Koroit Opal News . . .

- fossil croc teeth

2012-02-05T23:50:00.001-05:00

- Gene McDevitt

- my Booth - GJX, Booth 105

2012-02-05T23:10:00.001-05:00

- Gene McDevitt

- Crystal balls

2012-02-05T23:08:00.001-05:00

- in Tucson

2012-02-05T23:04:00.001-05:00

- Gene McDevitt

- Closing Day

2012-02-05T08:11:00.002-05:00

Tucson, AZ, USA

Last day at GJX - up early - lots to do - it's going to be a long day - come see me today for some beautiful rocks before it's time to go home . . .

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- In Tucson - GJX, booth 105

2012-02-04T10:07:00.002-05:00

Tucson, AZ USA

Good morning Tucson and everywhere else!

Today will be the 5th day of the GJX show. Tomorrow will be closing day.

Thank you to everyone who has helped to make this such a positive experience - both customers and people who have stopped by to say hello. This get-together is an amazing mingling of stones and people, all treasures of the earth, from the sublime to the ridiculous . . . . thank you!

After my show closes I expect to be running around for a couple days and hope to post a few photos of some of the curious sights I encounter.
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- a Pair of Nice Slices

2012-01-24T12:42:00.003-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL, USA

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- a Few New Cabs

2012-01-24T09:23:00.001-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL, USA

. . . a few opals from yesterday's harvest:

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- A Nice Rub!

2012-01-22T23:27:00.003-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Tomorrow I'll finish cabbing this stone. I think it will be very nice. (It's about 25mm.)

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- See Me in Tucson

2012-01-21T11:05:00.004-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Please come and see me in Tucson.

I'll be at:

The Gem & Jewelry Exchange
(also known as The GJX)
Booth 105

January 31 - February 5

I hope to see you there!

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- A Very Nice Skinned Nut

2012-01-20T18:54:00.007-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Here are a few photos of a nut I skinned this morning. I think I might leave it as a specimen. Enjoy!

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- Today's Menu

2012-01-20T11:11:00.002-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Here are a few bits and pieces I'll be working on today:

Soon they will be gorgeous cabs.

Come and take a look at them in Tucson. I'll be at the GJX, booth 105.

. . . off to the rock pile . . .

- Arrival

2012-01-12T20:38:00.002-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

The slightly over 2.5 tons of rough Koroit opal I shipped from Australia over two months ago has arrived!

Tomorrow I'll open it and start to sort some of it. I'll try to post photos soon.

I'm going to be very busy from now until I go to Tucson.

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- Koroit Cabs

2012-01-10T22:19:00.003-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Here are a few cabs that will be going to Tucson:

In Tucson I'll be at:
The Gem & Jewelry Exchange (GJX), booth 105,
January 31 - February 5

- Cutting Cabs

2012-01-08T14:09:00.004-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Here are a few new Koroit opal cabs . . . I'll be cutting more and posting more photos . . .

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- Cutting Cabs

2012-01-04T20:33:00.002-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Here is a handful of Koroit opal cabs I cut this afternoon (they're still on dop sticks). Yes, there are a few more . . . and I'll be cutting more tomorrow.

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- New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T14:20:00.002-05:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

As 2011 comes to a close, I wanted to say thank you to those in my life - family, friends and customers - who in so many ways helped to make 2011 and wonderful year and who helped to lay the groundwork for making 2012 an even better year!

I'm back in the USA, cutting stones and getting ready for Tucson. During January I hope to be posting a few photos here of some of the beautiful Koroit opals I'll have in Tucson.

Before I left Koroit, I shipped home over 2.5 tons of rough - approximately 12,570,000 carats of rough Koroit opal! Originally it was supposed to be arriving here in Florida by December 23 . . . there has been a delay and now it should be arriving by January 15. I'll keep you updated and post a few photos.

Thanks again for a wonderful 2011 and Happy New Year!

- Digging and Living

2011-10-14T00:25:00.007-04:00

Cunnamulla, QLD, Australia

Here are a few photos of mining and critters and the sky and footy (that's what Aussies call rugby - what they refer to as "football" or "footy") - there were 2 finals recently - AFL and NRL - and a truck I was stuck behind when trying to get some fuel . . . enjoy.

Click on the photos to see larger versions.

- A New Open Cut

2011-09-28T02:24:00.005-04:00

Cunnamulla, Qld, Australia

Earlier this season some digging was done on a new open cut at my mine. On Monday and Tuesday two of my friends provided me with a great deal of help with that cut. Andrew lent me his 40 ton excavator and Lindsay used it to enlarge the cut and remove the first 15 or so feet of dirt. A big thank you to both of them.

Below are photos of the cut developing . . . .

(Andrew & Len in the foreground, Lindsay in the excavator)

(Len taking a closer look as Lindsay works on the ramp)

Yesterday I went to a nearby artesian bore to wash some clothes and a mother roo with her joey came for a drink.

- Back in Koroit

2011-09-25T01:22:00.002-04:00

Koroit, Queensland, Australia

After 60 hours of flights and layovers and 15 hours of driving, I'm finally back in Koroit. The drive to Koroit took longer than usual because much of it was at night and there were literally hundreds of kangaroos. Unfortunately, I hit 3 of them.

It's unusually hot, which means many reptiles are out and about. I haven't seen any snakes yet, but I have seen many lizards.

Right now I have to run, but hope to be posting again soon with a few photos.

Again, thank you to Len and Kim for letting me using their computer.

