Coober Pedy - An Aussie Town Nestled in the Heart of the Red Centre of Australia

Coober Pedy, South Australia gives visitors a behind the scene look at a prospecting town. Fascinating and you even have to go mining for opal. Here’s 14 reasons to stay awhile.

1. UNDERGROUND

Tourists trying their hand at opal mining, Coober Pedy

Check your hotel wall for the glint of opals.

The top of the ticket in Coober Pedy is an underground stay. Over 50% of Coober Pedy residents enjoy cool summers underground. Don’t knock it, become a hermit and take the stairs underground.

Reviews & Booking

2. COOBER PEDY CHURCHES

Serbian Orthodox church interior Coober Pedy SA 5723, Australia

Anglican underground church, Coober Pedy Serbian Orthodox underground church, Coober Pedy

Underground, resonate with ethnic characters from Serbian, Catholic and Greek communities. The underground churches of Coober Pedy are beautiful and open to the public. There are donation boxes to assist with the church’s maintenance.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

Coober Pedy Tours & Adventures – BOOK NOW, PAY LATER

3. PLAY GOLF – THERE IS NO GRASS

A golf course without grass, Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy readily gets summer temperatures in excess of 50c. Golf course grass does not survive in the central Australian desert. Coober Pedy has the ingenious solution of using waste oil combined with gravel dust to create a golf course. The 18 hole golf course is open to the public.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

4. KANKU BREAKAWAYS

Breakaway Scenic Reserve, Salt and Pepper mounds, Coober Pedy

Painted, the colours of aboriginal art writ large of sculptured ancient hills is a short ½ hour drive from Coober Pedy. Breakaway Conservation Park is Aboriginal owned and a registered historic site. Absolutely stunning with excellent information plaques.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

5. DOG (DINGO) FENCE

Outback Dingo fence, longest fence in world, Coober Pedy

• 5,614 km wire mesh fence buried deep in the ground to minimise dingoes digging underneath the fence
• Height 1.8 – 2 km transverses three Australian States
• Dog fence has its own patrol monitors maintaining fence integrity
• Fence’s role is to protect sheep from dingo’s predator instincts for a easy meal
• Wild emus will pace the dog (dingo) fence and occasionally throw their weight against the fence. The fence is an environmental barrier for wild kangaroos and other animals

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

6. COOBER PEDY TOURS

Opal shop, Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy Tours – Underground Mine Tours at Umoona Opal Mine. Catch the bug and become an opal prospector for an hour or two.

Tours, Reviews & More

COOBER PEDY’S BACKYARD OF NOODLING AREAS AND MINE SITES

Coober Pedy aerial view of opal mine shafts

Noodling area open to the public. Check with the Department of Mines & Energy on areas to noodle. If you are not on a pegged claim and do not use a pick, shovel or any digging device then a permit is not required. Trespassers on claims can be fined. If you wish to mine in any way using tools, machinery or explosives, a precious stones prospecting permit must be obtained from the Mines & Energy office.

The Coober Pedy Opal Fields are pitted with abandoned prospecting drill holes up to 30m deep. Estimated over 1,500,000 open shafts. Please beware and adhere to the following warnings.

1. It is illegal to go on a pegged claim without the miner’s permission.
2. Beware of machinery in operation.
3. Do not go onto the opal fields at night.
4. Watch where you walk and do not walk backwards, especially when taking photographs.

(source Coober Pedy public notices)

7. SCULPTURES, OUTDOOR ART INSTALLATIONS

Next big thing, Coober Pedy's Big Wheel sculpture

Wander Coober Pedy streets and snap photographs of repurposed mining equipment. Eccentric and uniquely Coober Pedy. The large sized sculptures are found on the main street and adjoining streets.

