Mines
Opal.
Pavel Špindler — CC BY 3.0 · Pavel Špindler — CC BY 3.0 · Graeme Churchard from Bristol (51.473110 -2.625987), UK — CC BY 2.0 · Phil Whitehouse from London, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0 · Phil Whitehouse from London, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0
Coober Pedy is a town in northern South Australia, 846 km from Adelaide on the Stuart Highway. It is sometimes called the «opal capital of the world» for the quantity of precious opal mined there, and it is famous for its underground homes. A blower truck raised above the town sign stands for the importance of opal mining in its history. The underground homes, called «dugouts», were built to escape the scorching daytime heat. The name is thought to come from two words in an Aboriginal language, and in 1975 the local Aboriginal people adopted the name Umoona, meaning «long life». Several Aboriginal peoples have long ties to the area. Flat red desert surrounds the town, dotted with small mounds of mine spoil, with coloured mesas on the outskirts. Underground, tunnels and rooms carved into pink and orange rock hold shops, hotels and opal showrooms. Visitors tour old mines and underground homes, shop for opal, and some stay in underground hotels. Summer is extremely hot, so May to September is the best time.
Opal.
Carved.
Red.
Coober Pedy, northern South Australia
May to September.
Yes, in hotels.