's a nice green one.

25:18Look at that.

25:19You should get Jasper

25:20to do the mouth tumble.

25:21Yeah.

25:22Your mouth tumble that one.

25:23Go for it.

25:24Should I?

25:24Well, don't bite on it.

25:25Go for it.

25:29Tastes good.

25:30Next one more.

25:30Around 120 million years.

25:33Dear me.

25:34Wow.

25:35Great colour.

25:36Green, red.

25:38Dear me.

25:38That one's in the bucket for sure.

25:45It's been really beneficial

25:46that Jasper and Lara

25:47are helping us out.

25:48It's been a lot quicker.

25:50We've been able to

25:52blacklight the wool more quickly,

25:54find more opal more quickly.

25:56Oh, here's something.

25:58Something's glowing.

25:59That one, you see it?

26:00Oh, yeah.

26:01Oh, that's a big one again.

26:02It glows a lot.

26:03And I thought,

26:04oh, such a big piece

26:05that's worthless,

26:06just white stuff.

26:07And then we shined

26:08with the normal light on it

26:10and it has suddenly colour.

26:17Dan, Lara's found a piece

26:18on the duck.

26:19Yeah?

26:20Yeah.

26:20What do you reckon it is?

26:21Yeah, it's beautiful.

26:23Oh, me?

26:23You fall over, Dan.

26:24Thank you, Steve.

26:25But, yeah,

26:27I reckon that's a bone, Dan.

26:28So is the bone

26:29more worth it than a shell?

26:30Absolutely.

26:31Yeah, yeah.

26:32I never found a bone.

26:33It's a puzzle.

26:34You don't see this very often,

26:36so it's really lucky.

26:37Wow.

26:37So that's been laying

26:38in the seabed.

26:40What?

26:40In between shells.

26:42That's a serious find.

26:46It's been really exciting tonight.

26:48We've found

26:48an amazing animal bone.

26:51Unfortunately,

26:51Dan has broken it

26:52and it's in three pieces,

26:53but it's really bright crystal.

26:56It's really opalised.

26:57It's just beautiful.

26:59I've been alive

26:59for opal mining

27:00since I was, I guess,

27:0111 years old,

27:02so that's 30-something years

27:04and I've never found one.

27:05I'm sure Dad never found one.

27:07My brother never found one.

27:09I think that's serious find.

27:18This is very, very old, isn't it?

27:20Yeah.

27:21Because however old this tree is,

27:25it's grown since that pig was put in.

27:27Yeah.

27:28Because they wouldn't have put the pig

27:29under the tree.

27:30Nah.

27:33After rescuing a feral goat

27:35from their opal-scarce mine,

27:38the Bushmen are searching

27:39the heavily mined

27:40Grawan opal fields

27:41for a new claim

27:43to get their dismal season

27:45back on track.

27:46Over the years,

27:47we've dug everywhere

27:48that we know.

27:50If this is no good,

27:51I really don't know

27:52where we're going to go.

27:54I've got no plan B.

27:56Our season target

27:57is $150,000.

27:59No matter what,

28:00we have to find opal.

28:01If we don't find opal,

28:02we're not going to hit

28:02a season target

28:03and we really are going

28:04to be pretty much soft.

28:06I want to go and retire

28:08or slow right down shortly

28:09and I need a bit of money

28:12behind me to do that.

28:13You know,

28:14we've had no luck at all really

28:15and time is definitely running out.

28:21What we have got here

28:23is a really, really old mine.

28:26Back in the day

28:27when this was dug,

28:28this was a very isolated area.

28:31The nearest feral

28:32is a long way north of here.

28:34So we are out bloody

28:35middle of nowhere here.

28:37There's enough dirt

28:38on the surface

28:39to say they were getting colour

28:40because you wouldn't have

28:41dug this much dirt

28:42if you weren't getting some.

28:43And, you know,

28:44they might have left some.

28:46But the other two

28:47aren't quite feeling

28:48my excitement.

28:49Well, you've got to do

28:50your own thing.

28:52A bit of a survey.

