Love, War and Crocodiles book
Chapter 26
Farewell Marta and welcome Mad Max, Tina and Olivia
In the 1980s Harry argued with Marta, climbed Ayers Rock (Uluru) and hosted various famous people at the Crocodile’s Nest.
1980
Harry continued to have many arguments with Marta, calling it ‘the war at home’. She threatened to stab him with the kitchen knife when he said he would like to wrap some girls in a tablecloth and bring them home. He continued to go to town and drink intermittently. He had a quiet Anzac Day by himself and still had dreams about Barbara.
Harry would wake up at 5.30 am, write in his diary and read by candlelight so the generator would not wake Marta, before starting work at 7.
During the day they would go to town to shop, collect the mail and visit friends.
Harry was a good recycler - he would find useful items in rubbish bins and at the rubbish dump, such as a brand-new band saw and pieces of metal for his artworks. He did many repairs around the property, and there were dramas with the cats, including having to get rid of more kittens. (Page 285)
In 1988, a television special was released featuring singer Olivia Newton John’s visit to Coober Pedy. She rides up to Harry’s Crocodile’s Nest on a camel and then has a look through his dugout and talks to him.
He speaks to her in his correct but heavily accented English. In interviews, Harry often sounded like an old professor with his slow, precise, even sombre tone, though he usually included witty or humorous comments. No doubt his tone became more upbeat when he had a few drinks. He said Olivia was very pleasant and “like a Latvian”.
While in Coober Pedy, Olivia also recorded a song called ‘Get out’, about a game of two-up (a traditional Australian gambling game) that she wins against the local men after the local women use rolling pins and saucepans to force the men to let her play.
Many other documentaries featuring Harry’s dugout were made in various languages. Harry told Ziedonis there were about 30 of these. As noted before, this was not only because he was an interesting, entertaining and eccentric character but also because of the mystique of the Australian outback, of Coober Pedy and of opals.
When the 1980s were over, Harry fell in love again. But more of that in the next chapter. (page 293)