Discovered early in 1915 by a 14 year old boy, Coober Pedy is the world's largest opal bearing region and is responsible for about 80% of Australia's opal production.

Coober Pedy was originally known as the Stuart Range Opal Field, named after John McDouall Stuart, who in 1858 was the first European explorer in the area narrowly missed the opal, when he circled the present site of Coober Pedy and named the Range after himself.

The name Coober Pedy comes from the Arabana Aboriginal language and when the words "kupa piti" are loosely translated means "white man in a hole".  The name was selected by a newly-formed Progress Committee on the 26th of June, 1920 from four proposed names.

William Hutchison, the youngest member of an Adelaide gold Prospecting Syndicate discovered Coober Pedy while searching for water.  They were traveling in the worst drought experienced in South Australia up to that time and members of the party were forced to go in different directions in search of water while young Willie was left to look after the camp.

Disobeying orders, Willie wandered away from camp to search for water around the foothills of a nearby range. There was apprehension when he failed to return by dark.

Finally, he strolled into camp with a grin on his face and half a sugar bag of opal on his shoulder.   Not only had he found opal, but a fortnight's supply of good water.   The full story is told by his father James Hutchison, the leader of the expedition, in the Adelaide Chronicle on the 7th of April 1938.

Word of the new find spread quickly.   By the middle of the same year, the O'Neill Brothers, Jim and Dick experienced opal miners from White Cliffs, were on the field.

They had heard the news while working on the Tarcoola goldfields, about 250 kilometers to the south.   Using a compass they had made their own track across country carrying water and supplies in a wagon drawn by four horses.

On arrival, they decided not to work where young Hutchison had first found opal and pushed on a little to the west, discovering what was eventually to become know as the Big Flat.   They pegged a number of areas and with a few months had produced £17,000 ($34,000) worth of opal.

It was the first parcel of Coober Pedy opal to be sold, an incredible amount at that time.   Because of its remoteness, only a handful of miners worked the field for the first years, with no buyers visiting before 1920.   The first rush took place after the war in 1919, swelling the population to nearly 500.   During this period, massive amounts of opal were produced, which eventually caused a slump in the market.   Except for copper, the value of opal out stripped all other minerals in the state.

The harsh environment never made for easy living, the lack of water was always a great problem and it often had to be recycled many times before being discarded.   The situation was critical until 1924, when the government built the great 2,000,000 liter circular tank that partly solved the problem.  Water was then rationed at 110 liters per person per week.  Today Coober Pedy has a new water supply from a bore that is about 25 kilometers out of town, then pumped through an underground pipeline to the water works where it is  processed by reverse osmosis (desalination plant) and pumped through a reticulated town water supply system and of course that makes it very expensive water.

Coober Pedy virtually came to a standstill during the Great Depression of the 1930s when the average price of opal fell to 1/- (10¢) a half a kilo, forcing many miners from the field.  The discovery of the Eight Mile Field in late 1945 by Toddy Bryant, an Aboriginal woman, caused a sensation, she discovered opal within nine inches of the surface.

Toddy and her white husband, Charlie, sold five small parcels to Ernie Sherman's field agent, Jack Kemp, before word leaked out.   Because of the opal's superior quality they had tried to keep it quiet, but as soon as Toddy and Charlie hit their first big parch in late January, 1946, the secret was out.   The first Eight Mile rush was on within days, both Ernie and Greg Sherman arrived, purchasing their opal for £2000 ($4000).

With the discovery of the Boomerang Shallows, the Eight Mile proved to be an exceptional field, producing magnificent opal extending over several claims.  In 1956 the field was spread up the hill when Bert Wilson and Frank Terhridge found the "Olympic Australis", which they sold to Greg Sherman.  The discovery of the Eight Mile by Toddy Bryant finally established the future of Coober Pedy.

As a result of the first world war, it was hard to find a market for the opal and most miners were left with much opal but no money. Needless to say that most left and the field was almost deserted by the end of the war, with the return of peace, selling opal improved and the field attracted once again many miners and buyers.

