Yowah is sometimes described as a 'living gallery', for very good reason. Down every street in the town house after house displays a shingle of some sort advertising opal for sale. The numbers fluctuate from time to time, but it has been estimated that upwards of 90% of the permanent residents are involved in selling opal from their homes, one form of which is unique to this town.
Whilst we did find some similarities between Yowah and White Cliffs, most notably the manner in which the community 'pulls together' in many ways, here there are no dugouts, the surrounding landscape is red earth not pale, there is a deal more vegetation (in patches), and the feature opal unique to Yowah is the famous 'Yowah Nut', as opposed to the White Cliffs 'pineapple'.
And in Yowah, as I have mentioned earlier, another point of difference lies in the fact that here, many who leave to go south during the hottest part of the year, actually own homes in the town.
Apart from the obvious attraction of the opals, some of the scenery around Yowah is quite spectacular. 'The Bluff', a plateau rising well above the surrounding plains a short distance out of town, provides wonderful views.
The road which runs through the caravan park is called Bluff Road, and unsurprisingly is the track to the top. It begins as bitumen,
but that luxury is short lived.
As we breasted a ridge near the top of the climb, we came across another startling similarity to the landscape around White Cliffs.....a heap of rocks piled up into a narrow spire. And this was but the first of many we were about to encounter. What is it about opal fields which prompts this sort of behaviour we wondered?
This lookout area is popular with tourists and locals alike. Fire drums and makeshift BBQ's surround this campfire area with its 'practical' seating arrangement. Naturally the height of the plateau makes it the perfect spot for the placement of a communications tower which did provide us with excellent TV and other electronic reception.
But just like those who feel the need to pile rocks on top of each other, some local wag had too much time on his or her hands at some recent stage.....this dried up frill necked lizard, which had been strategically left on top of the rock cairn locality marker near the fire pit, did a very good job of reminding me of my significant aversion to close encounters with these beasts, until the penny dropped that is!
The views out over the surrounding plains were, as promised in all we had read, well worth the short drive out here.
But just like those who feel the need to pile rocks on top of each other, some local wag had too much time on his or her hands at some recent stage.....this dried up frill necked lizard, which had been strategically left on top of the rock cairn locality marker near the fire pit, did a very good job of reminding me of my significant aversion to close encounters with these beasts, until the penny dropped that is!
The views out over the surrounding plains were, as promised in all we had read, well worth the short drive out here.
From this vantage point we could see the dried out creek gullies snaking out from the base of the hill and similar outcrops of rocky rises in the far distance.
And more rock piles,
including one which was obviously designed to remain the 'king of the castle' for some time. Again I ask, why on earth would you?
The return trip presented us with more spectacular views, this time across the scrub
to the point where, with a bit of lens tweaking, we could make out the roofs of the township poking
through the tree tops some 5 kms distant.
In my last I brought you the fun and frolic of the Yowah weekly duck race, and made mention of the fact that the funds raised go to support the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
I had always been aware of the vital emergency service this august body provides for those in medial strife in the bush, but I was somewhat surprised to learn that here in Yowah a regular Friday clinic is held, with the doctor and nurse flown in from Charleville by the RFDS (providing the aircraft has not been called out on an emergency).
With a few spare hours on my hands I decided to toddle out to the local airport and watch the arrival of the King Air bringing the folks in from Charleville, the local RFDS base. The plan was to also visit the local gold course and the main mining site en route.
As I drove along the side road to the airport, I was surprised to find that this is where the town bore drain empties.
including one which was obviously designed to remain the 'king of the castle' for some time. Again I ask, why on earth would you?
The return trip presented us with more spectacular views, this time across the scrub
to the point where, with a bit of lens tweaking, we could make out the roofs of the township poking
through the tree tops some 5 kms distant.
In my last I brought you the fun and frolic of the Yowah weekly duck race, and made mention of the fact that the funds raised go to support the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
I had always been aware of the vital emergency service this august body provides for those in medial strife in the bush, but I was somewhat surprised to learn that here in Yowah a regular Friday clinic is held, with the doctor and nurse flown in from Charleville by the RFDS (providing the aircraft has not been called out on an emergency).
With a few spare hours on my hands I decided to toddle out to the local airport and watch the arrival of the King Air bringing the folks in from Charleville, the local RFDS base. The plan was to also visit the local gold course and the main mining site en route.
