Underground Coober Pedy

The original Outback Now listed dozens of Coober Pedy attractions, and pages for the golf course, Crocodile Harry's and the Old Timers Mine were picked up by sites from Atlas Obscura to gaming forums. Here they are in one guide. For background on the town, see our Coober Pedy town guide.

Underground mines and museums

Old Timers Mine. A historic mine discovered when a dugout was being extended, now a museum showing hand-dug tunnels from the early opal era, with an underground home display. Self-guided tours.

Umoona Opal Mine and Museum. A mine, museum and underground home tour with displays on opal formation and Aboriginal heritage.

Tom's Working Opal Mine and other tours. Several operators run tours of working or recently worked mines; offerings change, so check with the visitor centre.

Underground churches

The Serbian Orthodox Church of St Elijah is a striking underground church carved into sandstone, with high vaulted ceilings. The Catacomb Church (Anglican) and Catholic St Peter and Paul's are also underground.

Crocodile Harry's underground nest

A dugout home turned eccentric gallery, with sculptures, carvings and messages from visitors scrawled on the walls. It featured in films shot in the area. A small entry fee usually applies.

Coober Pedy golf course

A golf course with no grass at all: fairways are dirt, and players carry a piece of turf for each shot. The club has been known to offer reciprocal rights with famous courses — a classic outback joke with a real course behind it.

Underground accommodation

Several underground hotels and B&Bs let you sleep in a dugout. Rooms are cool, silent and very dark.

Above ground

Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park and the Moon Plain, about 30 km north, are a film location of colourful mesas. The Dog Fence crosses the loop road. Back in town, the Big Winch lookout and sculptures from films dot the streets.

Safety

Opal fields are riddled with unmarked shafts. Stay on roads, never walk backwards and keep children close.

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How Coober Pedy began

Opal was found at Coober Pedy in 1915 by a teenage boy, Willie Hutchison, who was travelling with his father's gold prospecting party. Mining took off in the years after World War I, when returned soldiers came to the field and began digging homes underground to escape the summer heat — a practice that gave the town its character. The name is usually said to come from the Aboriginal words "kupa piti", often translated as "white man in a hole" or "boys' waterhole". The town sits on the Country of the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people.

Coober Pedy became one of the world's major sources of precious opal, attracting migrants from Europe and beyond after World War II. Today the town is a multicultural community where many residents still live in dugouts.

Living underground

Underground homes, or dugouts, are carved into the hillsides. The rock insulates them from the extreme heat of summer and the cold of winter nights, keeping indoor temperatures fairly constant all year. Many homes have multiple rooms, ventilation shafts and even underground swimming pools. Several museums and underground homes are open to visitors, giving a sense of everyday life below the surface.

Noodling for opal

"Noodling" means sifting through mullock (mine waste) for small pieces of opal that miners missed. Coober Pedy has a designated public noodling area in town, often called the Jewellers Shop area, where visitors can try their luck. Never noodle on active claims or private property without permission. If you want to peg your own claim, you'll need a permit from the South Australian government's mining regulator — the rules are strict and the visitor centre can explain them.

Buying opal

Coober Pedy's opal shops sell everything from rough stones to finished jewellery. Opal types include solid opal, doublets and triplets (thin slices of opal backed with other material). Ask the seller what type you are buying, request a certificate or written description, and compare a few shops before committing.

Kanku-Breakaways in more detail

Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park is jointly managed by the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people and the South Australian government. Its colourful mesas and flat-topped hills are significant in local Aboriginal stories. An entry permit is required; it can be bought in town, and the visitor centre can advise. The park has lookouts and short walks, and it is especially striking at sunrise and sunset.

Films and pop culture

Coober Pedy's moonlike landscape has drawn filmmakers for decades, including for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Pitch Black. The spaceship prop on the main street is a souvenir of film production in the area.

Getting there and around

Coober Pedy is on the Stuart Highway, about 850 km north of Adelaide. Regional flights connect it with Adelaide, and coach services pass through. Many visitors also arrive via the Oodnadatta Track from William Creek. The town is spread out, so a vehicle helps, but several tours include transport.

When to visit

The cooler months from about April to October are most comfortable for exploring above ground. Summer days are very hot, but underground attractions stay cool. Check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast and carry plenty of water.

Further reading

• Andamooka
• White Cliffs
• Oodnadatta