Adelaide & South Australia - Central Australia: Adelaide to Darwin - page 275

Sleeping
4 BIG4 Oasis Coober Pedy B1
5 Desert Cave Hotel B2
6 Mud Hut Motel B3
7 Radeka Downunder B2
Eating
8 John's Pizza Bar B2
9 Tom & Mary's Greek Taverna B3
Umberto's (see 5)
Tom's Working Opal Mine MINE
( www.tomsworkingopalmine.com.au ; Lot 1993, Stuart Hwy; tours adult/child/family $25/10/55;
tours 8am, 10am, 2pm & 4pm) The best place to check out a working excavation is Tom's,
3km southwest of town: miners continue their search for the big vein while visitors
noodle for small fortunes. Self-guided tours adult/child $10/5.
Old Timers Mine MUSEUM
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP
( www.oldtimersmine.com ; 1 Crowders Gully Rd; self-guided tours adult/child $15/1; 9am-5pm)
The interesting warren was mined in 1916 but was then hidden by the miners. The mine
was rediscovered when a dugout home punched through into the labyrinth of tunnels,
which now makes a great tour. There's also a museum, a re-created 1920s underground
home, and free mining-equipment demos daily (9.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm).
Dugout Homes & Churches
It gets hot here in summer − it makes sense to live underground! Even if it's a stinker
outside, subterranean temperatures never rise above 23°C, and air-conditioning isn't ne-
cessary. The same goes for churches (miners are big on faith and hope).
Faye's Underground Display Home UNDERGROUND HOME
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP