Coober Pedy is one of the most extraordinary towns on earth - a remote outback settlement in the South Australian desert where most of the population lives underground to escape temperatures that regularly exceed 40°C. Known as the "opal capital of the world," Coober Pedy produces the majority of the world's gem-quality opals, and the landscape surrounding the town is dotted with thousands of mine shafts and mullock heaps that give it a distinctly lunar appearance. The town's name comes from the Aboriginal term "kupa-piti," meaning "white man's hole in the ground," which perfectly describes the underground homes, churches, shops, and even a hotel carved into the sandstone. It's a place unlike anywhere else in Australia.
Getting There
Coober Pedy is located on the Stuart Highway, approximately 846km north of Adelaide and 700km south of Alice Springs. The drive from Adelaide takes about 8-9 hours on sealed roads. Rex Airlines operates flights from Adelaide to Coober Pedy several times per week (about 2 hours). The Greyhound bus service also stops in Coober Pedy on the Adelaide to Alice Springs route. Once in town, a car is useful but the town centre is compact enough to walk. Several tour operators offer day trips to surrounding attractions.
Underground Churches
Coober Pedy's underground churches are among its most remarkable features. Carved into the sandstone hillsides, these churches maintain a constant cool temperature year-round and have a unique, cave-like beauty:
- Serbian Orthodox Church: The most photogenic of Coober Pedy's underground churches, carved by hand over many years with beautiful stone walls and a simple altar. Open for visitors.
- Catacomb Church: An Anglican church carved underground, featuring a stunning interior with carved pillars and stained-glass windows that catch light from above-ground openings.
- St Peter & St Paul Catholic Church: Another beautifully carved underground church with an intimate, peaceful atmosphere.
Visiting the churches gives you the best sense of what underground living feels like - cool, quiet, and surprisingly comfortable.
Opal Mining
Opal mining is the reason Coober Pedy exists, and understanding this unique industry is central to any visit:
- Old Timers Mine: A preserved underground mine and museum that shows how opal mining has evolved since the field was discovered in 1915. Self-guided tours through the mine tunnels, a furnished underground home, and an excellent opal display. Entry $18.
- Umoona Opal Mine & Museum: Another excellent mine experience with guided tours, Aboriginal cultural displays, and an opal showroom. Entry $15.
- Noodling: Try your luck fossicking (searching) for opals on the public noodling fields. Noodling is searching through the mullock heaps (waste rock) from existing mines - you're unlikely to find anything valuable, but it's great fun. Free, but bring a bucket and a small rake.
- Opal shops: Dozens of opal shops line the main street, selling everything from rough stones to polished jewellery. Prices range from a few dollars to tens of thousands. Learn to identify quality before you buy.
Breakaways Reserve
The Breakaways Reserve is a stunning mesa landscape about 33km north of Coober Pedy - flat-topped hills and eroded escarpments in vivid shades of red, orange, white, and purple that look like a painted desert. The reserve was used as a filming location for Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. A self-drive loop road (unsealed but suitable for 2WD in dry conditions) takes you through the reserve with several lookout points. The best time to visit is late afternoon when the colours are most intense. Entry is by permit ($5, available from the Coober Pedy Visitor Centre).
Nearby, the Moon Plain is a vast, flat, treeless expanse that genuinely looks like the surface of another planet. It has also been used as a filming location for science fiction movies.
Underground Living
To experience underground living firsthand:
- Faye's Underground Home: A real underground dwelling converted to a museum, showing how locals have created comfortable homes carved into the rock. Entry $5.
- Stay underground: Several underground hotels and B&Bs let you experience sleeping underground - surprisingly comfortable with constant temperatures around 22-24°C year-round.
- Underground bookshop: A quirky bookshop carved into the rock, stocking local history and opal mining literature.
Where to Eat
- John's Pizza Bar: Coober Pedy institution serving Italian and Greek dishes. Famous for its generous portions. Mains $18-32.
- Tom & Mary's Greek Taverna: Excellent Greek cuisine with warm hospitality. BYO available. Mains $22-36.
- Outback Bar & Grill: (Desert Cave Hotel): Modern Australian cuisine in an underground dining room. Mains $28-42.
- Umberto's: Italian restaurant with good pasta and pizza. Mains $18-30.
- Coober Pedy Bakery: Good pies, pastries, and takeaway sandwiches.
Where to Stay
- Budget: Radeka Downunder Backpackers (underground dorms from $35, private rooms from $90), Coober Pedy Budget Motel (from $85).
- Mid-Range: Desert Cave Hotel (underground and above-ground rooms, from $160), The Underground Motel (all rooms underground, from $140).
- Luxury: Lookout Cave Underground Motel (premium underground rooms with views over the town, from $220).
Practical Tips
- Heat: Summer temperatures regularly exceed 45°C. Visit between April and October for more comfortable conditions (15-25°C daytime). - Mine shafts: The landscape around Coober Pedy is riddled with unfenced mine shafts. Never walk off established paths, especially at night. This is a genuine safety hazard. - Fuel and supplies: Coober Pedy has fuel stations, a supermarket, and basic services, but it's a long way from the next town. Fill up and stock up. - Fly prevention: Flies can be extreme in warmer months. Bring a fly net for your head. - Stuart Highway: If driving, the Stuart Highway is long, straight, and can be monotonous. Take regular breaks and watch for road trains.
AUBIS Tip
: Coober Pedy is one of the most unique towns in the world and a quintessential Australian outback experience. Use AUBIS to plan your visit - book an underground hotel for the night, schedule tours of the mines and churches, and plan a sunset visit to the Breakaways Reserve. The platform will help you coordinate this remote adventure with connecting travel to Adelaide, the Flinders Ranges, or onward to Uluru.