7/09/01:  After our morning ablutions, we headed for Andamooka.  We had been in contact with Peter Taubers, miner and owner of Duke’s Bottlehouse Motel.  
Directly behind the motel, Minnie Barrington’s (one of the first women miners in Coober Pedy and the first post mistress in Andamooka) original dugout was available for our viewing.  We had just read a book she had written (Stones of Fire, published in 1958…if you haven’t read it…it’s fabulous…get a copy on abebooks.com).  Peter said that she had just recently passed away (within the last 6 weeks or so).  She was over 100 years old.   Peter graciously toured us around the mining grounds, his included, and pointed out some of the other opal treasures that are available in Andamooka (matrix opal, and honey opal). 

We joined Peter and his wife Margot for a delicious dinner at the Tuckerbox restaurant.  Our accommodations at this motel were top notch.  Peter was able to round up several parcels for us to look at while we were there, and we headed out with some precious Andamooka opal and gorgeous Andamooka matrix opal.