Coober Pedy - The Underground Town

Mines and Hotels in the Australian Outback

Coober Pedy is located 850 kms north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway, South Australia. It is one of the most unique places in Australia, with 70% of the population living underground in "dugout" homes.

Coober Pedy is the opal capital of the world. Approximately 95% of the world's opal comes from local mines. Opal was first found in Coober Pedy in 1915, which resulted in the formation of the town. The town's economy relies on the opal mining industry just as much as the tourism industry.

Underground Homes

Coober Pedy is found in the harsh outback of South Australia, and has daily temperatures 3 months of the year that average between 35-37C or more. Approximately 70% of the 3,000 residents of Coober Pedy live in underground homes.

Returning soldiers from WW1 came home to Australia and introduced the underground method of living which Coober Pedy is most famous for. "Dugout" homes were how many soldiers had survived in the trenches in France, and the extreme conditions in Coober Pedy were a good fit for that style of home.

Temperatures underground are at a near constant 25C. As well as saving a lot of money in energy costs, boring machines can dig a 4-bedroom home in a day, costing 20-30% less than conventional housing.

Staying Overnight at Coober Pedy

There are a range of underground accommodations at Coober Pedy, including hotels, B&Bs and backpackers. Part mines are converted into lodging, or accommodation such as The Underground Motel have been dug out from the side of a sandstone hill.

The Underground Motel has standard rooms for 2 adults for $100 per night, including a continental breakfast. Rooms have high ceilings, and are quiet, cool and airy. Each room has a private ensuite and Wi-Fi access is available.

Visiting Coober Pedy

Cooper Pedy is accessible by daily coach from Adelaide. There is no public transport or taxis available in Coober Pedy -- this is outback Australia. Pre-booking accommodation is highly recommended, and most accommodation houses will be happy to provide transport around Coober Pedy.

While visiting, interesting attractions include a tour of a working opal mine and visiting the underground shops and churches. There is a local golf course in Coober Pedy, but nothing like you would have ever experienced before. Golf is played at night with glowing balls to avoid the heat and this golf course has no grass! Golfers carry around a small piece of Astroturf with them to tee off.

If you really want to experience outback Australia, consider doing the mailrun. Twice a week, you can drive in air conditioned 4WD vehicles with the mailman and visit remote outback towns to deliver the mail.

The 12 hour journey is on unsealed roads and gives you an opportunity to learn about the history of Central Australia, as well as the history and nature of the people who survived in these areas. You will never find a town as quite like Coober Pedy.