South Australia: Coober Pedy Opal Mines
Australia's Great Artesian Basin, and the town of (Coober Pedy) are located along the Stuart Highway, south-east of Alice Springs, deep in the Australian Outback. The largest opal mining region in the world, Coober Pedy (with its slogan: "a gem of a town") is famous for its opal mines such as the Umoona mine just outside of town. 90% of the world's opal production comes from the Andamooka Stuart Creek Opal Fields, Coober Pedy, Mintabie, and Yowah.
The other-worldly surface of the earth at the Coober Pedy Umoona mines is man-made, with thousands of "Kupa piti," or "white man's hole in the ground" covering the landscape, as far as the eye can see. Some of these mine shafts can be up to 30 meters deep.
Tourists can "noodle" (aka "fossicking" or "prospecting") for opals without a permit, but a permit is required for organized (mechanized) mining. Up to 90 percent of the opal found in these inhospitable regions is valueless material known as "potch." Coober Pedy is considered to be the "opal capital of the world," and is one of the largest opal mining towns in Australia.
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Due to the extremely high temperatures and dust storms in the region, many of the locals live in underground homes known as "dugouts," which provide a cheap form of temperature control and protection. A novelty of the town is the Desert Cave Hotel (www.desertcave.com.au), with many of its rooms dug underground. Opened in 1988, the hotel also has an underground bar, restaurant and gift shop.
For additional Information go to: Coober Pedy (Umoona)
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