28:54They get a couple of bent wires

28:56and wander around the paddock

28:57and they reckon

28:58when the wires cross

28:59that tells them

28:59where there's opal.

29:01He gets a bit tohy

29:02when I get the wires out.

29:04Yeah, rubbed it in a bit.

29:05If the wires worked,

29:07we'd be filthy rich.

29:08The amount of times

29:09I've seen him wander

29:10around the scrub

29:10with two pieces

29:11of bloody wire,

29:12this is it,

29:13this is it.

29:14It was never it.

29:16Rod doesn't believe

29:17in wires,

29:18but it's something

29:19that I have always

29:20believed in

29:20and learnt it

29:21from my father

29:22and a few other people.

29:24You've got more chance

29:25to find something

29:26with a dead chook

29:27than you have

29:27with them two bloody

29:28lumps of fence and wire.

29:30A lot of people

29:31don't believe in it,

29:31but Les and I

29:32both picked up

29:34the same crossover

29:36in the same place.

29:42Stop killing chickens

29:43and let's do something

29:44that we know will work.

29:46Right, what's going to work?

29:47Dropping the camera

29:48down this hole.

29:48What I want to do

29:52is drop a camera

29:53down there.

29:54I want to see

29:54a good roof,

29:55you know.

29:56It's all to no avail

29:57if this has got

29:58a really bad roof.

30:00What I've got

30:01is a bit of an action cam here

30:02and I've rigged up

30:03a couple of 12 volt

30:04lights on it

30:05and plugged it

30:05into the car battery

30:06and if I lower it

30:08down this hole,

30:09we'll be able to see

30:10what's down there.

30:12Hopefully it goes

30:13all the way.

30:16Right, let's have a look.

30:17Whatever's on this camera,

30:19that's going to

30:20determine our future.

30:22Right, here we go.

30:25Please, be solid,

30:26be solid.

30:28Come on, come on,

30:30go through.

30:31That's it, I think.

30:32There's the...

30:32Yeah, that's level.

30:34Oh!

30:34And there's a good...

30:35Look at the roof!

30:36Yeah!

30:37It's got a roof!

30:37Yes!

30:38Yeah, f*** yeah.

30:39There's no breakouts,

30:41there's no bloody faults.

30:42Nothing on the bottom.

30:44I can't wait

30:45to go exploring.

30:46Yeah.

30:47Well,

30:48it's starting to tick

30:49all the boxes.

30:50Yes, it is.

30:53You know what I reckon

30:54we ought to do now, Liz?

30:55What's that?

30:56Take a sample,

30:57take a couple of bucket loads,

30:58put it through the washer.

31:00Yep.

31:00If there's any colour

31:01at all in it,

31:02we'll peg it.

31:03Yep.

31:04And I like it,

31:05everything here.

31:06It's telling me something

31:06at the moment.

31:08We'll get a bucket load

31:09from there,

31:09bucket load from here,

31:11stick it in the washing machine

31:12and we'll see what happens.

31:14I've just got this gut furling

31:15that this is going to be

31:16a good spot.

31:16Not much here,

31:31we're going to rip through

31:32this quick, eh?

31:33Square this off?

31:34Get out of here.

31:35Yeah, I think we'll land

31:37a couple of time left,

31:37so...

31:42At ServoClaim,

31:43the blacklighters

31:44have found promising

31:45signs of colour

31:46as they race to secure

31:48a big haul

31:49ahead of meeting

31:50with a major

31:51opal buyer

31:52in Adelaide.

31:53Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,

32:03whoa, whoa, whoa,

32:04there it is,

32:05there it is!

32:06Oh-ho!

32:07Then you've sort of got

32:08the greeny pots,

32:09then you've got

32:09the greeny yum

32:09that's coated.

32:11Then we've got something

32:11that hopefully

32:12might turn to some grey there

32:14and just like the thinnest

32:15little most beautiful

32:16red crystal trace

32:18to go into green to crystal,

32:19so...

