Personal tools
You are here: Home Australia South Australia Coober Pedy

DESTINATION: Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy, known as the last frontier and 'Australia's opal mining capital', is a modern mining town. Well-known for its unusual 'dugouts'; underground accommodation which enables the inhabitants to escape scorching summer heat. The Aboriginal name, 'Kupa piti', means 'uninitiated man', or 'white man hole'.


Main Attractions

With 2 hotels, the aboveground Opal Inn and underground Desert Cave, as well as other accommodation, the town caters well for visitors. Experience the underground mining museums, mine tours and opal cutting demonstrations on a range of tours of the town. Attractions include the Old Timers Mine off Crowders Gully Rd; Umoona Museum on Hutchison St, which concentrates on local Aboriginal heritage; Coober Pedy Underground Pottery; Underground Books & Gallery; and the Big Winch Lookout, accessed off Italian Club Rd, is spectacular after dark or during one of the region's frequent lightning storms.

Most popular photos

Nearby attractions

Breakaways Reserve, 23km north on the Sturt Hwy, protects an area featuring unique flora and fauna, best viewed at sunrise or sunset. Visitors are requested to stay on the marked tracks, as the ecosystem is very fragile. Locals and visitors can go 'noodling', that is searching through mullocks (mounds of dirt and rock) for overlooked pieces of opal. Permission must first be obtained from the owner. Extreme care must be taken in the opal fields to avoid falling into abandoned shafts.

latest stories

Coober Pedy

naturalwanders | 2008-01-31 | Just past William Creek is the turnoff for Coober Pedy. We cruised on, taking care on the road as it was very patchy in sections. When driving these tracks, one should take extra care at creek crossings and floodways as the surface can be quiet rough. | read more

 

latest business reviews

No business reviews added as yet.

More photos

Copyright 2007, by the Contributing Authors. Cite/attribute Resource. cmsadmin. (2005, May 20). Coober Pedy. Retrieved July 04, 2009, from Plan Book Travel Australia Web site: http://www.planbooktravel.com.au/australia/sa/coober-pedy. This work is licensed under a Universal Publishers. Universal Publishers

Region: Flinders Ranges and Outback

Oodnadatta Roadhouse - Old Ghan Railway Heritage Trail, Northern Territory
by admin
Flinders Ranges in Australia's Outback, renowned for its rugged mountain scenery, deep gorges and tranquil valleys, this is a land of legends and South Australian 4x4 adventure holidays. Most visitors are drawn to the National Parks and the opal mining town of Coober Pedy. more

Local Weather

Tourist info

Council Offices, Hutchinson St, Ph: (08) 8672 5298 or 1800 637 076

Local Videos

Loading...

editors picks

Coober Pedy

naturalwanders | 2008-01-31 | Just past William Creek is the turnoff for Coober Pedy. We cruised on, taking care on the road as it was very patchy in sections. When driving these tracks, one should take extra care at creek crossings and floodways as the surface can be quiet rough. | read more

 

 

Powered by Plone CMS, the Open Source Content Management System

This site conforms to the following standards: