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The name Coober Pedy is derived from the Aboriginal words "kupa piti", which means " white man's burrow". The description is apt because most people live and work underground.

The Mines

Coober Pedy is located is located 836 kilometres (510 miles) north of Adelaide and about 300 kilometres south of Uluru.

It is a desolate landscape devoid of vegetation and water. It is an extremely hot place too. The entire landscape is pockmarked by the tell-tale tailing of countless opal mines.

In 1915 a young boy named Willie Hutchison, who was out with his father prospecting for gold, discovered the first opal there. Since then the town has grown to about 2500 people.

Coober Pedy produces about 90% of the world's opals.

Under Ground Buildings

Because of the extreme heat during the summer almost all buildings are located underground.