Guide · South Australia outback stays ·
Coober Pedy underground stay: what to see and book
A Coober Pedy underground stay means sleeping in a dugout, the local word for an underground home. Coober Pedy is an opal mining town 846 km from Adelaide on the Stuart Highway. Places with underground rooms or camping include a hotel, several motels, a bed and breakfast and a camp ground. Several mines, homes and churches around town are underground too. You can get there by road, coach, plane or train.
Sources for this section: District Council of Coober Pedy, Travel Information, accommodation directory, Desert Cave Hotel, attractions list and Faye's Underground Home; Radeka Down Under, accommodation page.
How a dugout stay works
The council's history page says the Trans Continental Railway was completed in 1917. Some construction workers, then soldiers back from World War 1, came to the opal fields and brought the idea of living underground.
From November to March, the council says, shade temperatures can range from 35°C to 45°C. Radeka's says it is 26°C to 28°C underground when it is 45°C outside, and 20°C to 22°C when winter nights are close to zero. The Comfort Inn Experience Motel says many dugouts hold 25°C all year. The Underground Motel says its rooms have refrigerated air for extremely hot days.
Not every room is underground. Radeka's has two above-ground motel rooms with windows, and the Desert Cave Hotel lists underground and aboveground rooms. Ask for an underground room when you book.
At Radeka's, eight motel rooms sit 3.5 m under a sandstone ridge and you enter at ground level. The budget rooms and dorms are 6.5 m down, via 34 steps.
Sources for this section: District Council of Coober Pedy, history page and the directory entry for Desert Cave Hotel; Radeka Down Under, accommodation page; Comfort Inn Coober Pedy Experience Motel, home page; The Underground Motel, home page.
Where to book an underground room
Here are six places from the council's accommodation directory, with the rates it lists. Ask for today's price.
| Place | Underground stays and rates listed |
|---|---|
| Riba's Underground Camping | Underground tent camping A$15 per adult; underground budget room A$65 for a double |
| Radeka's Dugout Motel and Backpackers | Underground dorm bed A$35; underground budget room A$85 for one or two |
| The Underground Motel | All rooms underground; standard room A$125 for a double or twin |
| Underground Bed and Breakfast | Dugout rooms from A$130 |
| Desert Cave Hotel | Underground and aboveground rooms; rooms from A$150, type not stated |
| Comfort Inn Coober Pedy Experience Motel | All rooms underground; A$210 for a single or double ensuite room with kitchenette |
Radeka's has a courtesy vehicle for airport and coach transfers. The Underground Motel offers pick-up and drop-off by prior arrangement. Radeka's check-in is 11am, but guests on the early Adelaide coach can check in to dorm beds at once.
Sources for this section: District Council of Coober Pedy directory entries for Riba's, Radeka's, The Underground Motel, Underground Bed and Breakfast, Desert Cave Hotel and Comfort Inn Experience; Riba's, home page; Radeka Down Under, accommodation page.
What to see and do
- Umoona Opal Mine and Museum has an underground museum, home and original opal mine. An 18 minute film, The Story of Opal, plays in its underground cinema. Entry to the complex is free, and guided tours run daily at 10am, 2pm and 4pm.
- Old Timers Mine is an original opal mine dating back to 1916. It was found by accident in 1968, when an underground home extension broke through.
- Faye's Underground Home was dug by three women with picks and shovels. Adults pay A$5 and children A$1.20. It is open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm.
- The Serbian Orthodox Church has rock carved icons and stained glass windows, and the council lists a donation of A$5. St Peter and Paul's Catholic Church is the first underground church in Coober Pedy and possibly the first in the world.
- The Big Winch has a lookout with a 360 degree view over the town. The council lists the Big Winch cafe and opal shop open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 4.30pm.
- At the Public Noodling Area, just off Jewellers Shop Road, you can dig for your own opal for free.
The Breakaways Conservation Park needs a permit. National Parks South Australia lists a fee of A$10 per vehicle a day (A$8 concession). It puts the park 25 km north of town, but the council says about 33 km. Permits are sold at the Visitor Information Centre and Underground Books.
Sources for this section: District Council of Coober Pedy, attractions list, Umoona, Old Timers Mine, Faye's Underground Home, Big Winch and Breakaways; National Parks South Australia, Breakaways Conservation Park.
Getting there by road, coach, plane or train
By road, take the Stuart Highway (Highway 87). The council lists 846 km to Adelaide, 535 km to Port Augusta and 685 km to Alice Springs. Driving tips on its site, credited to the South Australian Tourist Commission, give the Stuart Highway as an example of an excellent sealed road. They advise against driving at sunrise and sunset, when animals are most active.
By coach, Greyhound's timetable effective 4 April 2016 shows a daily coach from the Adelaide Central Bus Station at 6:00pm, reaching Coober Pedy at 5:15am. From Alice Springs, a daily coach leaves at 10:30am and reaches Coober Pedy at 6:30pm. The council's travel page agrees only on the Alice Springs departure. Greyhound says timetables can change without notice, so check before you book.
By plane, Regional Express (Rex) lists an Adelaide to Coober Pedy route on its network page. The council says flights run Monday to Friday and on Sunday.
By train, the council lists the Ghan and puts its Manguri Station stop 47 km from town. You must arrange the transfer before leaving Adelaide or Alice Springs.
Sources for this section: District Council of Coober Pedy, Travel Information and driving tips; Greyhound, Adelaide to Alice Springs and Alice Springs to Adelaide; Rex, network page.
Safety and planning
The driving tips on the council's site say the best outback conditions run from May to October. The council's history page calls April to October weather very pleasant, with mild to warm days of 16°C to 20°C and cold desert nights.
The opal fields hold thousands of open shafts, so the council's history page says to take great care. Fossicking on a claim needs the owner's permission. Before a bush walk, let a friend or your host know which way you are heading and what time you plan to return. Carry plenty of water, and walk in the cooler hours, generally before 10am or after 3pm, the council's safety tips say. The council's general tips say mobile coverage extends about 30 km outside town.
Sources for this section: District Council of Coober Pedy, driving tips, history page, safety tips and general tips.