Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy (meaning ‘white fella’s hole in the ground’) was named by Indigenous Australians baffled by the early settlers’ preference for subterranean living – something avoided by the superstitious Aboriginal population but embraced by miners, who liked the cooler, sheltered conditions.

Many of the early settlers were former soldiers who had recently returned from the trenches of World War One and were experts in the art of excavation. Still today, most residents of this unusual town live underground, and you will have the opportunity to venture below the surface and visit a home and an underground church. Explore an opal mine and the unique landscapes of the opal fields before enjoying a picnic lunch