{"id":115,"date":"2023-02-02T10:23:21","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T10:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everywhereaustralia.com.au\/?p=115"},"modified":"2023-02-13T01:27:50","modified_gmt":"2023-02-13T01:27:50","slug":"things-to-do-in-coober-pedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everywhereaustralia.com.au\/things-to-do-in-coober-pedy\/","title":{"rendered":"19 Top Things To Do In Coober Pedy: Ultimate Road Trip Stop"},"content":{"rendered":"

Going on a Coober Pedy trip and want to know exactly what to do in Coober Pedy? We have you covered! Below you will find our guide to all the best Coober Pedy attractions to plan your ultimate trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a small outback town of around 2,500 people, Coober Pedy packs a big punch. Well known as the city where people live underground, and for its opals, it was somewhere I had wanted to visit since I first heard about it as a child. It sounded fascinating!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward many years and I have a son who feels the same way. So we drove the long drive from our home in Melbourne to explore this unique town in the South Australian Outback.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Breakaways, Coober Pedy<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Coober Pedy is a corruption of aboriginal words which mean \u201cwhite man hole in the ground\u201d which actually seems like an apt name! As the place that supplies around 80% of the world\u2019s opals, there are many holes in the ground here – some for mining and some for people\u2019s homes. With the high temperatures in this part of the world, underground houses make a lot of sense and many homes are built this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coober Pedy is a great place to explore and is truly unique. Everywhere you look are views and sights which look somewhat other worldly. It\u2019s not just the Outback or a mining town, it\u2019s some place all of its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, you will find everything you need to know about the best Coober Pedy tourist attractions, the best things to see in Coober Pedy as well as a handy map of all the fun activities in Coober Pedy for your ultimate holiday!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

19 Top Things To Do In Coober Pedy SA<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Here are the best things to do in Coober Pedy, South Australia. Read through and select the ones that fit your interests and timeframe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also possible to do tours once you are in Coober Pedy which will take you to many of these attractions. The first time I went to Coober Pedy, I did this and it was a great way to learn more and see a lot quickly and stress free. This previous introduction also helped me get more out of my second recent visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check Out The Old Timers Mine & Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Inside the mine<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Old Timers Mine and Museum is a great place to head to learn more about Coober Pedy\u2019s past, mining and how people live. It\u2019s like a three-in-one attraction with an opal mine to explore, a museum and an old 1920s underground home all seamlessly linked together. It should be on your list of top 10 things to do in Coober Pedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entry is by self-guided tour and it starts in the old mine. Helmets are provided and it\u2019s up to you whether you wear one or not. I highly recommend it since you\u2019ll be exploring a mine which has a low roof at times. My helmet hit the walls or roof quite a few times – so I was very thankful I put it on.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Inside the museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The mine is fun to explore. There are many examples of opal seams\/traces, old gear and information about how opal was mined and the people who pioneered opal mining in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a map with some info that you can read as you go around and my 9 year old and I had fun walking around exploring the mine. It was our favourite mine to walk around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you follow the map, the mine turns into a museum with a lot of memorabilia and information. We were excited to learn one of the people who first discovered opal in this area shares the same name as my brother-in-law!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Inside the old underground home<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Next up, there is an underground home with information about the people who had lived there and how it would have been set up in times gone by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All in all, it\u2019s a very interesting Coober Pedy attraction. There is also a shop on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More Of The Opal Town History At Umoona Opal Mine & Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Entry to the Umoona Opal Mine and Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Located on the main street in the centre of town, this museum includes Coober Pedy\u2019s largest underground attraction in town and is a must see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The museum itself is free to enter and covers lots of information on life of the first people of this region as well as opal formation and the mining process. To see the underground mine, you must join a tour group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tour takes you through the underground mine tunnels with an informative guide with lots of information on how opal is formed, mining techniques, history and a tour through underground dugout homes. Tours also include a 20 minute video in their panoramic underground theatre all about opal and the history of the town. There is also complimentary tea\/coffee\/hot chocolate.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Inside the museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