As I drove along the side road to the airport, I was surprised to find that this is where the town bore drain empties.
The result is a real little oasis
where two linked ponds support leafy surrounds and unexpected reed beds.
Security is not tight here at the unsealed Yowah airstrip.
As I pulled in next to the the 'International' terminal, I though it polite and prudent to wander over and have a yarn to the chap who had preceded me along the road in the local fire truck.
This was a good move. I soon discovered that not only was he a member of the Yowah Emergency Services Group, but also the manager of the cattle station which actually envelopes the entire town (in terms of its pastoral lease). We had a most entertaining chat about the drought and all things Yowah.
When I asked about the effect of the recent rains, he told me that they had not had quite enough. Another 50 mils would be enough to make this season more than productive. His fingers were very tightly crossed.
When I asked about the effect of the recent rains, he told me that they had not had quite enough. Another 50 mils would be enough to make this season more than productive. His fingers were very tightly crossed.
A little beyond the appointed hour (there had been an emergency which meant the aircraft was late taking off) the plane touched down, streaming a trail of dust,
and taxied towards a small cement pad.
Small it may have been, but it was perfectly adequate for its task, providing an all-weather stable parking pad for the aircraft. This had not come cheaply....I now forget the actual figures, but it was in the thousands. Here I saw just one example of the funds raised through the duck race and raffles put to very good use (and i should add the work was done by the locals!).
As the arriving medical staff were transferred into town for the clinic, I made my way down the 'golf course road' and parked near what I presumed was the club house. It didn't take long to realise that it had been some time since this place reverberated with tales of shots shanked and deviating drives .
Mind you, given that this is (or was) the ladies loo,
and this a typical tee, I decided that even in its heyday, this would have been a challenging course indeed.......to keep club heads from shattering on the rock hard surface. Here there was no such thing as 'the rough'....that could describe the entire course!
Golf in Yowah may now be a thing of the past, but from what I could see looking across part of the old course, there was activity in the main mining area. I considered making another detour, but frankly, after White Cliffs (and Lightning Ridge before it) I did not expect to see anything new.
We did take a quick drive out through the designated fossicking area, but before I bring you that, another touch of perspective from 'Mr Google Earth', assisted by 'Mr Squiggle'!
The blue arrow points to the southern end of the airport runway, whilst that in yellow shows the location of The Bluff lookout plateau.
I've indicated that main mining area (there are others dotted about) with the red dart and circled that in which one may fossick, also (obviously) in red. This aerial shot may help to provided some better idea of just how bleak much of this country is.
The short road to the area set aside for fossicking lies just beyond the caravan park entrance, and, like much of the town, is the site of a number of opal sales advertisement boards.
As we were about to enter the maze of tracks which wind their way through this area,
a couple of signs told us that things were quite different here to what we had found at White Cliffs. It was clear that, providing the (many) rules were obeyed, all were welcome to try their luck but there was just one catch....here to noodle around legally one must have the necessary 'Fossickers Licence'.
This couple was obviously prepared to stump up the required coin....$8.00 for one month, $53 for twelve (we trust!) as they noodled about on this one of
many mullock heaps in the area.
The presence of these white marker posts which stood in complete contrast to the many dead trees in this flat and barren field, indicted that quite a few had posted claims in this area, although we saw precious (!) little activity here.
Yowah was established in 1883 when opal was first discovered here and leases were subsequently offered to mining hopefuls.
As this map (courtesy of 'opal auctions') shows, it is the most southern of the recognised Queensland opal mining fields. This map also highlights the fact that all the Australian opal discoveries have been made within the area covered by the Great Artesian Basin.
Given that I went into some (considerable!) detail about the manner in which opal is formed in my missive about Lightning Ridge, I'll resist the temptation to bore you yet again, other than to remind you that water trickling through rock is an essential geological necessity for the formation of opal.
Opal comes in many classified forms. Yowah produces quite a range, including seam opal, boulder opal, pipe opal, opalised wood and opal matrix, but the most sought after of all the opal dug up here is an opal form which is unique to this district (and I meant unique....it is found nowhere else in the world!), the 'Yowah Nut'.