The town and its miners had to put up with many problems, for most the heat and isolation were only small compared with the lack of water, cave-ins, explosions which went wrong and visits from the tax man.

During the 1960’s, the mining industry expanded rapidly due to the many European Migrants who came to seek their fortunes.  The 60’s and 70’s saw opal mining develop into a multi-million dollar industry with Coober Pedy developing into the modern mining town you see today although it still has that wild west flavor about it.

Coober Pedy today is a thriving town of about 3,500 people. (just rang the council to confirm this) It is situated on the Stuart Highway, approximately 846 kilometers (529 miles) north of Adelaide and 685 kilometers (428 miles) south of Alice Springs, the Stuart Highway goes all the way up to Darwin some 1,500 kilometers (938 miles) from here.  We benefit from hundreds of tourist's and coaches that pass through here every year.

Travelers are well catered for in the town, ranging from a five-star hotel accommodation to backpackers hostels, some underground.  There are many opal field tours, including one to the beautiful Painted Desert.  For that lovely opal you have always wanted there are about 23 shops (at the time of writing) here at the moment from which to choose your opal from.  A trip to our town of Coober Pedy will be a memorable experience, one that you will more than likely want to repeat more than once.

There are some roadside parking areas and re-fuelling stops along the way, which makes for a comfortable yet lengthy drive through the Outback of South Australia and the Northern Territory, although they are nothing like or as komphy as they are in the USA, which I must say are Spectacular.

About 50% of the population here in Coober Pedy live underground in what are called Dugouts, homes that are made from tunneling into the side of the few hills or ridges that are here and creating as many rooms as they need, some have tunneled into the sides of bulldozer cuts and made dugouts that way.

Coober Pedy is a cosmopolitan town with a floating population, it, with the Mintabie opal fields near Marla, further north, produce 90% of the worlds opal. Over 30 fields dot the area extending from 30km north of town (The Shellpatch) to The Craters, 10km. south-east, and "Rose's Folly" 15kms west.

There are piles of used rubble everywhere from the shafts sunk deep into the limestone and bulldog shale rock, many of the dugouts begun as mines, these comfortable homes develop as the mine gets larger and larger.

Fully furnished and decorated they are an ideal way of living in the hot climate of the desert, and the natural insulation keeps temperatures constant as I said early only up or down by 3% all year.

Many are lit by cutting holes out through individual channels, and concreting glass panels into the holes, some dug-outs in the past have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Some of these Dugouts are really quite beautiful and large on the inside, some of them still find a bit opal now and again as this is how the Dugouts got started, by mining for opal into the side of the hills and Dozer cuts, finding that the temperature was very cool in the Summer & warm in the Winter, as the temperature remains very stable, it made for good living, I personally lived in a dugout for 2 1/2 years and the temp varied between 23C & 26C degrees centigrade all the year round, there are air shafts drilled into some of the rooms from above to provide the air flow that is required for comfortable living underground.

It is not allowed for mining to be done within the town area of Coober Pedy, but the people who own Dugout's can apply to the Council for a permit to make a extension (extra room) to their Dugout, which is one way to do a bit of mining within there own Home.

Location: Coober Pedy is situated 685kms south of Alice Springs and 846kms North of Adelaide.

Via Cyber Space:
Coober Pedy is serviced daily by air with Kendell Airlines.

Alice Springs to Coober Pedy,
Ph: 13 13 00 7 days a week
Adelaide to Coober Pedy - Departs Alice Springs: 10.30 am
Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri Arrives - Coober Pedy:6.45 pm
Departs: Adelaide: 9:55am
Arrives: Coober Pedy: 11:55am Coober Pedy to Alice Springs

Coober Pedy to Adelaide 7 days a week
Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri Departs Coober Pedy: 6.35 am
Departs: Coober Pedy: 12:15pm Arrives Alice Springs: 2.30 pm
Arrives: Adelaide: 2:05pm

For further enquiries please contact Kendell Airlines 3 days a week on Ph: 13 13 00

Desert Cave Hotel on Ph: (08) 8672 5688 Fax: (08) 8672 5198

Greyhound Pioneer Bus, trackin along the Highway.

