Conversations in Yowah can be surprising and informative

Conversations over coffee at the Yowah cafe bring to light many of the differences that make this small outback Queensland community so unique.

"What have you been doing with yourself this morning?" asks one local woman to another.

"Been cracking nuts; mostly duds but one a real beauty."

Yowah nuts are, generally speaking fist-sized (but sometimes much larger and other times much smaller) and look like a rounded rock. When cracked, however, they may reveal a 'kernal'of pure opal or varying amounts of opal. Therefore, cracking nuts is an addictive process. Will this be the one that makes me one million dollars?

Today's coffee brought forth two more topics that I found of interest

"It's the fact that there is no pub in Yowah that keeps it free of crime," said a bloke dressed in dusty boots, shorts and navy singlet. "We don't need or have police out here. Graffiti's not a problem -- nor is rubbish."

Then there was the miner who digs for opal down a 20 m shaft. "On a fine sunny day like today, when I look up from the bottom of my hole, I can see the stars better than at night!"