Again, I'll resist the urge to go into a long diatribe about the manner in which this if formed. Suffice it to say that the opal found here is formed in ironstone nodules within surrounding sandstone. The 'nuts', which can range in size from about 5 to 200 millimetres, tend to be mostly round, but can come in other shapes...and they are tricky little devils.
At first glance they look just like ordinary rocks (as this example taken from the 'johnosopals' website shows)
but their secret lies inside, where, for those who are lucky enough to make a strike, a split nut will dazzle with colour, sometimes in the form of rings (with thanks to 'the opal mine' for this shot),
and taxied towards a small cement pad.
Small it may have been, but it was perfectly adequate for its task, providing an all-weather stable parking pad for the aircraft. This had not come cheaply....I now forget the actual figures, but it was in the thousands. Here I saw just one example of the funds raised through the duck race and raffles put to very good use (and i should add the work was done by the locals!).
As the arriving medical staff were transferred into town for the clinic, I made my way down the 'golf course road' and parked near what I presumed was the club house. It didn't take long to realise that it had been some time since this place reverberated with tales of shots shanked and deviating drives .
Mind you, given that this is (or was) the ladies loo,
and this a typical tee, I decided that even in its heyday, this would have been a challenging course indeed.......to keep club heads from shattering on the rock hard surface. Here there was no such thing as 'the rough'....that could describe the entire course!
Golf in Yowah may now be a thing of the past, but from what I could see looking across part of the old course, there was activity in the main mining area. I considered making another detour, but frankly, after White Cliffs (and Lightning Ridge before it) I did not expect to see anything new.
We did take a quick drive out through the designated fossicking area, but before I bring you that, another touch of perspective from 'Mr Google Earth', assisted by 'Mr Squiggle'!
The blue arrow points to the southern end of the airport runway, whilst that in yellow shows the location of The Bluff lookout plateau.
I've indicated that main mining area (there are others dotted about) with the red dart and circled that in which one may fossick, also (obviously) in red. This aerial shot may help to provided some better idea of just how bleak much of this country is.
The short road to the area set aside for fossicking lies just beyond the caravan park entrance, and, like much of the town, is the site of a number of opal sales advertisement boards.
As we were about to enter the maze of tracks which wind their way through this area,
a couple of signs told us that things were quite different here to what we had found at White Cliffs. It was clear that, providing the (many) rules were obeyed, all were welcome to try their luck but there was just one catch....here to noodle around legally one must have the necessary 'Fossickers Licence'.
This couple was obviously prepared to stump up the required coin....$8.00 for one month, $53 for twelve (we trust!) as they noodled about on this one of
many mullock heaps in the area.
The presence of these white marker posts which stood in complete contrast to the many dead trees in this flat and barren field, indicted that quite a few had posted claims in this area, although we saw precious (!) little activity here.
Yowah was established in 1883 when opal was first discovered here and leases were subsequently offered to mining hopefuls.
As this map (courtesy of 'opal auctions') shows, it is the most southern of the recognised Queensland opal mining fields. This map also highlights the fact that all the Australian opal discoveries have been made within the area covered by the Great Artesian Basin.
Given that I went into some (considerable!) detail about the manner in which opal is formed in my missive about Lightning Ridge, I'll resist the temptation to bore you yet again, other than to remind you that water trickling through rock is an essential geological necessity for the formation of opal.
Opal comes in many classified forms. Yowah produces quite a range, including seam opal, boulder opal, pipe opal, opalised wood and opal matrix, but the most sought after of all the opal dug up here is an opal form which is unique to this district (and I meant unique....it is found nowhere else in the world!), the 'Yowah Nut'.
Again, I'll resist the urge to go into a long diatribe about the manner in which this if formed. Suffice it to say that the opal found here is formed in ironstone nodules within surrounding sandstone. The 'nuts', which can range in size from about 5 to 200 millimetres, tend to be mostly round, but can come in other shapes...and they are tricky little devils.
At first glance they look just like ordinary rocks (as this example taken from the 'johnosopals' website shows)
but their secret lies inside, where, for those who are lucky enough to make a strike, a split nut will dazzle with colour, sometimes in the form of rings (with thanks to 'the opal mine' for this shot),
or in other cases, the surrounding ironstone will be shot with streaks of brilliant colours, such as this example (thanks to 'wikipedia') so clearly demonstrates.