For further information please contact Great Southern Railways on Ph: 13 21 47 or for travel timetables and fares it is suggested that you contact your nearest travel agent for assistance.

If you got here by plane or train you are going to need some wheels

Car Rental
Budget Car Rentals
Please contact Noel or Helen Tippet for prices and details on:
Ph: (08) 8672 5333     Fax: (08) 8672 5352

Thrifty Car Rental
Please contact the Desert Cave for prices and details on:
Ph: (08) 8672 5688     Fax: (08) 8672 5198
E-mail: reserve@desertcave.com.au

Coober Pedy Rent-a-Car
Please contact the Mud Hut Motel for prices and details on:
Ph: (08) 8672 3003     Fax: (08) 8672 3004
E-mail: res@mudhutmotel.com.au

Willie Hutchison did not live long enough to see the fruits of his find, he drowned five years later while driving cattle from Clifton Hills, on the Birdsville Track, across the Georgina River.

In 1922 an attempt was made to solve the scarcity of water by building a two million liter water tank, unfortunately there was not enough rain until 1925 to enable the tank to be filled.  Living conditions improved rapidly and by the mid 1920s the field had two stores, a post office, firewood was available for $2 per dray load, and a Miners Right could be obtained for fifty cents per year giving the right to peg out an area of fifty meters by fifty meters.

Opal has been recognized by the Australian Federal Government as the National Gemstone of Australia.

Coober Pedy opal fields cover an area of 4,954 square kilometers in which there are approximately 48 individual fields and we have only used or are mining on about 5% of that.

Some interesting observations have been made about the miners and townies who settled there after the second world war.   Most were New Australians, predominantly from Southern Europe with little formal education and a poor command of English.   There are still more than forty different nationalities working the field today.  For them and later arrivals, independence was most important, freedom from government control, no paper work and most certainly no bookkeeping, but that is starting to change a bit now.

Most work when they feel like it and few keep regular hours.  They prefer their cash economy, hate taxes, licenses and rates.   Few legal contracts are made between the miners and opal buyers, their word or handshake is good enough.  Maximum profit is not important and many see life, and mining as a gamble and therefore use a large part of their income for gambling and drinking.

Most of them have a strong dislike, or at best a feeling of uneasiness, of white collar workers such as public servants, police, teachers, mines department officials and the like.   This can also be seen from the low census returns, low voting turn out for elections, high tax avoidance and the slow or non-payment of government debts.

Coober Pedy is world famous for its underground homes, underground churches and other underground and above ground tourist attractions.

Approximately 50% of the population live in underground homes called dugouts.

The new Stuart Highway from Port Augusta to the Northern Territory border was completed in March 1987, before that it was just dirt road full of corrugation that would try to shake your vehicle to pieces.

The Highway is named after early explorer John McDouall Stuart who traveled and explored around the area in the late 1850’s.

The Opal Festival is held each Easter with a parade through the main street and each July sees the Greek Glendi Festival and the long weekend in October there is a Gymkhana and horse-racing.

Movies such as Fire in the Stone, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Ground Zero, Until the End of the World, Stark and more recently Pitch Black, Siam Sunset and the last one Down & Under, which my blower is in one of the scenes involving the motor cross bikes and the 4 wheel drive on a slope with the main actor, all these have been filmed in and around the Coober Pedy and Breakaways area.

Colin Thiele in his novel The Fire in the Stone seemed to get to the essence of the town when he wrote: The opal fields lay six hundred miles northwest of Adelaide, midway between Port Augusta and Alice Springs.  A flat, bare landscape it was for the most part, with undulations here and there and flat-topped hills and breakaways and wind-swept plains.   An old land, eroded and wrinkled, worn down over endless ages, peneplain on peneplain, until even the hills were remnants of ancient plains.  And in the sides of the slopes, cut into every knoll and knob, were doorways and entrances and burrows as if the whole place was inhabited by five foot high rabbits walking about on their hind legs.