- a Soaked Singapore

2011-09-20T04:25:00.003-04:00

Singapore, Singapore

Here is a poor, but rather Whistler/Turner-like, photo of Singapore in the rain.

Tomorrow morning I'll be in Australia . . . then, on Thursday, off to Koroit.
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- another step

2011-09-19T13:51:00.001-04:00

Singapore - Singapore

After a brief wander around it appears that the Singapore airport is nicer and more comfortable to spend the night in than many hotels I've stayed in.

Tomorrow, after I've had some sleep, I might add a few photos - the Koi pond is beautiful.

nite nite

- making progress

2011-09-19T06:18:00.001-04:00

Inchon AIrport - South Korea

Progress is being made. I'm about to re-board Singapore Airlines SQ-15 to Singapore after spending less than an hour here . . . time to go.

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- on the way to Koroit

2011-09-18T12:21:00.001-04:00

Phoenix, AZ - USA

For my birthday my brother used some of his frequent flier miles and gave me a ticket to Brisbane.

Now I'm waiting in the Phoenix airport for my next connection. It's going to be a long trip - from Tampa to Phoenix to San Francisco to Seoul to Singapore to Brisbane. . . . .not quite direct, but it was free ... and will take about 60 hours.
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Phoenix airport

2011-09-18T11:58:00.001-04:00

- Rough Opal & Off to Koroit

2011-09-14T17:13:00.003-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

After spending the last couple hours out in the sun sorting rough Koroit opal, I'm taking a break and having some lemonade.

Much of the rough I just sorted will soon be for sale on: www.koroitstore.com . . . by soon, I mean within the next 48 hours.

On Sunday I'll be on the way back to Australia. I'll be bringing my computer with me this time - so I hope to be doing a better job of keeping you informed and updated here and I also hope to be periodically adding parcels of rough opal for sale on koroitstore.com while I'm still in Australia.

Now back to work . . .

- Rough Koroit Opal

2011-08-28T17:51:00.003-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

I'm in the process of putting together parcels of rough Koroit opal for sale. Feel free to email me if you're interested or if you have any questions (koroit at gmail dot com).

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Briefly . . .

2011-08-04T22:54:00.003-04:00

Koroit, Queensland - Australia

Unfortunately my posts here during this trip have been sporadic and poorly written. I appologize. My access to the internet has been brief and sporadic. Often there are other people around and while trying to compose and type I'm involved in at least one if not two conversations.

During this session on the internet I have tried to deal with some details regarding paperwork concerning my exploration permit. I've exchanged a few emails with the department of mines. Unfortunately, once again, I feel like the protagonist in Kafka's The Trial - desperately trying to make sense out of a morass of confusing, contradictory, annoying and illogical exchanges, ever changing rules and regulations and abrupt and uniformative replies to my questions. However, the end of my story probably will not be the same as the end of Kafka's story.

Blue Sky & Exploration

2011-07-28T02:37:00.004-04:00

Koroit, Queensland - Australia

There is something special about the sky in the outback of Queensland on a sunny day. The sky glows with a rich saturated blue like nothing I've ever seen back in the US of A.

Yesterday, under such a sunny sky, I spent a few hours going for a walk with a few friends on our exploration permit. It was a very interesting walk. We found a few old mine shafts (in one of the shafts was a rather large dead snake), some old workings, some potch and some color! Plenty of solid ironstone and nuts are visible. It looks like it will be very interesting and we will be pegging a few new mines in the area.

Today I went for a crawl through an old, but recently exposed tunnel at my mine. The tunnel is about 30 years old . . . and I found some color. We'll be mining that area in a couple of weeks. . . and we'll be so very grateful for the beauty we'll uncover!

Next week I'll be packing a backpack and going for a lengthy walk on our Exploration Permit and taking a look at a larger area than we explored yesterday.

Thanks to my friend Len - at this moment I'm sitting in his mining camp and using his computer. His camp is simple and comfortable and includes a fireplace I made nearly 10 years ago. Len's camp is made from scraps of steel and pieces of corrugated iron with a state of the art satellite dish on the roof.

It's always an adventure and there's always something to be learned. . . and there's always a reason to say thank you to the universe.

Koroit - Accident, Flying Doctor, So Strange

2011-07-22T00:27:00.002-04:00

Cunnamulla, QLD - Australia

Two weeks ago, on Friday July 8, while driving along a winding outback dirt road between two opal mining fields in Koroit, I came across a scene I hope to never experience again. I was the first to arrive at the scene of a head-on collision approximately 60 seconds after it occurred. It involved two vehicles and three people.

I'll spare you the details, but there were broken bones and blood. I did the best I could to assess and stabilize those involved and quickly drove to the nearest phone to get help. Police, ambulances and a fire truck eventually arrived. Many other miners from the area pitched in and helped. Luckily Jack Barnes and Ross Barton from the Department of Mines office in Quilpie happened to be nearby and offered help and the use of their GPS and satellite phones. Many thanks to Jack and Ross.

The Flying Doctor landed a plane nearby to fly the two most seriously injured people to a hospital in Brisbane. The third person was taken by ambulance to Cunnamulla and then later flown to Brisbane. All three people will be ok, although two of them are still in the hospital after having multiple operations.

This accident occurred on an outback mining road. If I had not come by it could have been well over a day or two before anyone found them.

Our time here is beautiful and brief. We are such fragile creatures. Give your loved ones a hug and a kiss, be grateful and wear your seat belt.

On a lighter note - some pretty rocks have been coming out of the ground. Opal production in Koroit is down, but not non-existent. . . and in a month or two I expect it to be increasing - details later.

