Ghan: Coober Pedy … The Breakaways

When it was time to pick our off-train experience for Cooper Pedy, I was torn between learning more about the mining town and opals — the gemstone that is synonymous with Australia — and going out to The Breakaways, a conservation park nearby. Luckily, the “Explore Coober Pedy” tour offered a bit of both.

Once we got off the bone-rattling dirt road from the Manguri siding and joined the Stuart Highway, we headed away from the town to visit The Breakaways … known today as the Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park. It is registered as an Aboriginal heritage site that has been handed back to its traditional custodians.

The scene of movies such as Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Ground Zero, The Breakaways was so named because, from a distance, the mesas and low hills look like they have broken away from the escarpment that surrounds the area. The park protects a semi-arid landscape where summer temperatures can exceed 113F! Lucky us … it wasn’t much more than 80F today.

Once we reached the lookout that gave us a breathtaking glimpse of the colorful scenery, we were given about 30 minutes to wander around and enjoy the scenery. Hot and cold beverages were also available for us to sip as we feasted our eyes on the scenery.

My only regret? We didn’t get to see the infamous Dog Fence on this short stop … first built in the 1880s to keep dogs out of Western Australia … stretching some 3,500 miles across the country.Read more