We are about 213 meters above sea level and have an average annual rainfall is minimal of around 124 mm (5 inches) per annum and can fall at any time during the year.

Seasonal Considerations
Between April and October the temperature is very pleasant.   Typical of a semi desert environment, the days are mild to warm but the desert nights are cold.  From November to March the weather warms up and summer temperatures range from 35C to 45C, with occasional dust storms in September and October.

Natural Breakaways
The Breakaways are a striking & unique example of and scenery.
From the flat topped mesas to the stony gibber desert, remnants of millions of years provide a wealth of geological interests and breathtaking views.  Looking out over the breakaways it is hard to believe that over 70 million years ago, a vast inland sea covered the area.  The region is rich in Aboriginal and European history and is home to an array of native fauna and flora, which have successfully adapted to one of the world's harshest environments, definitely one of South Australia's Outback's best-kept secrets!
Location: approximately 33km north of Coober Pedy.

Moon Plain
The Moon Plain is a vast expanse of rocky plains unlike anywhere else.  The lunar like landscape has been the set for many movies including Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and The Red Planet among others. Location: approximately 15krn north-east of Coober Pedy.

Man-made
Umoona Opal Mine & Museum, a unique underground museum with detailed historical content on the town.  It also contains an Aboriginal Interpretive CENTRE, an underground home, and an on site mine which runs three tours daily at 1Oam, 2pm & 4pm.  A breathtaking collection of some of the world's finest opals can also be found here.

Desert Cave
The Gallery & The Levels underground Bar
Coober Pedy's most prestigious accommodation is open to public inspection from 8am to 8pm daily.  The Desert Cave is the world's only underground hotel and has a four star rating.  The Desert Cave boasts the world's only truly underground bar and gaming room.  As if that's not enough it also has an underground display gallery depicting early days in Coober Pedy and the hardships the pioneers of the community endured to bring the town in to existence.

Fayes Underground Home
This underground home (or dugout as the locals call them) was excavated in the original method using picks and shovels and a lot of blood, sweats and tears.  Built thirty years ago by three women this attraction is an insight in to the strength of character that Coober Pedy was built on.
Location: on the Old Water Tank Road

John McDouall Stuart Memorial: Near the Stuart Highway.

Digger's Dream Underground Home
A fully furnished underground home excavated in the modern style using heavy machinery, typical of today's modern living with all the modern conveniences.
Location: Naylor Place, off Brewster street

The Underground Art Gallery
A unique selection of some of central Australia's finest artists in an underground setting makes this one of the most unusual art galleries in Australia and possibly the world.  An awesome display of opals also makes for a worthy visit.

Crocodile Harry's Underground Nest
Crocodile Harry is one of Coober Pedy's most infamous characters and lives in one of the most bizarre dugouts.  Many people from throughout Europe know of him through the Lonely Planet's "Guidebook to Australia".  Other's may recognize his home from the underground scenes of "Mad Max-Beyond the Thunderdome".

The highlights include a visit to the underground house of the man calling himself Crocodile Harry.  This wonderful old lecher (his walls are festooned with the addresses of girls who he claims to have seduced) declares himself to be Arvid Von Blumentals, a Latvian Baron who was forced to leave his country after World War II.  He claims to have worked as a crocodile hunter in Northern Australia before coming to Coober Pedy to fossick for opals in about 1975.

Although his story seems implausible - a good piece of bush mythology - it is interesting to note that Roger Jose, the Hermit of Borroloola, who lived in a damaged 1000 gallon tank at Borroloola on the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory until his death in 1963, reportedly sold his unusual accommodation to a crocodile hunter named Harry Blumental.