In many ways this has been the strangest trip I've ever had to Australia since I first set foot here in 1987. Some of the story can be shared and some of it will need to remain unshared . . . I will try to put some of it into words soon.

DFW to BNE in 16 hours

2011-07-02T21:04:00.001-04:00

- Back to Koroit Soon

2011-06-29T18:39:00.002-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

On Saturday I'll be on the way back to Koroit. Of course I'm very eager to get there and get digging.

My trip to Australia will be a bit different this time. I'll be taking QF8, a relatively new Qantas flight which goes from Dallas / Ft Worth to Brisbane non-stop. That will take 16 hours . . . and I'll be sitting in the cheap seats . . . I hope my neighbors are agreeable folks or the seat next to me is empty.

Mr UPS just delivered my new Suunto zone 5 compass. A bit of exploring is on the schedule for this trip.

I will try to keep you updated . . .

- New rough Koroit opal parcels - 2PM Today

2011-06-12T09:32:00.002-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

New parcels of beautiful rough Koroit opal will be in my store (www.koroitstore.com) between 2PM and 3PM today (Florida time).

Happy cutting!

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- New rough Koroit opal parcels

2011-06-11T11:54:00.003-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Photos of 11 new parcels of rough Koroit opal have just been added to my flickr account: Koroit on flickr.

Soon those parcels along with about 10 more will be for sale in my online store: koroitstore.com.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask: gene [at] koroit [dot] com.

- Soon More Online

2011-06-05T18:53:00.002-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

The photos of six more parcels of rough Koroit opal have been uploaded to my flicker account: Koroit on flickr.

Sometime tomorrow those parcels along with a few others will be for sale on my online store: www.koroitstore.com.

Thanks to everyone who has visited and made a purchase!

- Online & Underground

2011-06-04T09:58:00.005-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

In a few hours, at about 1pm FL-time, I'll be adding new parcels of rough Koroit opal for sale on my online store: www.koroitstore.com. I'll probably be adding a few more Sunday or Monday. Feel free to let me know what you'd like to see in the store.

You can see photos of the parcels that will be for sale on flickr: Koroitstore on flickr
. . . and you can see a few other photos of Koroit and Australia and etc on the rest of my flickr account: Koroit on flickr

Yes, I'm still here in the US of A . . . and it's frustrating. I'm very eager to get to Koroit and get digging. Some of my friends are now at my mine digging and finding color and the indications look very promising . . . I want to be there. In a month I expect to be there.

A few pieces that will be on www.koroitstore.com:

- Rough Koroit Opal 2

2011-06-02T12:28:00.004-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Pretty rocks that soon will be for sale in my store: www.koroitstore.com.

Sorry to duplicate this pic - it was an experiment. Photos uploaded using Safari will not supersize here, but photos uploaded with Firefox will supersize here. I'll be using Firefox.

- Rough Koroit Opal In My Store

2011-06-02T12:21:00.003-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Here are a few pieces of rough Koroit opal that will soon be for sale in my online store: www.koroitstore.com.

- Store & Photos & Mining & Passing

2011-05-28T09:04:00.007-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

There are two new sites of mine you might find interesting . . .

. . . Just a few days ago I started an online store: www.koroitstore.com. Right now the store has parcels of rough Koroit opal for sale. Soon I hope to be adding opal cabs as well as cabs of other stones. Please feel free to let me know what you'd like to see for sale in the store.

. . . I have also just added quite a few photos to my flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/koroit/. Here you will find photos of opals, opal mining and the area around Koroit as well as higher resolution photos of the material for sale in my online store.

In about a month I hope to be back in Koroit digging. Some of my friends are currently at my mine working in an area I've never mined before. I'm eager to get back there and see what treasures this new area has been hiding for the last few million years.

As some of you know I've been granted an EPM (Exploration Permit - Minerals, also frequently called an "EP") which gives me the sole rights to conduct exploration for minerals (but neither oil nor gas) in a 4 square mile area about 6 km north of Koroit. Of course I'm eager to get to the EP and see what beauties are just below the surface. I am looking forward to providing you with very exciting and colorful updates on the exploration process.

Recently Johnny Kovac, a miner in Yowah, was killed in a mining accident. As a result of this accident and a variety of developments in the government of the state of Queensland, there are going to be changes in the rules, regulations and enforcement relating to opal mining in Queensland. Some of this makes rational sense and has to do with common sense safety precautions and, unfortunately, some of it appears to be the result of a state government looking to milk more money out of wherever they can and bureaucrats who have no experience with mining or with life in the outback or rural areas creating new and unnecessary regulations and paperwork because more regulations and paperwork today seems to insure that they will have a job tomorrow.

A result of the above mentioned changes is that during this mining season I am being required to attend a "workshop" which will teach me how to "develop and implement a health and safety management system".

The letter I received from the Queensland Government Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation states:

"The workshop is free of charge to one person from each operation and an information pack and certificate of attendance will be provided to each participant. Morning tea and light lunch will be provided."

As I said, I understand mining is very dangerous and certain standards and rules need to exist to ensure safety. I can understand being required to take a safety course. However, if the Queensland government really is so concerned about miner safety, then why are they limiting attendance to only one person from each operation? Shouldn't they want as many people to attend as possible? . . . or is that complimentary "light lunch" too pricey to provide to too many people just to save a few lives? As an aside, for me to get to one of these workshops and free light lunches I'll have to travel about 2,000 km round trip, spend one day traveling there, a day at the workshop, a night in a hotel at my expense and a day traveling back to Koroit, covering all the travel expenses myself and chewing up at least 3 days of my time - there is no free lunch.

