Coober Pedy

Introducing Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy bills itself as the opal capital of Australia, if not the world. Opal was discovered here by a teenage boy in 1915, and the chance of a strike has since enticed people from all over the world. Coober Pedy is 535km north of Port Augusta, along the Stuart Hwy, and if you stay for any length of time you’ll hear outrageous stories of fortunes made and lost, intrigues, vendettas and crazy old-timers. Every few years someone makes a million-dollar find, but some miners spend decades hard at work and make very little for their efforts.

The name Coober Pedy is from a local Aboriginal dialect and is said to mean ‘white man’s hole in the ground’. About half the population, comprising more than 40 nationalities, lives in dugouts (underground rooms) to shelter from the extreme climate: daytime summer temperatures can soar to over 50°C and the winter nights are freezing. Apart from the dugouts, there are more than 250, 000 mine shafts in the area. Although these days the shafts are fenced off, it pays to keep your eyes open if wandering around!

Coober Pedy is in an inhospitable environment where rainfall is scant, so even in the middle of winter the town looks dry and dusty, and water is expensive. You could never describe the town as attractive. In fact, it looks a bit like the end of the world, making it the perfect locale for ‘end of the world’ films such as Mad Max III and Stark, and otherworldly movies including Red Planet and Pitch Black.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009