Are these two one and the same person?  And are all of Harry's larger than life stories true?  A crazy place where its creator has developed his dug-out with sculpture and paintings.  A typical example is a painting on the wall called "Irish Stew".  It is in fact a Irish stew which he burned one night, placed on a board and lacquered.  Turn the wine cork in the navel of a pillar shaped like a woman and a tune plays.
A must to visit.

The Dog Fence
The Dog Fence is the longest continual construction in the world.  Stretching some 5,300km, (3313 miles) it begins east of Surfer's Paradise in Queensland and ends up north of Ceduna in the Great Australian Bite.  Originally built to protect the sheep in the south of the country from the Dingo (native Australian dog) in the north.
Location: approximately 15kms north-east of Coober Pedy

Underground Potteries
All pottery made on site at the potter's underground workshop and display area.  Capturing the colors of opal and the desert landscape, Peter and his family create breathtaking works of art.

Coober Pedy Opal Fields Golf Course
Voted in the top 10 of the most unique courses in the world, situated 3.5km nor-west of town center, which was burn down on Sat April 27 2002 and is now been rebuilt in 2005.  No visit to Coober Pedy would be complete without seeing our local Golf Course where there is not a blade of grass on the fairways and the greens are oiled sand.

The Big Winch
Coober Pedy's most prominent landmark.  A lookout gives the visitor a "bird's eye" view of the town.  A magnificently designed opal shop next door contains fully fossilized shells of precious opal still embedded in the wall. The Big Winch is a good quality gift shop and as the name would suggest it has a huge winch on top of the hill along side with the shop.

Old Timers Mine
The Old Timer's Mine is a window through time to the days of old, it features a self-guided walk through galleries, homes and past seams of opal.  An original opal mine dating back to 1916.  For some reason, still unknown to this day, some old time miners had back-filled the shafts, hiding the mine below.  They never returned to dig up the opal.

It wasn't until 1968 that the hidden mine was accidentally discovered when an underground home extension broke through, revealing the wealth of opal, which some is still there for you to see today.  The Old-timers Mine shows underground mining as it used to be and some of the old equipment which was used.  It also has an opal reef on display.  When the front door was being widened they came across opal in the side wall worth AU$20,000.  They also do Mining Machine demonstrations there and they have one of my old fans that blew up and caused me $3900.00 to repair having to build a new fan housing, fan etc.

Serbian Orthodox Church
Rock carvings in the walls, high roof "ballroom" style design, and stained glass windows help to make the Serbian Church one of Coober Pedy's most awe inspiring structures.  A must see for everyone.

The Catacomb Church
Originally built in 1977 this unique church is cut out of the sandstone in the shape of a cross adorned in a simple and natural way befitting the outback opal fields cross, lectern, and communion table fashioned from local mulga wood and an old miner's winch.  At the eastern end of Coober Pedy is the town's famous Underground Catacomb Anglican Church which is a unique expression of the materials and activities of the local area.  The altar is made like a winch and both the crucifix and the lectern are made out of mulga wood, behind the altar are two air vents.

Saint Peter & Paul's Catholic Church
The first underground church in Coober Pedy and possibly the world, therefore having the most historical value.  Originally this church was used by all denominations of religion and was built in a true pioneering manner with everyone pitching in to help make the church a reality.

Desert Cave Tours:  Ph: (08) 8672 688
Town Tour Includes - underground home, Serbian Church, The Breakaways, Moon Plain & Dog Fence, opal mine, opal fields, underground potteries, Opal World and The Desert Cave.

Oasis Tours:  Ph: (08) 8672 5169
Morning Tour Includes - Opal mine and fields, underground home, outback golf coarse, fossicking (noodling) for opal, underground potteries, Underground revival and Catacomb churches, underground opal display.
Evening Tour - Sunset at The Breakaways, Moon Plain & Dog Fence with Devonshire tea & coffee.

Martins Star Gazing Tour:  Ph: (08) 8672 5223
Do not miss the star show!  Come and learn the stars of the southern sky.  Travel eight kilometers out of town to the unique Moon Plain and enjoy the stars and stories with a complimentary star map and glass of wine.  Martin will pick you up from wherever you're staying in town.  Bookings are essential and should be made at least 30 minutes before the tour starting time.