Those who are really lucky (and it does really come down to that) will split the nut to find that its centre is a kernel of pure opal. These ear rings, presented by the 'Kalled Gallery' are fine example, but are just one of the myriad of forms and colours which these opals can display.
Just as the nuts are unique to Yowah, the patterns and colour within each is also completely individual, and it has been noted that these are so unique and rare that, at times, even if precious opal itself is not a feature of the stone, the graphic presentation almost makes the appearance of opal irrelevant.
It is this very individuality which makes Yowah Nut opal highly prized by jewellers who specialise in manufacturing pieces which are out of the ordinary and genuinely 'one of a kind'.
Needless to say, this form of opal is highly prized, particularly overseas, but Yowah nuts do come with a cautionary tale. It is possible to split thousands (literally!) of nuts without ever coming across anything but an empty hollow inside, but this does not discourage the many who continue to hunt for riches.
As I have mentioned previously, opal is not a stone which holds any great attraction for either of us, but I was fascinated to learn just how different the Yowah opal is and equally interested to wander the streets of this small town to see if it does live up to the 'living gallery' description. It does!
We began our town wander on Bluff Road with a quick glance back at our current home
before we strode on past this ruin of a stone home, one of the only buildings of this form of construction we found in the town.
As we roamed around, it soon became obvious that here in Yowah there is no set style of home building. Houses here come in a myriad of forms (I have tried to constrain myself to limited examples....with difficulty!) and some of the decoration is distinctive, to say the least, such as on the wall of the white hut in the centre of this shot.
If a real window and door are not possible, there is always the paint brush!
A left turn took us into Matrix Drive where we soon passed the sign advertising the presence in Wren Lane
of the aptly named Blue Wren Cafe, one of two in Yowah (we had already dined on delicious pizza in the other).
A few steps further on in Opal Street, a street which features quite tall gums, we could see that the large gate at the front of the home we were approaching was painted red.
Indeed it was. Nothing too odd about this, we thought, but then,
we came to the neighbour. We were beginning to get a sense of Yowah back street humour!
This is a town of some contrasts. Apart from the somewhat eclectic mix of housing styles, street views and outlooks vary considerably, as is demonstrated here where looking in one direction we had the gums of Opal Street and in the other, this bleak and barren landscape.
We did not tarry at the Yowah Nut House, where 'Neil and Betty' preside over opal sales inside,
but rambled on past this home on low stilts,
and its next door neighbour where the owners had decided that the very plain domicile they inhabited clearly needed an added touch of class. The impressive front gates and a completely incongruous front door did the trick for them. This is Yowah for you!.
A few properties were clearly past their use by date, including this one where the wooden home had been set on old 44 gallon drums and the front fence was once a clever use of tree boughs.
Every so often a splash of colour brightened the streetscape,
and another example of the Yowah sense of humour was exhibited on the front gate. This made things perfectly clear.....no sales to be made here today, well not yet at least!
The large blue sign over the driveway to this house was obviously designed to grab the attention of those passing by.
I almost went in here just to meet these philosophical owners!
Here at the corner of Matrix Drive and Gemwood Street we came across an advertising sign which was as 'out of place' in this environment as could be imagined.....a surf board no less.
For whatever reason this form of bill board had been chosen, this particular opal dealer did maintain the theme, and from what we saw it was certainly working!
We knew that there was a free camp ground in town, and here the donga style toilet block was a dead give-away,
as were now disused cement pads. A few visitors had chosen to make this their temporary home, but now having seen what was on offer here, we were more than pleased with our decision to stay at the Artesian Waters park.
But even here, rough as it is, the locals had ensured that those pitching their tents would not be left wondering what was on in town.
Although this home shop was closed, a small table out the front
offered a selection of Yowah Nuts on the honesty system at $5.00 a pop. We already knew that the odds of a fruitful purchase would be akin to those of winning the lottery, and despite that almost irresistible human urge 'to just give it a go' we moved on unencumbered by any small local stones, despite the fact that one of our park neighbours was all set up to cut them open.
By now we were beginning to think that we had chosen the wrong day to be seeking home sales. The sign on the tree announced that we were approaching Rosie's Gift Shop
but that too was closed.
