Spaceships promise 'out of this world' backyard fun for new family

Most of us still live a terrestrial* life in a galaxy far, far away from imaginary visits to Mars … but one outback Australian property offers a glimpse into what living in space might be like.

Longtime Coober Pedy residents Lorraine and Dieter Sternberg are looking to part ways with their South Australian space odyssey* The Opal Cave, one of the town’s oldest tourism complexes that includes an opal retail store, a three-bedroom residence and underground guest accommodation for up to 365 people.

But what’s really out of this world is the original spaceship from the hit blockbuster Pitch Black, which introduced Vin Diesel’s character Riddick to millions of sci-fi fans.

The spaceship was used for external shots of the crashed transporter but was later gifted to the Sternbergs, who placed the prop as a landmark* outside their business.

“I ended up cleaning up after the film company left and of course, they were going to destroy the spaceship and I asked them, if I transported it to town, could I have it – and they gave it to me,” Mr Sternberg said.

“So that’s how we ended up with it and we just put it on the grounds of The Opal Cave as something for people to look at and it’s certainly become quite a landmark.

“It probably needs a little bit of maintenance now as some of the materials used to manufacture it aren’t long-lasting materials.”

The couple, who worked as location scouts* for movie heavyweights in the late nineties and early 2000s, are also in the possession of the Mars entry vehicle that featured in the movie Red Planet, starring Val Kilmer, Carrie-Anne Moss and Australia’s own Simon Baker.

“We ended up with some of the sets from that movie but the trouble is that they are very sensitive (to the weather), so I haven’t put them on display yet,” Mr Sternberg said.

“The main one I’ve got was the Mars entry vehicle, a big octagonal* ball that was released from the spaceship down with a parachute.

“It tumbled down cliff faces and came to rest on the ground and then the space travellers climbed out in spacesuits. That’s how the film started … so that was a very spectacular set.”

Now the couple has relocated to Adelaide, Mr Sternberg said his extensive movie set collection would be included in the sale.

The property – keepsakes included – is on the market with a price guide of $1 million.

“It can all go but it does need some work,” Mr Sternberg said.

The Sternbergs purchased the business from their former boss Faye Nayler in 1982. Ms Sternberg said saying goodbye to a lifetime of memories would be the hardest part.

“I’m still up in arms on whether I want to sell it but I know I have to,” she said.

“When we purchased the business … it was just too small, as we worked with over 800 coaches* a year.

“So my husband went in with the tunnelling machine and we built a much larger shop and put in more accommodation so that we could accommodate 365 people underground with a bed.

“It’s a good complex, as you can live here and go to work whenever you want to.

“We’re pretty proud of what we’ve achieved … and hope someone will continue it on as it really is an icon* in this town.”

The original version of this story was published by realcommercial.com.au and is republished with permission.

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GLOSSARY

• terrestrial: earthbound, relating to planet Earth or living on land
• odyssey: adventure, eventful experience, figurative or literal journey
• location scouts: people who find suitable places to shoot films, TV shows and commercials
• octagonal: eight-sided shape
• coaches: buses, in this case referring to busloads of tourists
• icon: famous person or thing that represents something of importance

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QUICK QUIZ

1. Where did the property’s two spaceships come from?
2. What additional role did the couple have in the nineties and early 2000s?
3. How many guests can be accommodated underground?
4. What other precious gem is sold in the gift store?
5. What is the price guide for the property and its memorabilia?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Opal cave and spaceships
If you bought The Opal Cave and the movie memorabilia that accompanies it, how would you incorporate the spaceship and Mars entry vehicles into the underground hotel complex to make it more of a tourist attraction for people who want to visit?

Sketch your design below of how you would add the space memorabilia and any other upgrades you might make to The Opal Cave to make it a world-renowned tourist attraction.

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Design and Technologies, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
What sort of buyers might be interested in buying this rare property and complex?

What lifestyle change would it require?

Do you think the price is fair? Why or why not?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.