32:21Nice colour,

32:21just getting,

32:22it's a bit thin at the moment,

32:23just needs to fatten up

32:24and then it'll be a payday.

32:32Now we're talking!

32:37Whoa!

32:38Uh-oh.

32:39Where did that come from?

32:41Right there.

32:52Here we go.

32:57Some more.

32:59Oh, look at that.

33:00Beautiful green.

33:03Thin but bloody beautiful.

33:06Yeah, I'm pulling a pocket

33:07out the wall, mate.

33:08Honestly,

33:08it doesn't matter

33:09whether it's, you know,

33:1020 grand or 500 bucks.

33:11The feeling's always the same.

33:13Always a bit of a rush

33:14because you never know

33:15how much is going to come out.

33:16And honestly,

33:17that was like a pretty nice

33:19little pocket there,

33:19so we've earned some

33:21pretty good pocket money today.

33:23Mark, honestly,

33:24would be foaming at the bit

33:25to get back out here

33:26knowing what we found today,

33:28so I can't wait to get home,

33:30wash it up,

33:30and see what we've really got.

33:31So let's have a look

33:41at what we've got.

33:43Oh, wow.

33:43Wow.

33:44And the light looks amazing.

33:46With the sun on it,

33:47all the colors.

33:48Before I came to Coober Petty,

33:50everything was new for me,

33:51so I have no idea

33:53what the worth is

33:54from those pieces.

33:56Could be a couple thousand dollars,

33:58I think.

33:59So clean the top of this shell up.

34:00There's a lot of blue-green

34:02in the back of here.

34:02Yeah, great color.

34:03Cleaned the top off here

34:04just to see that

34:05there's good material underneath,

34:06so good color under there.

34:08And then, of course...

34:09And then the bone.

34:10Oh, wow, yeah.

34:11It's a great foam.

34:12It looks good.

34:13Yeah, I haven't touched that at all

34:15because I don't want to take

34:16any markings off it

34:17or damage it at all.

34:19I'm so sure that's a bone.

34:20Beautiful.

34:21Yeah, it is.

34:24The opal lovers

34:25have discovered

34:26a mixed parcel

34:27of blue-green crystal opal.

34:30Shells

34:31and an ancient

34:32opalised bone.

34:34The entire haul

34:35weighs 65 grams.

34:38So how much do you think

34:40everything's worth there, Dan?

34:41I think

34:42these shells,

34:44the little bit of seam,

34:45I think we'd probably

34:46put $1,500 on those.

34:48For all of them?

34:49Yeah.

34:50The bone,

34:51I think

34:52we'd have to put

34:52$15,000 on that.

34:57Wow.

34:57Yeah, that's cool.

34:58Yeah.

34:59Just for that one piece.

35:00I was such a little piece.

35:02It is.

35:02I wouldn't let it go for less.

35:05It was really new for me

35:06that just such a little piece

35:08can be so much worth it.

35:10Great found.

35:1116 and a half all up.

35:1216 and a half.

35:14Wow.

35:14That's cool.

35:20Thank you for your help.

35:21No worries.

35:22No worries.

35:22I think that deserves a high five.

35:25So,

35:25I was very excited.

35:26It's a lot of money.

35:28It's good.

35:33We went really well,

35:35didn't we?

35:36Yeah.

35:37It was good.

35:37Yeah.

35:38I hope you haven't got the fever now.

35:39Is the only problem?

35:40Maybe.

35:40You have it, maybe.

35:41I feel something, yeah.

35:42You want to go every night out?

35:44Yeah, definitely.

35:45To look for alcohol?

35:45Well, if you find something,

35:47you're like,

35:47I want to go for more.

35:48So, you want to stay here

35:49in Kuwapiti?

35:50Maybe.

35:53So, I guess that brings us

35:54to the percentage subject.

35:56Yes.

35:57We did talk about

35:58five percent.

36:00So, that's,

36:01is that $825?

36:03Oh.

36:04Yeah.

36:05That's good.

36:05That's pretty good.

36:06That's pretty good for a,

36:07yeah, thank you for free

36:09making a bit of money

36:10with the old book.

