Coober Pedy Travel Guide
Coober Pedy accommodation, Coober Pedy activities and attractions, Coober Pedy maps, transportation to and around Coober Pedy - the ALL NEW Jasons Coober Pedy Destination Travel Guide is your complete visitor guide for Coober Pedy.
On the Stuart Highway, 846km north of
Adelaide, Coober Pedy is one of
Australia's best-known Outback towns. Its name is an Anglicised version of the Aboriginal words 'Kupa Piti', which loosely translates as 'white man in waterhole or burrow'. This is appropriate since about 60 percent of the Coober Pedy population now live underground in elaborate dugouts to escape the extreme climate.
In summer the temperatures in Coober Pedy soar to over 40ºC, while in winter the nights can get below 0ºC. The average annual rainfall is only 139mm, and Coober Pedy relies on the Artesian Basin for its water supply. Coober Pedy produces most of the world's opals, Australia's national gemstone.
Coober Pedy has also achieved fame on the big screen – the Breakaways Reserve and the lunar-like landscape surrounding Coober Pedy have been the setting for many movies, including
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,
Ground Zero,
Siam Sunset,
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,
Red Planet,
Pitch Black and, more recently,
Kangaroo Jack.
Population
3,200
Climate
Arid
Summer: 20 – 35°C
Winter: 7 – 19°C
Rainfall: 160mm/year