Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
shifted sideways due to flooding. The food here is unexciting, but the home-
made pies have a following. If you find yourself in Port Augusta, the area's
main town, head to the
Standpipe Motor Inn
(
&
08/8642 4033
) for excellent
Indian food. The rooms here are nice enough, and quiet, and cost A$80 (US$52)
for a double.
COOBER PEDY
854km (529 miles) NW of Adelaide; 689km (427 miles) S of Alice Springs
Tourists come to this Outback opal-mining town for one thing: the people. More
than 3,500 people, from 44 nations, work mainly underground here—the major-
ity suffering from opal fever, which keeps you digging on the trail of the elusive
shimmering rocks. Though some residents are secretive and keep to themselves,
many others are colorful characters ready to stop for a chat and spin a few yarns.
Historically, Coober Pedy was a rough place, and it still has a certain Wild
West air about it. The first opal was found here in 1915, but it wasn't until 1917
when the Trans Continental Railway was completed, that people began seriously
digging for opals. Since then, they have mainly lived underground—not sur-
prising when you encounter the heat, the dust, and the flies for yourself.
The town got its name from the Aboriginal words
kupa piti,
commonly
thought to mean “white man's burrow.” Remnants of the holes left by early min-
ers are everywhere, mostly in the form of bleached-white hills of waste called
“mullock heaps.” It's rather discouraged for tourists to wander around the tail-
ing sites because locals get fed up when tourists fall down the mine shafts.
As for the town, there isn't much to look at, except a couple of underground
churches, some casual restaurants, a handful of opal stores, and the necessary
service-type businesses. In the center of town you'll find lots of outdoor build-
ings; the hotels and youth hostel have aboveground entrances but rooms below
ground. These are all within stumbling distance of each other on the main street.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Regional Express
(
&
13 17 13
in Australia; www.
regionalexpress.com.au) flies to Coober Pedy from Adelaide. It's a new airline
and fares are fluctuating as we update this guide. Check the website for dis-
counted fares and specials.
Greyhound Pioneer
(
&
13 20 30
in Australia) runs
buses from Adelaide to Coober Pedy for A$76 (US$50) for adults and A$61
(US$40) for children one-way. The trip takes about 12 hours. The bus from
Alice Springs to Coober Pedy costs A$75 (US$49) for adults and A$60 (US$39)
for children. Passengers bound for Ayres Rock transfer at Erldunda.
If you drive from Adelaide it will take you about 9 hours to reach Coober
Pedy along the Stuart Highway. It will take you another 7 hours to drive the
700km (434 miles) to Alice Springs.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Coober Pedy Tourist Information Cen-
tre,
Hutchison Street, Coober Pedy (
&
1800/637 076
in Australia, or 08/8672
5298), is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm (closed holidays).
A good website, www.opalcapitaloftheworld.com.au, gives a rundown of other
adventure operators in the area.
SEEING THE TOWN
Radeka's Downunder Motel (see “Where to Stay,” below) runs half-day tours of
the opal fields, including a visit to an underground mine. It costs A$30 (US$20)
for adults and A$15 (US$9.75) for kids.
