Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
OUTBACK
Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
EATING
Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
COOBER
PEDYTO
MARLA
luxury − plus a pool, gym, in-house movies,
formidable minibar and the excellent Um-
berto’s restaurant. Staff are supercourteous
and there are plenty of tours on offer. Above-
ground rooms also available.Riba’s ̈ CAMPGROUND$
(%08-8672 5614; www �camp-underground�com �
au; William Creek Rd; underground sites $30,
above-groundunpowered/poweredsites $20/28,s
&d$60; i) Around 5km from town, Riba’s
offers the unique option of underground
camping! Extras include an underground
TV lounge, cell-like underground budget
rooms and a nightly opal-mine tour (adult
$22, free for campers).Mud ̈Hut ̈Motel ̈ MOTEL$$
(%08-8672 3003; www �mudhutmotel�com �au; St
Nicholas St; d/2-bedroom apt $130/220;aW)
The rustic-looking walls here are actually
rammed earth, and despite the grubby name
this is one of the cleanest places in town.
The two-bedroom apartments have cook-
tops and fridges. Central location.Radeka ̈Downunder ̈ HOSTEL$
(%08-8672 5223, 1800 633 891; www �radeka
downunder�com �au; 1OliverSt; dm $35, d&tw $85,
motelunits $130;aiW) The owners started
excavating this place in 1960 − they haven’t
found much opal, but have ended up with a
beaut backpackers! On multiple levels down
6.5m below the surface are Coober Pedy’s
best budget beds, plus good individual
rooms and motel units. The shared kitchen
is handy for self-caterers, and there’s a bar,
barbecue, snooker room and laundry.BIG4 ̈Oasis ̈Coober ̈Pedy ̈CARAVANPARK$
(%08-8672 5169; www �oasiscooberpedy�com �
au; Seventeen Mile Rd; unpowered/powered sites
$30/33, r/vans from $58/68, cabins $106-126;
aiWs) There are a few places to camp
in Coober Pedy, but this place is reasonably
central (a little way down the main street
across from the drive-in cinema) and has
the most shade, plus a swimming pool. An
affordable tour runs daily.5 ̈Eating
John’s ̈Pizza ̈Bar ̈ ITALIAN$
(%08-8672 5561; www �johnspizzabarandrestau
rant �com �au; Shop 24, 1HutchisonSt; meals$7-31;
h9am-10pm) Serving up table-sized pizzas,
hearty pastas and heat-beating gelato, you
can’t go past John’s. Grills, salads, burgers,
yiros, and fish and chips also available. Sit in-
side, order some takeaways, or pull up a seat
with the bedraggled pot plants by the street.Tom ̈& ̈Mary’s ̈Greek ̈Taverna ̈ GREEK$$
(%08-8672 5622; Shop 4/2 Hutchison St; meals
$15-25;h6-9pm) This busy Greek diner does
everything from a superb moussaka to yiros,
seafood, Greek salads and pastas with Hellen-
ic zing. Sit back with a cold retsina as the red
sun sets on another dusty day in Coober Pedy.Umberto’s ̈ MEDITERRANEAN$$$
(%08-8672 5688; www �desertcave�com �au; Lot
1 Hutchison St; mains $28-46;h6-9pm) The
Desert Cave Hotel’s rooftop restaurant
maintains the quality with first-class dishes
such as wallaby shanks with vegetables and
char-grilled tomato stew, and its ‘Essential
Tastes of the Outback’ platter: char-grilled
kangaroo, camel, emu and beef with bush
chutney and hand-cut fries.88 Information
Coober Pedy Visitor Information Centre
(%08-86724617,1800 637 076; www �opalcap
italoftheworld�com �au; HutchisonSt, Council
Offices;h8�30am-5pmMon-Fri,10am-1pmSat
&Sun) Free 30-minuteinternetaccess,history
displaysand comprehensivetour and accom-
modationinfo �
Coober Pedy Hospital(%08-86725009;
www �countryhealthsa�sa �gov �au; Lot 89 Hospi-
tal Rd; h24hr)Accidentand emergency�
24-hour Water Dispenser(HutchisonSt; per
30L 20c) Fill your canteensoppositethe BIG4
OasisCooberPedy caravanpark �88 Getting ̈There ̈& ̈Around
Budget(%08-86725333;www �budget�com �
au; CooberPedy Airport)Cars,4WDsand
campingvehiclesfrom around$80 per day �
Cedrent(%08-86723003;www �cedrent�com �
au; St NicholasSt, Mud Hut Motel)Stationwag-
ons, utes and 4WDsfrom $125 per day � Based
at the Mud Hut Motel�Coober Pedy to Marla
The Breakaways ̈ Reserve is a stark but
colourful area of arid hills and scarps 33km
away on a rough road north of Coober Pedy
− turn off the highway 22km west of town.
You can drive to a lookout in a conventional
vehicle and check out the white-and-yellow
mesa called the Castle, which featured in
Mad Max III and Priscilla, Queen of the
Desert. Entry permits (per person $2.20) are
available at the Coober Pedy visitor informa-
tion centre.
An interesting 70km loop on mainly un-
sealed road from Coober Pedy takes in the