36:10Yeah.

36:11That's great.

36:11That's fantastic.

36:12Our first open money.

36:14Yeah.

36:14I'll tell you,

36:15cheers to that.

36:15Yeah.

36:16Cheers.

36:16Cheers, guys.

36:17Cheers.

36:30I'll find out

36:31what the old fellow's done,

36:32whether he's found

36:33anything in those buckets

36:34or not.

36:35Oh, we can only hope.

36:38On the hunt

36:38for a new claim,

36:40veteran bushman

36:41Les Walsh

36:42has been washing

36:42old-timers waste dirt

36:44to see if it holds

36:46any trace of colour.

36:47If there's nothing in this,

36:50you know.

36:51It's all riding on this,

36:52really.

36:53Well, the sweat mix

36:53is still turning,

36:54so I guess that's a good sign.

36:55That's a good sign.

36:56There's something in it.

36:59How you going, old fella?

37:01Not bad, not bad.

37:02What are you up to?

37:03Well, that one's really ready

37:04to chip out,

37:05so see what we've got in it.

37:07Not much in it so far, mate.

37:09No, very bloody light.

37:13Whoa, a little bit coming out now.

37:16Something.

37:18This tailor has to go well

37:20because we have nowhere else to go.

37:21We're not finding any oak

37:22and we're just using time.

37:24And we're hoping for colour,

37:26otherwise,

37:27we're pretty ****.

37:28No colour,

37:30no claims.

37:32We've got no oak.

37:33We don't know what we're going to do.

37:37I've not seen any bloody colour,

37:39but...

37:39No.

37:41This isn't real flash, Les,

37:42but we've only got

37:43even a scarier colour.

37:45Not looking too good.

37:46Right.

37:49Have a look at this.

37:51Ooh!

37:53That looks good.

37:54Mate,

37:55I don't even need my glasses

37:56to see that one.

37:57That's bright.

37:58That's black too.

38:00Oh, how good's that?

38:01I think that's a reasonable start.

38:04That saved us.

38:05Two little tiny stones like that

38:07have given us some future.

38:08Yep.

38:09We've got somewhere to go now.

38:10Ooh.

38:11Because we didn't five minutes ago.

38:14The Bushmen have two pieces

38:17of black and crystal opal.

38:19Blue-green in colour,

38:20it's been washed in a tumbler

38:22and weighs less than one gram.

38:27That piece there,

38:28you know,

38:30it's on really black material.

38:33We might have...

38:34We might have a grant

38:39in them two stains, Les.

38:41If that's there,

38:42there's got to be

38:43a little bit more.

38:44And we haven't even been underground.

38:46We could have found that in the pile.

38:48Who knows what else is there?

38:49This could be the one

39:00that gets us a blower,

39:01that gets Les retired,

39:03that gets everything we want.

39:06Well, this could be the one

39:07that ruins us.

39:08You just don't know.

39:09Well,

39:10I reckon this deserves

39:11a bit of a celebration, Les.

39:13There you go, Sam.

39:14This week's ended up

39:16better than it started,

39:17so here's to Billy Goats.

39:19Here's to Billy Goats.

39:23Our fortune might be made here.

39:25I'm hoping so.

39:26Right-o.

39:37We've got a bloody

39:37load of opal, eh?

39:39There is.

39:39Let's be honest.

39:40This is one of our best batches, eh?

39:44Look at these full shells.

39:46Like, some of them

39:46are just full.

39:48And, like, look at them.

39:49They're beautiful,

39:50beautiful shells.

39:52So...

39:52Don't forget about

39:53all these bags.

39:54Johnny's noodling parcel

39:55we graded out

39:56at 40 grand.

39:57All right.

39:58So what are we,

40:00as a team,

40:01wanting for it?

40:02I'm not happy with 100.

40:03I'll tell you that now.

40:04It won't...

40:05That's not cutting the mustard.

40:06Fair enough.

40:07120 would be minimum.

40:09What do you think, John?

40:10120?

40:10I think Paul's right there.