This was not the case, however, at the premises of Rabka Gold and Silversmiths. This makeshift advertisement
had clearly done its job. Although the class was small, school was in, or should that be out, outdoors that is!
On every street down which we walked, opal was being advertised for sale in some form or other. But as you can see, this is a far cry from Fifth Avenue!
At least on the table here we could see what we could be actually buying. Here was a pile of cut Yowah Nuts none of which had produced any colour. Many displayed prime examples of the hollow centres which bring disappointment to those seeking riches.
So what would we be getting here for our $1 outlay? Nothing more than a stony souvenir, but one I suspect would make a good talking point.
We were about to walk past 'The Miners Shack', when we were loudly invitied to come in and browse. It would have been churlish to have ignored this offer, so in we went, to be greeted by an extraordinary collection of clutter, outdoors
and inside. But our new found friend was most amiable, and inordinately proud of his efforts which he assured us was still a work in progress. We were both reminded immediately of the title of one of William McInnes' wonderfully funny books about his childhood...'A Man's Got To Have A Hobby'!
As we moved on it was soon apparent that we were approaching the section of town through which the bore drain ran. The walls of 'Ossies Opals' showed the stains of the watering which produced this fine patch of lawn.
Val's Park was a picture of greenery
as was its neighbour,
the name of which really said it all!
Bird Haven Park was the last of these well signed green oases,
and by now we were nearing the end of our tour of the back streets of Yowah. This blaze of beautiful bougainvillea heralded the approach to yet another opal sales outlet.
'Gallery' opals is one of the more upmarket outlets here in Yowah. There are several of a similar standard at the other end of town, but I am sure by now we have all had enough of opal outlets!
As we passed the front gate of the Gallery, we found ourselves back on the open ground opposite the Community Centre on Harlequin Drive.
This was the home stretch, the street on which most of the community town infrastructure is located,
including the modern base buildings of the Yowah Fire Brigade and Emergency Services group.
Just beyond these facilities and next to the Community Centre where we had already enjoyed a night out, we came to the Yowah Artesian Spa, a superb example of just what this community can do when it sets its mind to it.
Opened in 2014 and funded by a grant from the Jupiters Casino Community Benefit Fund, this marvellous spa was entirely built by local volunteers. Everything about this place is neat and clever.
The artesian waters which fill the hot pond at a temperature which is controlled between 34 and 41 degrees (the second pool is cooler water), are delivered by this replica of an opal mine lifting hoist
whilst the change rooms
and the pre-plunge shower are housed in cut out tanks.
Toilets, a water fountain and gym exercise equipment complete the scene.
These facilities, which are kept spotlessly clean by local volunteers, are open to all for a very modest fee collected on the honesty system. What a gem this is,
and what a complete contrast it presents to the barren landscape opposite.
A little further south-east along Harlequin Street the town wishing well
and a memorial to one of the town's early pioneers of note
abut the large building which houses Yowah's Rural Transaction Centre. This is a truly multifunctional establishment which includes a tourist information centre, the Yowah Nut Cafe, a public library an Internet facility, and, of all things, a laundromat.
We were not surprised to find the entrance hall littered with souvenir and card stands,
nor was the display case of opal products in an inner room unexpected,
but what did come out of left field in this opal obsessed town was a display of fine wood turning and carving.
Some of the pieces were quite stunning (as were the prices I might add!).
Although the collection of large bowls was remarkable, for me the stand-out piece was the large
log complete with a carved snake lying along its length. I hate snakes, but this was an extraordinary offering.
And so, dear readers (those of you who have managed to last this long!) that brings our Yowah venture to a close.
I am tempted to apologise for the fact that this particular missive has grown legs, but I have to defend myself with the comment that Yowah, with its combination of a unique opal type, its artesian waters, a highly active and self supporting community and such varied and spectacular scenery, has to rate as one of the most fascinating towns we have visited in all our travels. My editing pen could barely cope!
If you are ever in this area, do not deny yourselves the fun of a visit.
I am tempted to apologise for the fact that this particular missive has grown legs, but I have to defend myself with the comment that Yowah, with its combination of a unique opal type, its artesian waters, a highly active and self supporting community and such varied and spectacular scenery, has to rate as one of the most fascinating towns we have visited in all our travels. My editing pen could barely cope!
If you are ever in this area, do not deny yourselves the fun of a visit.
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