S - Southern Cross Mine

The Southern Cross Mine was the first mine to be registered in Yowah, on 1st September 1884.

A famous opal dealer, Bryan Rossiter, discovered this remarkable field and became the manager of the Southern Cross Mine, the home of the famous “Yowah Nut,” precious opal found in ironstone nodules or concretions

Opal mining in the area was very difficult. With little vegetation and extreme drought, obtaining water and food was difficult.

This from a Report dated 1900:
The country from Eulo to the opal field is uninteresting in the extreme, not a blade of grass or patch of herbage being seen on the whole journey. So severe is the drought in this locality that even the birds seem to have migrated. Permanent water is scarce, the nearest to the opal workings is at Sheep Station Creek, some five miles from The Great Extended Mine. Water has to be carted to the miners from the dam at this place, which conveys some idea of the disadvantages under which they labour.

Tough times indeed.

This Cache

You will find this cache in a rock cairn - a pile of stones marking the location of the cache

This cache is part of the Opal Muster Tail established for the Queensland Outback Geocaching Muster (QOGM) 2021 Paroo - one of fifteen caches each of which contain part of the coordinates for the Mystery Cache "Opal Muster Tail Final"

Each cache contains a logbook for you to sign.  In addition, there are some "opals" in each cache which must be opened to discover which "opal" has the clue to the final.  Record your clues to discover the location of the cache "Opal Muster Tail Final".

The image below is how the original cairn for this cache was constructed. PLEASE RETURN IT TO THIS STATE AFTER YOU HAVE REPLACED THE CACHE.  

Keep the cache covered but away from the rocks Their summertime heat could deform the plastic.  Especially the lid - keep the rock cover ABOVE the cache so it is NOT touching the lid.  Thank you for helping prolong the life of this cache.

Happy Fossicking!