40:12All right.

40:12We'll start 150, 150.

40:13Yeah, I reckon that's it.

40:14All right.

40:15Sounds good.

40:15All right.

40:16Good work, man.

40:17Let's show him who's the boss.

40:18No less than 120.

40:20120,

40:21we just put it back

40:22in the bags.

40:23Push for 130.

40:24Yep.

40:25All right.

40:26In Adelaide,

40:27the Blacklighters

40:28are reunited

40:29and ready to sell

40:30the opal

40:31they've found this week,

40:32along with parcels of colour

40:34they've been holding back

40:35for a bulk sale.

40:38I buy opal

40:38and I distribute it

40:40around the world,

40:41you know,

40:42but I'm excited.

40:43It's always a thrill

40:44to come see the boys

40:46and see what they can offer.

40:48How are you?

40:49Good to see you, mate.

40:49Good to see you.

40:51Johnny?

40:52How you going, sir?

40:52Good, mate.

40:53Good to see you, mate.

40:54How you going, mate?

40:54Good to bloody see you.

40:55Good to see you, too.

40:57How's mining's things?

40:58Mining's been good for us.

40:59We knew you needed some product.

41:01There's our top grade of blue.

41:03Extra tops.

41:04There's our top grade of faced.

41:07Yep.

41:07There's our other grade of faced.

41:10There's a lot of different grades.

41:11There's a lot of stuff, mate.

41:12And look at this pile.

41:13Yeah, look at that.

41:14Like beauties, man.

41:16Shell spells.

41:20The blacklighters have seen opal

41:22and opalised shells.

41:24Blue-green in colour

41:26with flashes of purple,

41:28yellow and red.

41:29It's in the rough.

41:30The total parcel weighing 2.1 kilograms.

41:35I'm impressed.

41:36I mean, there's a lot there.

41:37There's a lot to go through.

41:39So, let's talk business, eh?

41:43You can split opal every day

41:45and sell it very fast.

41:46This is to buy the lot price.

41:48OK, give me a lot price.

41:50With Johnny's, the shells, the rubs

41:53and this pile of stuff here, 160.

41:56The amount I'm thinking

42:05would be comfortable

42:06would be around the 1.15 mark

42:10for the lot.

42:12And then I know a lot

42:13I have to do a lot of work on.

42:15I'm not comfortable at 1.15.

42:17That doesn't give me any comfort.

42:19We can't do 1.15, Sunan.

42:21I will go to...

42:231.28.

42:30There's no way.

42:31There's no way.

42:32Why 1.28?

42:34You're just pulling numbers

42:35out of your hat there.

42:35Yeah, that's a f***ing number.

42:37That's a f***ing number.

42:3828's bad luck.

42:3928's no...

42:401.28.

42:4028's my favourite number.

42:411.35 maybe.

42:431.35.

42:44Look, look, look.

42:45I've been around the bush

42:47and I'll give you my final

42:49and I'll give you 1.30 is it.

42:52And I think 1.30 is fair.

42:54Think what?

42:55Honestly, 1.35 we've got to do.

42:58Come on.

42:581.35 you've got to do.

42:591.35.

43:00You're all okay with that, Johnny?

43:02I'm happy with 1.35.

43:05Done.

43:05Well done, mate.

43:06Well done, mate.

43:07Well done.

43:07You'll get to see the next big parcel.

43:09Thank you, sir.

43:10Good on you, Johnny.

43:11Legend is a waste of the time, mate.

43:16I'd say that was a success.

43:18We actually got a little bit more

43:20than we wanted

43:20but I'm not going to tell him that.

43:21I am happy with the outcome today.

43:24It will leave me enough margin

43:25so I can make a profit

43:26out of it as well.

43:32Plus 15.

43:34Oh, yes!

43:35We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:37That's five each.

43:39Ha-ha.

43:39We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:41We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:42We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:43We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:44We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:45We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:46We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:47We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:48We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:49We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:50We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:51We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:52We got 15 extra jiggers.

43:53We got 15 extra jiggers.

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