Coober Pedy

Australia Stuart Highway road trip complete with UFOs

A journey into the seemingly endless nothing turns up many wonders.

• by David Whitley

Road to the red heart

The world has plenty of famed routes for the adventurer but none kick up as much dust as Australia's Adelaide to Uluru escapade, writes <b>Sue Williams</b>.

The pits, and we love it

The resources boom is driving the economy and now tourists are chasing a slice of the action, writes Sue Williams.

Broad horizons

It may be hard to define, but the rich history and stunning landscape of the outback provides an ideal backdrop for journeys of discovery, writes Max Anderson.

A long-distance love affair

Anthony Dennis joins a first-class journey that meanders from coastline to outback, via key towns and cities.

Struck down by opal fever

Katrina Lobley finds the charm sparkles below ground and above on a visit to the outback's quirkier towns.

The heartland hop

Four days on a Greyhound hardly seems the ideal outback holiday, but Sue Williams has some tricks in mind as she embarks on the longest bus ride in the world.

Gem junkies come out and play

Christina Pfeiffer gets down and dirty at Coober Pedy's annual opal celebrations

Coober Pedy - Places to See

<b>Coober Pedy</b> <br> <b>Fascinating opal town where most of the residents live underground</b> <br> Of all the opal mining towns in Australia there is none quite like Coober Pedy. It is, for starters, much larger than other notable places like White Cliffs or Lightning Ridge or Andamooka and it is this size which has produced a diversity of people and activities guaranteed to keep the visitor engrossed for at least a day. There's the grassless golf course, the underground church, the noodling for gems on mullock heaps, the tourist shops, the expensive and sophisticated accommodation, the mixture of nationalities, the frenetic searching for wealth. And all this is set against a backdrop of one of the harshest environments in Australia.

Coober Pedy - Fast Facts

<b>Coober Pedy</b> <br> <b>Fascinating opal town where most of the residents live underground</b> <br> Of all the opal mining towns in Australia there is none quite like Coober Pedy. It is, for starters, much larger than other notable places like White Cliffs or Lightning Ridge or Andamooka and it is this size which has produced a diversity of people and activities guaranteed to keep the visitor engrossed for at least a day. There's the grassless golf course, the underground church, the noodling for gems on mullock heaps, the tourist shops, the expensive and sophisticated accommodation, the mixture of nationalities, the frenetic searching for wealth. And all this is set against a backdrop of one of the harshest environments in Australia.