Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
4 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
5 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
6 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Australia Coober Pedy Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy

An opal mining town in the middle of Australia where people live, worship, and shop underground.

Coober Pedy, Australia

Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrcs1/3146039...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrcs1/3146039...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmorandell/13...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmorandell/13...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmorandell/13...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmorandell/13...
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
Feb 2014   ndlobrecht / Atlas Obscura User
Feb 2014   ndlobrecht / Atlas Obscura User
Feb 2014   ndlobrecht / Atlas Obscura User
Feb 2014   ndlobrecht / Atlas Obscura User
Coming from the south on the Stuart Hwy, this is what you see just before reaching Coober Pedy   flickr.com/people/monsieurdedalus/
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
  spersephone / Atlas Obscura User
One of Coober Pedy’s many opal mines   flickr.com/people/monsieurdedalus/
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Coober Pedy is a mining town in South Australia, which calls itself the "Opal mining capital of the world". The town's name comes from the Aboriginal term for "boy's waterhole," but the joke is that it actually means "white man in a hole."

While Aboriginal people have long inhabited the area, miners first moved to Coober Pedy in 1916 after the discovery of opal in the surrounding rocks. As a result of the intense heat, a number of miners living in town have chosen to live underground, either in the beginnings of old mines or in purpose-dug underground houses. This has continued with much of the modern town being built underground. Among the local public buildings found underground are three churches, a bookstore, an art gallery, a bar, and hotels. Opals can be seen embedded in the walls of some of these hotel rooms.

The area doesn't support much life and the first "tree" in the town was welded together from scrap iron. The metal tree can still be seen on a hill overlooking the town. The daytime temperatures of Cooper Pedy in the summer get so high than most sporting activities take place at night. Golf played with glowing balls is a popular pastime.

The towns unusual and bleak landscape, made even stranger by the mining efforts, has made it an attractive location for Hollywood. Coober Pedy has appeared in a number of movies, including "Pitch Black", "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome," and "Red Planet".

One must be careful in Coober Pedy, however. The area around the town is riddled with pits and caverns dug in search of opals. This is especially true at night when one is out playing a round of glowing golf.

Worth looking out for are Crocodile Harry's Underground Nest, a bizarrely decorated cave home, and screenings at the Coober Pedy Drive-In, a popular event in the town.

Related Tags

Places To Stay Eccentric Homes Subterranean Sites Homes

Know Before You Go

Coober Pedy is accessible via a small airstrip, via coach tour or private car, and via the Ghan railway line running between Darwin and Adelaide. Coober Pedy is located in South Australia, 846kms from Adelaide, 685kms from Alice Springs, and 2,170kms from Darwin.

Community Contributors

Edited By

Cecile, Blindcolour, mbison, spersephone...

  • Cecile
  • Blindcolour
  • mbison
  • spersephone
  • ndlobrecht

Published

June 26, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coober_Pedy,_South_Australia
  • http://www.cooberpedy.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=191
Coober Pedy
Coober Pedy, 5723
Australia
-29.012337, 134.754558
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Crocodile Harry's Underground Nest & Dugout

Coober Pedy, Australia

miles away

Dingo Fence

Mount Barry, Australia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy

Australia

Places 2
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Crocodile Harry's Underground Nest & Dugout

Coober Pedy, Australia

miles away

Dingo Fence

Mount Barry, Australia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy

Australia

Places 2
Stories 1

Related Stories and Lists

Growing Up Underground

Video

By Atlas Obscura

Found: New Hope for an Endangered Desert Flower

deserts

By Vittoria Traverso

A Junket to The Most 'Interesting' Town on Earth

australia

By Jessanne Collins

Why There Is a Hidden World of Underground Cities

cliff villages

By Chris White

Related Places

  • Wieliczka Salt Mine

    Wieliczka, Poland

    Wieliczka Salt Mine

    An underground city of salt.

  • Hotel Sidi Driss

    Matmatat-Al-Qadimal, Tunisia

    Hotel Sidi Driss

    The original film set of Luke Skywalker's Tatooine home from the 'Star Wars' trilogy.

  • Barbara Hutton’s Japanese palace, in the shadow of the volcano Popocatépetl.

    Jiutepec, Mexico

    Camino Real Sumiya

    The tragic heiress Barbara Woolworth Hutton built her seventh husband this Japanese-inspired palace in Mexico.

  • Front entrance to the Whale House.

    Santa Barbara, California

    Whale House

    This stunning sea creature-shaped home blends into the landscape like a fantasy villa.

  • The FBI’s spy house on Wisconsin Ave. Cameras could be seen in the tinted skylights on the roof.

    Washington, D.C.

    FBI Spy House

    A painfully obvious spy house sits right across the street from the Russian Embassy.

  • Akhzivland museum

    Nahariya, Israel

    Akhzivland

    The most peaceful "country" in the Middle East.

  • Edmundas Vaiciulis’ Pan House

    Žagarė, Lithuania

    Pan House

    What almost started out as a spite house became an eccentric's found object masterpiece.

  • Quetzalcoatl’s Nest

    Naucalpan, Mexico

    El Nido de Quetzalcóatl

    An Aztec snake god has taken the material form of an apartment complex.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.