TK Adventures – September 2021.  

Part 3 of 3 – Adelaide to Coober Pedy

With Woomera in my rearview mirror, the warm autumn sun shining across the
dashboard, I had the RAM and Ezytrail pointed north along the Stuart Highway,
Coober Pedy bound!
I was feeling pretty excited as I had never been to Coober Pedy before, and I’d
heard so much about the town that was often referred to as the Opal Capital of
the world.

This was also where Macca and I would meet up after going our separate ways
to film 4 episodes of What’s Up Downunder. As you would recall in Part 1 of this
journey, Macca took the off-road with his Ezy-trail Caravan whilst I was taking the
asphalt. I was looking forward to hearing all of his stories and not doubt some of
the antics he and the crew got up to journey their travellers!
Roughly 525k’s north of Port Augusta, Coober Pedy is ideally situated for those
heading north as a rest and refuelling stop. Established around 1915, the Opal
fields surround the town where WiIl Hutchinson discovered opal whilst his father
and others were searching for gold.
With a significant population of eastern block immigrants, Coober Pedy was seen
as a new start for many, where hard work could be rewarded by riches beyond
their dreams or, possibly failure and a short stay in the area.
With millions to be made, the area attracted many people during the 60’s through
to the 80’s where it really was like the wild west!
These days the town is a thriving tourist area with many opal shops, caravan
parks, restaurants and bars.
Coober Pedy living is fairly unique with over half the dwellings situated
underground. The sandstone around Coober Pedy is ideal for digging
underground homes, the ground being able to support large rooms with very few
support beams.
Dugouts, as they are known, became popular due to the need to escape from the
extreme heat of the outback. Usually dug into the side of hills, rather than down
into the ground, they help avoid flooding during the rainy season. The dugouts
are only constrained by the owner’s imagination. Some have pools, some have
round rooms, and many with multiple rooms.

Tania & Macca

Opal mining has been the lifeblood for the town and the main reason Coober
Pedy has thrived over the years. Once a real threat to the diamond trade, the
opal is still a sought after gemstone, each unique in colour and structure.
This unique outback town has a lot going for it and one place I recommend you
spend some time is the Old Timers Mine, it is a hidden gem!
This place is not only an underground opal mine from 1916 which you can spend
all day exploring, there is also an original underground home from the 1960’s.
The bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms and hallways have all been left as they were
back in the day. I was fascinated how people could live and work this way.
You can also try your luck by noodling in the pits whilst you are there or you can
always take a little or big piece of Coober Pedy home with you in the form of an
opal, by visiting the underground gift shop. The Old Timers Mine also has a basic
but very convenient Caravan Park right next door!

Whilst my visit to Coober Pedy was only brief this time around, I am intrigued
enough by the town and all that it has to offer to one day come back for another
visit.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my 3 Part ‘blog’ from Adelaide to Coober Pedy.

Until next time, get out there and enjoy this great country of ours – keep on livin’
the dream.

Happy Travels, love Tania xx