Radekas Desert Breakaway's Tour:  Ph: (08) 8672 5223
Includes - underground home, the Big Winch, historic town sites underground Serbian church, desert golf course, opal fields, fossicking (noodling) for opal, Crocodile Harry's, opal mine tour, underground opal display, the Breakaways, Moon Plain & dog fence.
Plus free tea and coffee on return.

Stuart Range Tours:  Ph: (08) 8672 5179
Morning Tour Includes - opal fields, fossicking (noodling) for opal, town history & historic sites, underground Serbian church, Umoona Opal Mine & Museum, underground home and the Underground Potteries.
Afternoon Tour - All of the above plus the Breakaways, Moon Plain & Dog Fence and an opal cutting and polishing demonstration.
Plus a tea and/or coffee after each tour

Riba's Mine Tour:  Ph: (08) 8672 5614
Extensive Evening Mine Tour - learn all about opal mining, see opal in the walls, use divining rods, all set in a beautiful, secluded camping ground with an underground TV room and underground camping for tents
First night of camping free if you take the tour!

Mail Run Tour:  Ph: (08) 8672 5558
Drive with the Mailman and visit remote outposts as we deliver the mail.  Expect anything and everything to happen in a complete journey of twelve hours (minimum).
Stop at Mount Barry Station, Oodnadatta, Peake Station, Nilipinna Station, William Creek and Anna Creek Station, the largest cattle station in the world with a total area of 34,000 square kilometers (21250 square miles) and 6 million acres in size.

Explore the Outback Camel Safaris:  Ph: 1800 064 244
Specialized conservation and nature based experiences focused on ecological and historical themes, wildlife identification and survey, secluded destinations accessed only by pack and riding camels.
All bush cooked meals (including vegetarian), swags provided but must have own sleeping bag.
Based out of William Creek. (166km east of Coober Pedy)

Evelyn Downs Station Tours:  Ph: (08) 8670 7991
Visit this secluded station, which was fully explored only over the last twenty years.  Even so, there are still many remote places on the station, which have never been trodden by humans other than the Australian aborigines.  Tours range from six well marked self-drive routes of approximately 50 kilometers up to 150 kilometers. (complimentary map with points of interest provided)
Whether your interest is photography, bird life, painting or just a wish to experience a truly untouched, wilderness landscape, a tour can be designed to meet your specific needs.

Opal Cave Tag-Along Tours:  Ph: (08) 8672 5028
Arrived in town too late for any tours?  Why not join the Opal Cave's Tag-Along Tour.  Your Vehicle, Their tour guides Highlights include an Underground Church, Faye's Historic Underground Home, an opal mine, and an opal cutting and polishing demonstration.  The duration of the tour is one to two hours.

(Optional flight over Lake Eyre available)
Desert Diversity Tours
Ph/Fax: (08) 8672 5226
LAKE EYRE:
To begin this extensive and informative journey, you will see the last of the Underground homes in Coober Pedy and welcome the outback surrounding it.   The first encounter with the outback comes in the form of the Dog Fence, which leads on to the largest cattle property in the world.  Anna Creek Cattle Station.  Following this you will cross the treeless plains, coming to a stop at Lake Cadibarrawirracanna.
( Australia's longest place named )

Upon leaving here, the red sand hill countryside will break into the small town of William Creek, where morning tea is provided.  Next stop will be Lake Eyre, which will follow onto Belt Bay and stopping at Halligan Bay for lunch and a leisurely stroll along the lake edges.  By now its to start heading back to William Creek for afternoon tea ... Then return back to Coober Pedy.

