8 August 1985

My first day in Coober Pedy and I went on a local tour of the town that included Crocodile Harry’s dugout – that’s him above on the right. Full of kitsch and his own lurid sculptures. It was used as a set in “Mad Max: beyond Thunderdome” that I saw in Darwin later that year. He was in fine form, drunk & lecherous. He came over to the youth hostel – Radeka’s dugout – later that night spinning ripping yarns. He may have been the inspiration for the movie “Crocodile Dundee” that I saw in London the year after.

Here’s some links:

http://www.baltictimes.com/latvia___s_crocodile_harry__inspiration_for_hollywood/

http://www.madmaxmovies.com/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome/filming-locations/coober-pedy-crocodile-harry/index.html

http://www.radekadownunder.com.au/

Coober Pedy’s desolate post-apocalyptic landscape – ideal as a movie set.

The next morning I was out early on the road hoping for a lift north. An incredible pink cloud sunrise at 6.40am.

Was picked up by an opal buyer/cutter from Perth going to Mintabie from Marla. A Latvian by birth, same as Crocodile Harry, he had given him the lift into C.P. yesterday. Going to buy opals from the miners at Mintabie a few hundred kilometres north.

Alot of wildlife early, emus, red kangaroos and the most Wedge-tailed eagles I’ve seen all feeding on overnight road kill. Also another bustard.