C O O B E R   P E DY

This is definitely the most weird and wayout township in Australia.  The small population of more than 40 different nationalities who came with the lure of Opals live in dugout homes that are used mineshafts. The reason: inhospitable climatic conditions that can go as high as 50 degrees in the summer and below freezing in the winter. If you're wondering why 3000 people live in this miserable hole at all, you won't have to look far.  Coober Pedy in aboriginal is 'white fellows hole in the Ground”. It is the Opal Capital of Australia. Located on Stuart Highway, 535 km from the nearest big town, this dried out, dusty town is full of mineshafts; a lot of which have been converted into homes.  The rest are still around so be careful or you'll find yourself at the bottom of a used opal mine! 

 That’s not the only thing you may have to watch out for.  The town can get a bit  bomb happy.  In the past 13 years the police station has been bombed twice, a restaurant bombed, mining equipment worth thousands of dollars blown up and recently two police cars went up in flames!  Nevertheless, this incredibly weird town, (which was quite aptly the locale of the film Mad Max III), has friendly people and unforgettable sights.  You also have a choice of many Opal Shops to choose from to buy your very own stone.  Or maybe ou’ll just get lucky on a fossicking trip.

Flying by Kendell Airlines from Adelaide is the usual route, especially if time is your concern. Otherwise you can take a bus from Adelaide, Alice Springs or Kulgera. Drive down the Stuart Highway on a sealed track from Port Augusta, or brave the rougher track via Oodnadatta. Check Australia by road for driving tips. Getting around Coober Pedy is either by walking or hiring bikes.

The main tourist office is on Hutchison St and Underground Books on Post Office Hill Rd. is a fantastic source of information on the outback. There are lots of tours operating from Coober Pedy that'll take you to the rounds of the mines and the dugout homes etc.  The most interesting and offbeat one is the 600 km ride by the mail truck through the round trip of the one or two remote communities in the outback. 

For such a small town there are surprisingly lots of different choices – From top end hotels to midrange motels to B& Bs and hostels to Caravan Parks.  Coober Pedy caters well to the thousands of tourists who arrive every year. Remember some places are actually basement accommodation and built underground, so check out this fact when booking. There aren’t too many restaurants and not many economical ones.  But the Italian Miners Club and some Greek Places are good and not too expensive. Takeaways and coffee lounges on the main street are reasonable.

The most unusual sight in the town is the dugout homes.  Some are so beautifully cut, they are a must – see. Many homes charge an entry fee.

Ever since a small boy discovered opals here in 1915, the town’s main occupation is opal mining.  People of more than 40 nationalities have made Coober Pedy their home.  You can go fossicking around in any opal field in t he northeast corner of town or go through the waste dumps, a pastime that is called noodling.  In the absence of big mining operators, small time miners can make a killing if they find opals somewhere. To top it all there are still lots of fields that have not been dug.

Other places to see are the Old Timer’s Mine, which has lots of displays, and the Umoona Opal Mine & Museum in the town centre.  The documentary they show is great, and on display are lots of dugout homes and the history of Opal Mining.  Underground Potteries and Crocodile Harry’s are good places to visit. Named after a Latvian baron wh emigrated to Australia after WWII and spent 13 years hunting crocodiles, this dugout home called Crocodile Harry’s is amazing and has even been shown in Mad Max III and Ground Zero. 

For those buying Opals try to go to reputable outlets, and avoid those giving huge discounts because that means its overpriced or bad quality.

Around Coober Pedy don't miss out on the Breakaways Reserve which has lots of stark  hills and landscape, the most interesting of which is the white-and-yellow formation called the Castle.  It was featured in Mad Max III and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.  You can drive around in the area and go to Dog Fence and Moon Plain.  Any tour operator in Coober Pedy will give you information about the Breadaways Reserve.