Desert Cave Hotel
Ph: (08) 8672 5688 Fax: (08) 8672 5198
Star Rating: 4
Above and Underground rooms total rooms: 50
Above ground rooms: 31
Underground rooms: 19
Total beds: 58 Double   52 Single

Desert View Motel (Best Western)
Ph: (08) 8672 3330 Fax: (08) 8672 3331
Star Rating: 3
All rooms underground
Total rooms: 11
Total beds: 11 double   38 single

The Underground Motel
Ph: (08) 8672 5324
Fax: (08) 8672 5911
Star Rating: 3
All rooms underground
Total rooms: 8
Total beds: 8 double   11 single

Opal Inn Hotel/Motel
Ph: (08) 8672 5054
Fax: (08) 8672 5501
Star Rating: 3
All rooms above ground
Total rooms: 94
Total beds: 61 double    134 Single

Experience Motel (Flag Inn)
Ph: (08) 8672 5777
Fax: (08) 8672 5877
E-mail: expmot@ozemail.com.au
Star Rating: 3
All rooms underground
Total rooms: 8
Total beds: 6 double    4 bunk beds

Mud Hut Motel
Ph: (08) 8672 3003
Fax: (08) 8672 3004
E-mail res@mudhutmotel.com.au
Website: www.mudhutmotel.com.au
Star Rating: 3
All rooms above ground
4 apartments & 3 Family Rooms
Total rooms in all: 28

Lookout Cave
Ph: (08) 8672 5228
Fax: (08) 8672 5228
Star Rating: 2 ½
All rooms underground
Total rooms: 19
Total beds: 19 double    19 single

Bed and Breakfast's

Anne's Dugout Bed & Breakfast:
Ph: (08) 8672 5541
Mob: 0408 948 746
E-mail: annejohnson@ozemail.com.au
Star Rating: N/A
Underground
Total beds: 2 queen    3 single

Gibber Plain Bed & Breakfast:
Ph: (08) 8672 3143
Mob: 0408 698 891
E-mail: christalhauri@ozemail.com.au
Total beds: 1 queen

Fred & Wilma's Bed & Breakfast (Opal Cave)
Ph: (08) 8672 5028 Fax:(08)8672 5208
E-mail: delf@ozemail.com.au
Star Rating: NIA
Underground
Total beds: 2 double   1 single

Radekas Downunder Motel & Backpackers
Ph: (08) 8672 5223
Fax: (08) 8672 5821
Star Rating: 2 ½
All rooms underground
Total motel rooms: 8
Total motel beds: 8 double   14 single
Total backpacking rooms: 17
Total backpacking beds: 76

Bedrock Backpackers
(Opal Cave)
Ph: (08) 8672 5028
Fax: (08)8672 5208
Star Rating: N/A
Specializing in backpackers & coach groups
All rooms underground
Total rooms: 14   Total beds 312

Joe's Backpackers
Star Rating: N/A
Ph: (08) 8672 5163
Fax: (08) 8672 5163
All rooms underground
Total rooms: 5
Total beds: 3 Double 22 backpackers
Location: in town center

Umoona Opal Mine & Museum
Ph: (08) 8672 5288
Fax: (08) 8672 5731
Star Rating: N/A
Specializing in coach groups
All rooms underground
Total rooms: ?   Total beds: ?

Opal Inn Caravan Park (Top Tourist parks)
Ph: (08) 8672 5054
Fax: (08) 8672 5501
Star Rating: 3
All vans aboveground
4 on site vans
Total No. of births: 16

Stuart Range Caravan Park
Ph: (08) 8672 5179
Fax: (08) 8672 5148
Star Rating: 3 1/2
All cabins aboveground
Total cabins: 34
Total beds: 104 single

Oasis Caravan Park
(Big 4 Tourist Park)
Ph: (08) 8672 5169
Fax: (08) 8672 5169
Star Rating: 3
All cabins aboveground
cabins and on-site vans
Total No. of Berths: 63

Riba's Caravan Park and Camping Ground
Ph: (08) 8672 5614
Fax: (08) 8672 5614
Star Rating: N/A
The world's only underground camping!
Pitch your tent or roll out your swag underground.