Where: 846 kilometres north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway
If you enjoy fossicking and looking for gems Coober Pedy is right down your alley. As the opal capital of the world, Coober Pedy has become a popular tourist attraction. From opal mining to underground tours, there is plenty to keep you busy.
Opals are a beautiful, multi-coloured stone that can express every colour in the visual spectrum. The internal structure of opals gives them the ability to diffract light in a way that makes the more precious types appear to have a light or fire inside them.
If you want to try your luck at finding opals there is an area called the Jewell Box located on the Eastern fringes where public fossicking, locally known as ‘Noodling’, is allowed. The Jewell Box is used as a mine dump and if you are patient there’s a chance that you will come across a piece of opal or coloured stone. If you don’t find any gems don’t worry, Coober pedy has the largest opal displays on sale in the world!
As well as beautiful gemstones, Coober Pedy is famous for its incredible underground homes. There are a number of local organised tours that will take you through the ‘dugout’ homes and underground churches and art galleries. These tours can be organised through the Coober Pedy Visitor Centre.
For more information visit http://www.cooberpedy.net.