In addition to the sad news of the death of Johnny Kovac, another long-time Yowah miner, Victor Hirtl also recently passed away. Victor was a character. I'm not saying that in a good way or in a bad way. He was one of those personalities who left an impression. He owned the mining lease next to me in Koroit and would occasionally come to visit his mine and stop by my place and sit down for a yarn or a whinge (as they say in Australian). He had been in the opal business since dinosaurs roamed the outback and was a source of amazing stories from his incredible life. He was a man of strong opinions and possessed a vocabulary that clearly and colorfully left no doubt regarding how he felt about politics, the future of the opal business, other opal miners or anything else. I liked Victor and enjoyed chatting with him. Victor was a character and he will be missed. I wish him the best of luck on the next part of his journey.

- Koroit Opal Slice

2011-05-14T10:44:00.002-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Something I sliced yesterday:

- A Few New Koroit Opal Cabs & AUD

2011-04-28T19:41:00.004-04:00

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Here are a few new Koroit boulder opal cabs . . .

. . . and the Aussie dollar (AUD) is at US$1.0940 - ouch!

- Expenses and Poo

2011-04-23T10:17:00.003-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

As the price of oil is steadily over $100 per barrel and gas is around $4 a gallon in the USA and the Australian dollar has sailed past US$1.07 one wonders what the expenses are going to be like during this mining season. I plan to be open cutting and doing some exploring even at much higher costs than normal. Every step of this process is an adventure - sometimes involving treacherous serpents, sometimes involving treacherous exchange rates and expensive diesel.

A few of my friends have arrived out on the field in Koroit and have set up their camps. The main news from Koroit is that many camps and their contents are covered in blankets of mouse poop. One miner reported killing over 50 mice in his camp the first night he was there.

As some of you fans of this endeavor probably are aware the rainfall in southwest Queensland over the last two years has been greater than at any other time since white men invaded Australia. As a result of the rain, almost all forms of life there are growing and reproducing at unheard of rates. There are types of wildflowers never before seen by people who have lived in that area for over 60 years. Of course common grasses are growing like crazy which gives the mice plenty of food and shelter. And, I would assume, plenty of mice will mean plenty of those creatures who dine on mice . . . yes, I will expect there to be more snakes slithering about than have been there in over 200 years.

If only the rain would help the opal to grow too!

- Before & After - A skinned Koroit Opal Nut

2011-04-12T11:34:00.003-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Take a look - before & after, see what's hiding under the skin . . .

There is some problem uploading the video here on my blog, but you can see it on YouTube by clicking this link: http://youtu.be/_5PGIYm8UCc

- A multicolored opal rub

2011-04-07T09:05:00.003-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

This is a pretty piece of rough opal from Koroit that has a lot of potential -

Here is a link to the video on YouTube (the video quality on YouTube may be better than here):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx2R-wg9pMc

- A lively piece of rough

2011-04-05T18:41:00.002-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Here is a very pretty, colorful and lively piece of rough from Koroit. It is part of a nut. The exposed layer of color and pattern was only a few millimeters beneath the skin of the nut.

Of course the piece looks much better in person.

Here is a link to the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfjOmFttqMw

- An Interesting Piece of Rough

2011-03-29T18:12:00.002-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Here is an interesting and flashy piece of rough Koroit opal. The video does not do it justice.

- A Few New Koroit Opal Cabs

2011-03-22T08:16:00.004-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Koroit is known for its interesting matrix opals, but some very nice clean-faced material comes out of Koroit as well.

Here are a few Koroit boulder opal cabs I just cut:

- Empty & Frozen Tucson

2011-02-04T10:39:00.002-05:00

Tucson, AZ - USA

Yesterday my brother saw signs at a few hotels saying "Rooms Available". I have been at the shows in Tucson every year for over 20 years and have never before seen such signs at local hotels. Usually hotel rooms in the area are sold out months ahead of the show.

The sub-freezing weather continues . . . at 8:45am it is 24 degrees F. . . but the high today is supposed to be 56 - still below average, but higher than yesterday.

In spite of the low attendance and the uncomfortable temperatures, I'm doing well and am very grateful.

There is not much higher quality Australian material around.

Ethiopian material is everywhere. Supposedly prices at the mine have recently doubled. Many dealers have both rough and cut stones at a wide range of prices. It seems like a strange and changing market.

- Frozen Tucson

2011-02-03T10:01:00.003-05:00

Tucson, AZ - USA

The temperature in Tucson this morning is 19 degrees F. . . the high today is forecast to only hit 37 degrees. Yes, these record lows will make it unusually uncomfortable for dealers and buyers and almost certainly will have a negative impact on business.

So far it looks like the number of buyers is pretty low, maybe a few more people than last year, but far below what has been typical over the last 10 years. Luckily even though the number of bodies is low, those who are here seem to be serious and are spending money.

I'd post more photos, but in my show and most others, photos are a no-no.

. . . time to grab breakfast and get to the booth . . .

2011-01-30T21:24:00.003-05:00

Tucson

2011-01-30T20:02:00.001-05:00

Tucson

2011-01-30T20:01:00.001-05:00

- lapis in Tucson

2011-01-30T19:59:00.001-05:00

- Yum Yum

2011-01-30T09:34:00.001-05:00

A great start to today and I'm off to attack Tucson. . . .

If you'd like to see photos or brief videos of anything in particular, please email me ( koroit@gmail.com) and let me know.

I might upload a few more pics and videos I took from along the way.

