Coober Pedy Things to Do

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I got to know one of the traders called Bill and, after a long conversation, he offered to take me out to his mine. Unfortunately, on the appointed day, his two co-workers were away at funerals so we ended up going to another mine.
Initially Tellos wasn't home but he turned up just when we were about to leave so I got to look in the mine that you could drive in. It's never been a really successful mine, just a small pocket here and there and they both rued the nearby mine that unearthed over $3,000,000 worth of opal. That's the way it goes here which makes it unlike a lot of other mining, there's no certainty.

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Cemeteries everywhere are a repository of history and information. One thing you'll learn here is that many of the original miners came from Greece, Croatia and Serbia, although the latter two were part of Yugoslavia at the time the emigrants left.
Their efforts to leave their country behind had taken them to just about as far as you could get from war torn Europe.
You'll also note that generally they spend more money on memorials and headstones than do other nationalities in this area.
The opening pic is something of an iconic Aussie effort. You can't help but smile when you see it.
The most attractive is undoubtedly the one with the carved porpoises though and it marks the demise of a 29 year old lass which adds to the sadness of it all.
It's located slightly to the south of town just off the Stuart Highway.

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This attraction was recommended to me by....another attraction (see Riba's). Though it costs I found it well worthwhile and definitely something to put on your itinerary.
What's good about it is that it covers just about every aspect of mining life at Coober Pedy. It also has, uniquely, some genuine pockets of quality opal still in the mine (pic 2).
There are a couple of neat sculptures as shown in the opening pic (the other one is a camel).
It shows how mining was conducted and still is in some places. It illustrates via dummies and real furniture just how life can be underground (pic 3). It's a viable option for so many because the temperature outside in summer can be blindlingly hot.
There's a fascinating collection of historical articles and pictures that kept me interested for half an hour and, at the end of it all, there's the well stocked gift shop.
It's located close to the centre of town alongside some other attractions.

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So, if you went there in your car and didn't walk, the following pictures will give you and idea of what you missed. Walking will give 3 to 4 times the pleasure, I can't recommend it highly enough.
To stand beside those buttes is a special feeling. The colours will astound. Here's what I wrote at the time.
"In the distance you can see the range of hills that you have to pay $2.20 each to view; a worn plateau that beckons you onward such is its contrast to the surrounding land. I imagined it would just be that. How wrong was I.
Even the first set have colour but it’s merely the overture to main symphony. The stark hues are staggering. From chalky whites to sulphur yellows to iron oxide reds the colours blaze in the midday sun. It’s a photographer’s wet dream. My hour became all morning and then I downloaded the panoramas at the main lookout and emailed them off. Just as well really because in the afternoon I went to another spot, plunged off the cliff into the valley floor and took twice as many.
Every 20 metres the vista was magically different, the shapes seen from another entrancing angle, the colours changing in intensity. I realised then why I had never heard of the place; because if you never left the road it is “worth a look” and that’s about it, but if you walk among it it’s something else again. Other than Italy in autumn I’ve never seen so much colour in such a small area.
The Breakaways – put it alongside the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru; just make sure you get out of your car!"

Man sent a rocket to Mars. Astronomers were agog with the possibilities, scientists couldn't get to sleep wondering what it would be like on the surface.
Thus it was that the pictures came back and everyone wanted to see them.
However, people at Coober Pedy thought it was all ho-hum as they'd seen it all before; in fact, just out of town.
At some places in town they've even put up pictures side by side of Mars and eastern Coober Pedy. I haven't got access to the Mars pictures, but here's what it's like at Coober Pedy.

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There are those who might lead you to believe that Coober Pedy produces over 90 percent of all opal. This is more than slightly erroneous. In fact, the entire state of South Australia only produces 33%. New South Wales with places like Lightning Ridge dominate production in Australia.
Australia dominates the world's supply of opal, producing over 90 per cent of natural opal. Opal also occurs in Mexico, Brazil, Honduras, Hungary, Canada and the western United States of America. With the exception of Brazilian opal, these occurrences are in nearly every case volcanic in origin. They are generally of inferior quality compared with the Australian sedimentary opal. Nearly 100% of the world's top quality opal comes from Australia.
Australian opal is produced commercially in the states of New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. It was estimated that the value of the total Australian opal production was $120 million for 1996-97. Of this, $82 million was from New South Wales, $40.6 million from South Australia, and $1.036 million from Queensland

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Just two days before I arrived in Coober Pedy a friend rang up and told me to visit The Breakaways. I'd never heard of them but, on his recommendation, I went out.
Frankly, whenever I think of Coober Pedy now, The Breakaways immediately come to mind. It's a fairly well know tourist attraction of odd rock formations and the large majority of people drive through and think it's neat.

The discoverer of opal in the area was someone called Will Hutchinson. Will was only 14 at the time and was along with his dad and others on a gold prospecting trip. He was looking for water and discovered both a few kilometres south of Coober Pedy.
Tragically he never got any benefit from his discovery as he drowned in the Georgina River while droving cattle just five years later.
Today on the side of the Stuart or Explorer Highway (take your pick, same road), there's a plaque detailing the story.