There\u2019s an extensive opal shop. Tours run three times a day. We were disappointed when we went that they were full for that day! So I recommend booking ahead. It seems popular with bus tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, I recommend visiting this one of the things to see and do in Coober Pedy first as the tour gives a great introduction to everything you\u2019ll explore and see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore Tom’s Working Opal Mine<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Entry to Tom’s Working Opal Mine<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A bit different to the museums above, Tom\u2019s Working Opal Mine is a great choice of the things to do Coober Pedy offers. Located on the Stuart Highway just north of the town exits, here you can learn more about opal mines while exploring a working opal mine. Afterwards, you can noodle for opals by their car park!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two options for your mine visit – you can either take a self-guided tour or a guided tour. We took the self-guided tour which started with an introduction to the mine, showing us how to find opals in the walls using UV lights, and a turn on the chair they had set up to take you into and out of an opal mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were given helmets to wear, a map and UV torch. The mine has enough to explore that we spent about 40 minutes walking around, using the UV light to look for opals in the wall and on the ground. It\u2019s fun and works especially well with kids.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Inside Tom’s Working Opal Mine<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Without kids, I would have done the guided tour instead. There isn\u2019t that much information in the mine so I would have appreciated the extra information. The guide also demonstrates the Tunneling Machine and Bosun Winch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside, there are mullock heaps (rocks and ground moved from the mine) where you can noodle for opals as well as equipment and other mining operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whichever tour you take, this is one of the places to visit in Coober Pedy which is well worth a visit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noodle For Opals<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Noodling at the Jeweller\u2019s Shop<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

You can\u2019t come to Coober Pedy without looking for your own opal and \u201cnoodling\u201d is the way to do this! The ultimate choice of the free things to do in Coober Pedy, it also gives you a teeny tiny taste of opal hunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also known as fossicking, noodling is sifting through the mullock heaps that are leftover when mines are built to look for opals. The term \u201cnoodling\u201d is believed to have come from the Queensland opal fields where people fossicked for nodules of opals – with noodling being a variation of the word \u201cnoduling\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people are professional noodlers and find enough great opals this way to make a living. It\u2019s not easy to find something good but it is fun and works especially well with kids as they will hopefully find something they like the look of to take home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good place to go is at a public area known as the \u201cJeweller\u2019s Shop\u201d on Jewellers Shop Road near Umoona Road. There are many mullock heaps to sift through and my son could not get enough of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore The Kanku – Breakaways Conservation Park<\/h3>\n\n\n
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A short drive north of Coober Pedy, you\u2019ll find the Kanku – Breakaways Conservation Park, a stunningly arid landscape with two main lookouts, colourful mesas, hills and desert plains. It certainly looks otherworldly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the way here you can see both the Dingo Fence and Moon Plain (both listed below as separate attractions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire park is Aboriginal heritage listed and of great importance to this culture. This area is also home to a diverse range of native wildlife and is just a fascinating place to see with your own eyes. The colour of the landscape changes as the day progresses and the sun moves through the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a $10 entry fee per vehicle but you can also visit by tour if you want to learn a bit more about this landscape and its importance to the indigenous population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay In An Underground Hotel<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Inside our room at the Comfort Inn Coober Pedy Experience<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Want to live like a local? Many locals in Coober Pedy live underground. It\u2019s economical, easier than building a regular house and keeps cool in summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while it\u2019s fun to go into museums and check out underground homes, there\u2019s nothing like staying in one yourself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We stayed at the Comfort Inn Coober Pedy Experience which was the perfect way to experience underground living. Built into an old opal mine, you can have your own room underground. It\u2019s a different way to experience the Outback and I loved it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here to see more details on the Comfort Inn Coober Pedy Experience.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

See The Serbian Orthodox Church<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Serbian Orthodox Church<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Coober Pedy has always had a diverse population. Thanks to this, you can visit the beautiful Church of Saint Elijah the Prophet, the Serbian Orthodox Church just out of town.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Inside the Serbian Orthodox Church<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This underground church is definitely unique and stunning with its interior stained glass windows and beautiful carvings. It\u2019s worth the short drive out here to visit this one of the Coober Pedy things to do and see. If you visit just one church in Coober Pedy, make it this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit The Catacomb Church And St Peter & Paul Catholic Church<\/h3>\n\n\n
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St Peter and Paul Catholic Church<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The St Peter & Paul Catholic Church was opened in 1967 and was the first underground Catholic church in the world. It\u2019s right on the main Hutchison Street so it\u2019s easy to visit this unique church when you are exploring Coober Pedy.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Catacomb Church<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Catacomb Church was dug out in the mid-1970\u2019s and is another unique church to sit and enjoy not far from the end of Hutchison Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n