2011-01-29T23:36:00.001-05:00

2011-01-29T23:32:00.001-05:00

2011-01-28T22:17:00.001-05:00

2011-01-28T14:07:00.001-05:00

2011-01-28T12:46:00.001-05:00

2011-01-28T11:51:00.001-05:00

- on the road

2011-01-28T07:16:00.001-05:00

- Tucson Trip

2011-01-27T21:13:00.002-05:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

In a few short hours I'll be on the way to Tucson where I'll be showing some beautiful Koroit boulder opal cabs and specimens.

Keep your eyes open here and on Facebook for a variety of photos from my trip and of the show.

In Tucson I'll be at the Gem & Jewelry Exchange (also known as GJX), in booth 105, February 1 - 6. . . . I hope to see you there!

- Floods

2011-01-13T16:22:00.002-05:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

For the past year much of Australia has received record breaking amounts of rain. In the past few weeks the rain has been particularly devastating to Queensland. People have been killed and still many are missing - and there has been billions of dollars in damage.

Much of Brisbane is now under water. The river flowing through St George peaked at a bit more than 13 meters above its normal level. At its peak, the river, which normally is less than 50 meters wide was a kilometer wide. Although most of the rain steered clear of Cunnamulla, its residents have not had fresh vegetables or milk for over three weeks because transportation has been cut off.

Although there has been more rain than normal in Koroit, my mines are fine.

- Some pretty cabs

2011-01-10T15:20:00.001-05:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

- A Ton in Tampa & Rain in QLD

2011-01-06T11:49:00.004-05:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

At last I've received word that the second ton of rough Koroit opal I shipped home will soon be in my hands. It arrived in Tampa this morning. It was originally scheduled to arrive December 12. Who knows what vagaries of trans-world shipping slowed it down. Of course it still needs to clear US Customs and be delivered to me, but at least now I know it is very close to home.

It has been raining like crazy in Queensland, Australia. The flooding is having a huge negative impact on a variety of businesses. Wheat farmers have been deluged and their crops have been devastated or significantly reduced in yield and quality. Many mines of many types have been flooded and closed. Most coal mines have been closed. Since much of Australian coal is used to process iron ore, the huge drop in coal production has caused the world price of iron / steel to increase.

Luckily, based on a report from a friend of mine, as of a few days ago my mine is fine and pretty dry. However, regions around Koroit and Cunnamulla have been flooded. A friend was stuck in Cunnamulla for several days because many of the roads to Brisbane were closed by high water.

Now back to slicing and cutting . . .

- Rough Opal Parcels

2010-12-31T11:23:00.002-05:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

I'm going to be putting together some parcels of rough Koroit Boulder Opal which I'll be selling on my website: www.koroit.com.

If you'd like to be added to my email list and have me let you know when new parcels are available, please email me at: koroit@gmail.com and let me know.

thanks and Happy New Year!

- Slicing Rough Koroit Opal

2010-12-08T13:38:00.003-05:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

. . . busy slicing . . . found these this morning . . .

- Sorting Rough

2010-12-03T11:35:00.003-05:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Cutting, slicing, sorting . . . I'm home and working through a big pile of rocks.

Here are a few photos . . .

LAX

2010-11-03T13:05:00.001-04:00

- Bye Bye Oz

2010-11-02T04:28:00.002-04:00

Brisbane, QLD - Australia

In a bit over 12 hours I'll be getting on a plane - the beginning of about 30 hours of traveling to get back home.

After 2 months of digging, I'll admit, I'm pooped . . . and once I get home I'll have a lot of work to do - many stones to cut as soon as possible for all of you folks who have been asking me for cabs and for rough.

Once I get back home, after I've had some rest, I'll post new photos and a few videos . . . and maybe a few tales from downunder.

Regarding the tales from downunder - while in the outback I see and experience a wide range of things. As you could imagine many of the folks who are involved in this business are wacky, idiosyncratic, marginal and colorful characters . . . and many of the experiences are a bit out there . . . that is part of the problem. There are many stories that you simply would not believe. There are many stories about fools and thieves that I shouldn't tell in public for many reasons.

Trust me, it has been a colorful experience that I'm trying to distill into a form that still would be true, but also would be suitable for public consumption.

I'm exhausted and need to go - thanks for taking a look.

- Digging & Finding

2010-10-21T21:26:00.002-04:00

Cunnamulla / Koroit, QLD - Australia

After some equipment problems we're back to digging and, thankfully, finding. A few nice pieces were unearthed yesterday. In a few minutes, after picking up a few groceries, I'll be on my way back to the mine and hopefully find a bit more this afternoon.

The temperature has been cooperative, but it's getting warmer. On the way to town this morning I passed by 7 bearded dragons, a small goanna, an emu, a few kangaroos and a brown snake. There are many lizards and snakes around. As it gets warmer there will be even more around. The arrival of the snakes says it's almost time to go home. We'll keep digging for a bit longer, but it's getting close to the end of the season.

- What it's like

2010-10-12T02:10:00.004-04:00

Cunnamulla / Koroit, QLD - Australia

When I first bought the opal mine in 2001 I was naive, ignorant and very inexperienced. Yes, I'm very bright, but I was doing something brand new in a very strange environment.

For a variety of reasons, when I first started mining, I decided to mine in a particular area toward one side of my mine. During that season a miner who works a mining lease next to mine decided he was going to dig along the border at the opposite side of where I was digging. A few times I went down in the tunnel my neighbor was digging to see what he was finding, but since it was on the opposite side of where I was working, I did not visit often. To me, the tunnel he was digging appeared to be very close to the border, but estimating where you are underground is tricky, particularly for a beginner. He was a very experienced miner. I did not want to bother him and I figured he knew what he was doing.