8. UMOONA OPAL MINE AND MUSEUM

Umoon Opal Mine and Museum entrance

• Contemporary, interactive history of Coober Pedy from the dinosaurs (complete with skeleton), traditional Aboriginal to the current prospecting era
• Look for state flower of Desert Stuart Pea flowers planted around the entrance of the museum
• Go underground at the museum ‘dugout’

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

9. JOSEPHINE’S GALLERY & KANGAROO ORPHANAGE

Josephine's Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage, Coober Pedy @theadelaideset

A special combination of the original Aboriginal Art Gallery with adorable orphaned kangaroos and other wildlife. A great souvenir shopping destination in Coober Pedy.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

10. COOBER PEDY’S WELL BEING LABYRINTH

Coober Pedy Wellbeing Labyrinth @Australian Labyrinth Network Inc

Coober Pedy’s Well Being labyrinth. A community initiative, a 7 circuit, seed pattern, 25 metre diameter labyrinth is situated between parkland and wetland on Coober Pedy’s Triangle Recreational Reserve to promote wellness.

Why did the residents of Coober Pedy decide to live underground?

Coober Pedy residents were encouraged by returning WWI soldiers to trench and tunnel underground as a house extension. Known as ‘dugouts’ The extreme heat of the summer is greatly mitigated from 50c plus to the underground mid 20 c.

Dugout extensions are excavated into hillsides rather than dug from shafts. The soil in the Coober Pedy hillside is stable enough to allow huge ceiling spans in rooms and it is not unusual for a mining family to buy an adjoining property and tunnel to link two dwellings, or even three or four.

11. JOHN MCDOUALL STUART MONUMENT

John McDouall Stuart Monument, Coober Pedy @Coober Pedy Retail, Business & Tourism Association

Take time to consider the life and times of one of Australia’s great European explorers, John McDouall Stuart.

12. WILL HUTCHINSON  MONUMENT

Will Hutchinson Monument, Coober Pedy @Monument Australia

WILL HUTCHINSON MONUMENT – 1915 DISCOVERY OF OPALS. Will Hutchison discovered the first opal in Stuarts Range Opal Field in South Australia in 1915 and is recognised as the founder of Coober Pedy.

• Coober Pedy is home to approximately 1,500 people. Residents are from SE Asia, Europe with over 30% of residents foreign born.
• Coober Pedy has 150,00 visitor each year with the majority of visitors traversing the Stuart Highway on their way to Alice to Springs.

DRIVE IN MOVIE – a rare survivor of drive in movies is NOW CLOSED due to a devastating storm in November 2023.

13. BIG WINCH LOOKOUT

Big Winch Lookout @Coober Pedy Retail, Business & Tourism Association

Iconic representation of Coober Pedy is the BIG WINCH LOOKOUT. The sculpture was built by Klaus Wirries in the 1970’s to celebrate the Opal.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

14. COOBER PEDY BOOT HILL CEMETERY

Cemetery DC of Coober Pedy

Wander through a cemetery and read the quirky memorial plaques and tombstones. The story of prospecting is narrated by the inhabitants of the cemetery.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET TO COOBER PEDY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA?

The best way to get to Coober Pedy, opal mining town of South Australia is by vehicle, either the regular public bus service from Adelaide to Darwin, Darwin to Adelaide (Greyhound). Public bus ride is approximately 11 hours. Private vehicle is 9 – 10 hours. It is a long drive, be safe and aware of driver fatigue. 

848 km Adelaide to Coober Pedy

CAN YOU FLY TO COOBER PEDY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA?

Coober Pedy has a domestic airport. Regional Express Airlines operate a daily service to and from Adelaide. 

There are scenic flights departing from Coober Pedy. Check flight tour providers for details.

DOES THE TRAIN STOP AT COOBER PEDY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA?

The Ghan stops at Manguri, 40 km west of Coober Pedy and passengers can disembark. Transport from the rail siding to Coober Pedy must be arranged beforehand.

CAN YOU EXPLORE THE OUTBACK BEYOND COOBER PEDY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA EASILY?

You can easily find out more about the outback on a very special tour departing from Coober Pedy with the MAIL RUN TOURS. Travel with the mailman delivering the mail to the historic towns of Oodnadatta and William Creek as well as 5 remote cattle stations including the world’s largest, Anna Creek Station.

Stop to view the old Ghan Railway line whilst travelling the famous Oodnadatta track. The tour is done in a comfortable air conditioned 4WD vehicle with a maximum of 4 people to make it a more personalised trip.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

If we have accidentally used your photograph without your permission, we are sorry and will remove the photograph as soon as possible. Any use without permission is an oversight… for more information regarding our Terms and Conditions check HERE.