While my neighbor was digging in that tunnel he got lucky. He found a beautiful opalized log which he sold to another Koroit miner for several thousand dollars. He also found some other beautiful material.

As some of you know, last season, two other Koroit miners with excavators came to my mine and dug a large open cut. When digging tunnels underground it can be hard to tell where you are or what direction you are digging. When you do an open cut it opens up everything to be seen clearly - there are no doubts. You probably can guess the punch line . . . that tunnel my neighbor dug several years ago, supposedly along the border on his side of the line, was actually completely on my side . . . not at all along the border, but clearly, by at least 5 feet on my side.

Earlier this season I mentioned what we had found in the open cut to my neighboring miner. Based on his rather confused kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar type response, I am led to believe he knew exactly what he was doing and where he was digging the entire time. He knew he was taking advantage of the new guy.

At the end of the season several years ago when he mined that very nice opalized wood, he sold that other material he found to me for $7,000. The opalized log has since been bought and sold a few times. Last year it appeared at a show in Tucson with a price tag of probably over $50,000.

That's what it's like to be an opal miner . . .

Over the weekend I spent some time crawling under a 40 ton excavator to help tighten several nuts while various excavator fluids dripped on me and I had to duck as the grunting and groaning beast moved just above my head.

Now the excavator is back to digging. Hopefully some treasure will be unearthed before the end of the week.

- A Bargain?

2010-10-08T01:49:00.004-04:00

Cunnamulla / Koroit, QLD - Australia

A few days ago I heard a neighbor had found some opal and had sorted and priced it. In addition to mining my own material, I'll also buy rough opal from my neighbors if the price is right. I was curious and went to take a look.

He had twenty-something containers of very low-grade rough priced between $20 and $220 per container. Some miners are firm with their prices and some are willing to haggle a bit. When asked how much room he had on his prices he said that the prices to pick and choose were as marked, but if I took everything I could have the lot for $3,000. After spending a few minutes looking I wondered how much of a discount the lot price would be off of the marked prices. I asked him. He was not sure, so he added up the prices. The total of the marked prices if I were to buy the containers separately was $2,960. Obviously, the lot price was not a very impressive discount.

That's what it's like to be an opal miner.

- Color and Big Grasshoppers

2010-09-21T00:21:00.002-04:00

Cunnamulla, QLD - Australia

. . . or should I say locusts? . . . yes, they are locusts and they are all over. Australia is a land of feast and famine. This latest plague of locusts could do serious damage to a variety of crops throughout this peculiar island continent. Even out here I have driven through clouds of the flying beasts - I'll spare you the details, but driving through such a cloud can be very noisy.

. . . back to the opals . . . yes, I have been digging and finding . . . and yes, I will be willing to share some of the goodies . . . in the next few days I'll be mailing some new material home to Dawn. She'll be photographing it and listing it - feel free to email her for details - please email her using the email address on our website (www.koroit.com) - to get to the email address on the website, please click HERE.

Opal production throughout Australia is way down. Production in Koroit is also down. I have been very lucky to be able to find some very nice rough. I have already shipped home over 5 million carats of rough this season. (I have already shipped home a bit over a ton of Koroit rough. My shipping agent said that US Customs wanted to know how much rough I had shipped and needed to know the amount in carats. A metric ton - 1,000 kgs - is equal to 5,000,000 carats.) I hope to be shipping home much more before this season is over.

Rain has been falling for the last several days which has gotten in the way of mining and has made for gloomy skies. Today the sun is once again shining.

- Tonight . . .

2010-09-13T00:19:00.002-04:00

Cunnamulla, QLD - Australia

Shame on me for not thinking of mentioning this earlier . . . in a few ways I'm still like a 7 year old kid and still go WOW at some things . . . tonight likely will involve a wow . . . even though I've been visiting the outback for years and have a lot of work to do here, the night sky in Koroit, the southern hemisphere stars with no light pollution, the clear and bright night sky of a gazillion stars in the outback - makes me go wow . . . the milky-way looks so, so very milky here.

. . . I'm looking forward to the wow of the sky tonight and a very deep sleep and maybe a few curious dreams . . . between you and me Koroit is one of those places on Earth that has a special connection with the heart of the universe - you really can feel it here - particularly at night . . .

- Almost There

2010-09-12T23:50:00.002-04:00

Cunnamulla, Queensland - Australia

. . . nearly there . . . I'm in Cunnamulla and soon will be on my way to Koroit. I should be out at the mine in about 2 hours (after getting a few groceries and driving for an hour).

It feels a bit warm here, a bit too warm for early September. If the temperature is this high already, the next 2 months might be a bit uncomfortable . . . hmmm . . . I'll wait and see and hope for the best.

This morning, while driving for 3 hours from St George to Cunnamulla, I saw at least 5 bearded dragons on the road - a sign that winter is indeed over . . . if there are that many lizards around, it probably means many snakes have already arisen from their hibernation.

. . . gotta run . . . keep your fingers crossed that it stays cool, I find opal and don't find any snakes!

- Arrived in Australia

2010-09-11T18:21:00.003-04:00

Hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland - Australia

This needs to be quick . . .

I've arrived in Australia . . . the plane landed yesterday and I spent the night with Friends - thanks to Frank and Heather for their wonderful hospitality.

Breakfast is history. . . next I'll pack my 4WD and get on the way to Koroit within the hour. . . along the way I need to pick up some 55-gallon drums and a few groceries.

This evening probably will be spent in a small town between here and there . . . I expect to arrive in Koroit sometime tomorrow.

I'll try to add more soon . . .

A380

2010-09-10T01:02:00.001-04:00

- LAX

2010-09-09T21:02:00.001-04:00

Waiting ......

LAX

2010-09-09T20:49:00.001-04:00

- LAX

2010-09-09T19:21:00.001-04:00

Just arrived at LAX.... taxiing to gate, then wait for tonight's flight to Australia.

- Heading Back to Oz

2010-09-08T17:52:00.002-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Tomorrow I'll be on the way back to Australia.

I'm sorry I wasn't good at posting new bits and pieces here. While I was home of course I sorted and sliced and cut a few rocks . . . and I gave a nice rock to Dawn . . . on September 3 we got engaged! It's a sapphire ring surrounded with diamonds. It's the first time I ever gave someone an engagement ring - thank goodness she said yes.

During this trip to Australia I swear I'll try to be a better blogger. I'll be there for about 2 months and hopefully will have the time to post to this blog regularly.

Gotta run . . . .

- On the way . . . almost . . .

2010-08-12T02:02:00.004-04:00

Brisbane, QLD - Australia

A few dollars changed hands as I sat down for a cup of tea with my shipping agent a few minutes ago. He makes sure the 55 gallon drums of rough Koroit opal that I toil to collect make it all the way from Australia to my place in the USA. We chatted and laughed a bit. He told me the drums I had sent him on Monday (and was told would be delivered to his office on Wednesday) had not yet arrived (today is Thursday) and after he had made a few phone calls nobody could tell him where they were and one person went so far as to make the rather extreme metaphysical claim that they did not even exist. I really do not want to digress into a discussion of existence, theories of epistemology, certainty and wanderings into the oh-so-attractive quagmire of solipsism, so, please pardon my rather bold claim . . . I know they exist. I'm also rather confident they'll be found in the next day or two and soon will be on a ship heading across the Pacific.

He also mentioned rather politely that based on his limited experience, it seemed to him that "some of the people people involved in opal mining were a bit strange". Of course I laughed and let him know almost everyone involved is at least a bit strange. It is a collection of curious characters and curious adventures and misadventures.

Tomorrow I will be on the plane back to the USA.

My apologies for not posting more entries during this trip. I was busy mining and sorting and had little spare time. Yes, there were some experiences I hope to share with you faithful reader (Are you really there? Is anyone really reading this stuff?) . . . and a few photos I will post once I return to the USA. . . . and maybe some details about my transcendent experience.

It's Like . . .

2010-08-02T00:15:00.002-04:00

Cunnamulla, QLD - Australia

Yes, I'm still finding pretty opal. I'm helping a friend at his mine and another friend is open cutting my mine - he'll soon be at the opal level. When he gets to the level I'll be bouncing back and forth between my place and my friend's place hopefully seeing lots of gorgeous colors and patterns.

Many people ask me "what's it like being an opal miner?" . . . hmmm, can be a bit hard to answer . . . . A few days ago after stopping by the local artesian bore to take a shower in wonderfully warm and very soothing slightly minerally water, I had a chat with a fellow miner. I had been staying at his camp, but was going to be moving to stay at another camp. I told him I was going to stop by his camp to pick up my stuff. He told me to remember to throw some wood on the fire (it is winter here and gets chilly at night). He has a small fireplace (which I built a few years ago out of corrugated iron and about a thousand rivets). The fireplace does keep things comfortable. I stopped by his camp, collected and broke up some firewood as the sun was getting lower. Of course during the process of breaking the firewood I encountered a couple rather large and unhappy to be disturbed spiders and a bush cockroach (looks like a USA cockroach (often referred to as a palmetto bug) with a tribal shield on its back). Once the fire was started in the fireplace I sat back on his small couch for a few minutes to make sure everything was ok, let out one of those sighs that is produced at the end of a day of hard work and watched the flames. The door to his camp was slightly behind me on my right side. I had left it open and the red glow from the setting sun was filtering in as was a slightly cool, but very fresh breeze. As the sun dropped below the horizon, my thoughts halted, I was embraced by that wonderful stillness that occurs in the bush, punctuated only by the delicate and pretty songs from a couple of nearby birds and entranced by the beautiful smell and dancing of the fire in the fireplace. That's what it's like to be an opal miner.

- At the mine

2010-07-21T02:03:00.002-04:00

Cunnamulla, Qld - Australia

Thanks to frank and Heather for their hospitality while I was staying with them on the coast before my trip out west.

I've been in Koroit since Saturday. All is well. I've had the good fortune to play with some beautiful Koroit opals already.

Right now it's about 4 pm and I'm a bit drained after being in town all day. . . . my wits have been dulled. I need to get my laundry out of the dryer and get on the road back to Koroit before the sun gets too low. At this moment I have neither the time nor the sharpness of mind to wax eloquently about the sights and experiences I've already had. . . . . for example I saw a large adult wedge-tailed eagle (at least 3 feet tall, but looked at least 4 feet tall) perched in a tree at the side of the road, but was in too much of a hurry driving a miner's brother to have an emergency root canal at a dentist's office which was 3 hours away to snap a photo.

More next time . . .

- In Qld

2010-07-14T06:28:00.002-04:00

Sunshine Coast, Queensland - Australia

Tonight I'll be sleeping near the coast of Queensland, a bit north of Brisbane. Tomorrow morning I'll start the drive to Koroit.

I have to pick up some supplies on the way and as many 55 gallon drums as I can fit inside my 4WD and tie onto its roof rack as possible . . . my Toyota will bear a striking resemblance to an outback version of Jed Clampett's car on its way to Beverly Hills.

Tomorrow night probably will be spent somewhere between here and Koroit. I hope to get to Koroit no later than Saturday.

It took me about 40 hours to get from Tampa, FL to the place I'm staying north of Brisbane. By the time I got here I was rather numb and lacking some of my higher functions. After a good night's sleep in a real bed and a shower I started to feel much more human. I'm still not 100%, but by tomorrow life should feel like it is worthwhile.

By the way, Telstra (the main Australian phone company and the company that supposedly provides my mobile phone service), has severly screwed up my account and will take several days to unscrew it. I'm too tired to go into the foolish details of what they have done, but suffice it to say it is amazing that a company which has such poor organization and terrible customer service is still in business. I had hoped to post several entries to this blog from my mobile phone during my trip, but thanks to the horrible service provided by Telstra, I will not be able to keep you well informed.

LAX - USA

2010-07-12T00:25:00.001-04:00

- Gene McDevitt

LAX - USA

2010-07-11T20:26:00.001-04:00

- Away on Sunday

2010-07-06T13:06:00.002-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

On Sunday I will be on the way to Australia. The trip, from take off in Tampa to landing in Brisbane, will take about 34 hours.

I'll try to keep you updated . . . however, I never can be sure of what access I'll have to the internet while in Koroit.

If you'd like a postcard from the outback, please email me your mailing address through the contact page of my website: www.koroit.com and I'll try to send you something interesting!

later . . .

- 2 weeks to Australia

2010-06-26T13:29:00.008-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

In 2 weeks I'll be on my way back to Australia. Soon after I land I'll pick up my newly re-registered and repaired 4WD and make the 1,000 km drive out to Koroit.

Before I go, I'll be sorting through the rough I still have here and be putting together many parcels of rough. If you'd like any rough, please email me via my website (koroit.com) and let me know ASAP.

I expect to be adding a few inexpensive parcels of rough opal for sale on my website. To get to that page click here: Rough Koroit Opal for Sale.

It now looks like the "newly repaired" 4WD's repairs are going to cost around $3,000 . . . so I'd really like to sell some rough before I go.

Thank you!

- Going Soon

2010-06-14T18:00:00.002-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Soon I'll be on my way back to Koroit . . . to dig and sweat and find beautiful rocks!

Since I'll soon be leaving, it's time to really sell some rough. I'll be putting together a variety of parcels of rough during the next two weeks.

If you might be interested, please email me and let me know what you're looking for.

I'll try to post a few on my website (www.koroit.com), but usually folks just email me, tell me what they're looking for and I sell to them directly.

Now back to work . . . .

- A Bright Nut

2010-05-16T19:19:00.002-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

. . . a nice bright nut I opened today. This week I expect to be slicing quite a bit of rough and will post photos of some of the gorgeous opals I'll find.

- A few more opals . . . and lots of rain

2010-04-23T19:32:00.006-04:00

Palm Harbor, FL USA

Here are a few opals I've recently cut:

The mining season in Koroit is just starting. The big news from the desert is water - since around Christmas it has rained and rained and rained and flooded in southwest Queensland. Apparently there was more rain and more water than at any time in recorded history. Luckily it appears my mine is ok.

Friends have told me it's greener in and around Koroit and Cunnamulla than they have ever seen before. It sounds pretty. However, all of that water will mean many things are growing and reproducing - grasses and other plants, mice, those who eat mice - like snakes . . . and the kangaroos will over-populate. It's an extreme ecosystem. The addition of a large amount of water will tip its delicate balance. All of that water could make the next couple of years rather interesting, unusual and potentially dangerous.

I'm eager to get out there and see it for myself.

I've made a few improvements to my website.

You might want to take a look: www.koroit.com

Now off to show and sell a few beautiful opals!

- A few opals

2010-02-28T17:13:00.002-05:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Here are a few small opals I just cut. . . .

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- Tucson

2010-02-20T17:44:00.004-05:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

I'm back home, unpacked and back to work. However, I wanted to mention a few things about my recent trip to Tucson.

The number of buyers attending the shows in Tucson this year appeared to be significantly down from last year - and attendance last year was very low. Other dealers I spoke with agreed that attendance was down. It also was clear that the number of dealers was down.

However, in spite of the smaller number of buyers, I was very pleased with the results. The buyers who did show up were interested in buying opals and spent a few dollars.

On my last night in Tucson I went out for for dinner with Mauro (an Italian gemologist, stone wholesaler, dealer in antiquities, manufacturer of glass cameos and my next door neighbor in Tucson for over the last 10 years). We went to a very nice seafood restaurant (curious to eat seafood in Tucson) and met a few other folks for dinner. Among those at our table for dinner were a talented metalsmith who conducts hollowware workshops in Europe, an award winning gem cutter, a former editor of a major industry publication and a gentleman who once actually held the unset Hope diamond in his hand. Conversation that night was entertaining and the mahi-mahi I ordered was delicious.
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2010-02-12T18:21:00.001-05:00

- Back Home

2010-02-12T15:03:00.002-05:00

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Yesterday I finally got back home after a trip of about 4,600 miles.

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by my booth in Tucson. I very much appreciate your business and you visiting my booth to say hello.

Soon I'll be back to work, slicing and cutting new material . . . yes, I'll be posting pictures.

2010-02-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

2010-02-10T20:34:00.001-05:00

2010-02-10T17:53:00.001-05:00