Ashleigh & Luke

Place guide · South Australia

Coober Pedy in a campervan: camping, underground stays and what to see

Coober Pedy was the first real outback town on our drive up the Stuart Highway in Ron, our 2WD Renault Master campervan. We'd expected the drive to be hard, and it was a breeze. Then the town turned out to be smaller and quieter than we'd imagined, because so much of it is underground. Our Adelaide to Darwin guide covers how Coober Pedy fits into the whole drive. This guide goes deeper: where you can camp (underground, free or in a park), water and dump points, the things we did over a day and a half, and the places other travellers rave about that we didn't get to. Official advice is in its own boxes, with the date we checked it.

Key points

  • Yes, Coober Pedy is fine in a 2WD. It's on the sealed Stuart Highway, and almost everything we did was on sealed roads. The one exception was a short, dry dirt road to the Serbian Orthodox church.
  • You have three kinds of camping: underground camping just out of town, free camps for self-contained vans, and caravan parks. We'd heard about break-ins, so we chose a secure caravan park and walked into town.
  • Water is precious here. Our site had power but no water tap. Fill your tank before you arrive and use the coin-operated water and the dump point in town.
  • Only go into visitor mines. The opal fields are full of unmarked shafts. Stay on roads and tracks, and never walk the fields after dark.
  • Give it at least a full day. The drive-in, an old mine, an underground café, the churches, the lookout and sunset at the Big Winch filled ours.
  • The Breakaways need a permit and the roads are unsealed. They close after rain, so check before you go.

Getting there in a 2WD

We came up from Adelaide on the Stuart Highway. Port Augusta was one of the last big places before Coober Pedy, so we stocked up properly there. We filled Ron's water tank and a spare 10-litre bottle, filled up with diesel plus a 20-litre jerry can, did a big food shop and checked the tyre pressures (see it in our video).

You see the mines about 5 minutes before you reach town: mounds of dirt everywhere. We'd expected the drive to be hard, and it really wasn't (see it in our video). The famous Coober Pedy sign is just outside town, and it's worth a stop for a photo.

  • Fuel. Our Stuart Highway guide has the fuel gaps we planned around. North of Coober Pedy there's nothing but roadhouses until the NT, but they're well set up, with camping, a bar and food. It's not as scary as it sounds. We kept the tank full most of the way (see it in our video).
  • Road conditions. Rain can close unsealed roads around town. Check Traffic SA before you leave the highway.

Coober Pedy camping: where to stay

Coober Pedy has every kind of camping, from the famous underground campground to free camps on the edge of town. Here's how they compare. We only stayed at the caravan park; the others are what other travellers use, checked on 4 November 2026.

WhereIn a 2WD?What it's like
A secure caravan park in town (where we stayed)YesWe'd heard about break-ins, so we chose a secure park and walked into town from there. We had power but no water on our site, and the showers were coin-operated (see it in our video).
Underground camping (Riba's)Yes, just out of townSites dug into the ground, about 5 km south of town. We didn't stay there; see the box below.
Old Timers Mine RV areaYesDonation-based camping for self-contained vans, near town. We didn't stay there.
Kempe Road ("the Commons")Dry weatherFree camping on open Crown land with no facilities, popular with self-contained travellers. We didn't stay there.
Popular with other travellers: underground camping at Riba's. Riba's calls itself the world's first underground camping. It's about 5 km south of town on William Creek Road, and its underground sites stay at about 23 to 25°C all year. It also runs an evening mine tour, which needs a minimum number of guests. There are no fires, pets stay above ground, water is only in the camp kitchen, and stays are limited to 7 days. In a 2WD: it's a short drive off the highway, but check the access road with them if it's rained. See Riba's Underground Camping and Riba's Underground Camping: FAQs (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular with other travellers: free camping at the Old Timers Mine. The Old Timers Mine has an RV area for fully self-contained vehicles on Crowders Gully Road, where a donation is asked for. Stays are limited to 72 hours, and there are toilets. In a 2WD: yes, it's in town. See Things To Do in Coober Pedy: free camping (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular with other travellers: free camping on Kempe Road. Just south of town, off Kempe Road, travellers camp on an open area of Crown land known as the Commons. There are no toilets, water or bins, so you need to be self-contained and take everything out with you. In a 2WD: the ground is fine when it's dry, but don't drive on it after rain. See Indefinite Leave: Coober Pedy free camp (Kempe Road) and Caravan Life Australia: South Australian free camps (checked 4 November 2026).

Wherever you stay, follow our free camping etiquette guide. We use WikiCamps to read recent reviews and check for problems, and our van life apps guide shows how.

Water, dump points and supplies

Our site didn't have a water tap, and we soon understood why. Water has to be treated to be drinkable here, so it's much more precious than on the coast. Riba's even calls it the most expensive water in Australia. We arrived with a full tank and a spare bottle from Port Augusta, which meant we didn't have to think about it.

  • Fill up before you arrive. Port Augusta was our last big stop. See our water essentials for how we manage our tank.
  • Grey water. Ron's grey-water tank under the sink only holds 20 litres, so a dump point in town is handy.
  • Food. We did our big food shop in Port Augusta before we came.
Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). The Coober Pedy Visitor Guide says the council treats the town's water by reverse osmosis. Coin-operated water and a dump point are on Hutchison Street, at the council and visitor information centre. Phone the visitor information centre on (08) 8672 4617 for current details (Coober Pedy Visitor Guide (PDF)).

Our day and a half, in order

We arrived in winter. Reception told us the grey, rainy weather was unusual, even for winter. The next morning was sunny and a bit chilly, and the cold kept the flies away. Then it warmed up to about 14°C, which felt warmer, and out came the flies (see it in our video).

  1. The drive-in, on our first night. We'd been told it was the only outdoor cinema in South Australia. It was a kids' film on a Saturday night, and we watched it from Ron's open back doors. Our last drive-in was in America, about 10 years ago (see it in our video).
  2. Walk into town. We left Ron at the park and walked in (see it in our video).
  3. The Old Timers Mine. You go in through an opal shop. Then you put on a hard hat, take the self-guided map (we were lost straight away) and walk through tunnels that were dug by hand with picks and shovels. There's a museum, and a dugout home that shows how miners lived around 1920, with a kitchen and a room that used to be a snooker room (see it in our video).
  4. The Desert Cave Café. It's built into a cave inside the Desert Cave Hotel complex, which was bigger than we expected (see it in our video).
  5. An opal shop. You can't film inside, but we bought an opal, and the shop gave us a stone "for safe travels" and a pin. We learnt the difference between solid opal, doublets and triplets (see the next section) (see it in our video).
  6. The underground Catholic church. We drove Ron to the churches. A sign asks you to turn off the lights and close the door when you leave (see it in our video).
  7. The Coober Pedy sign on the hill. It's a short, steep climb. At the top you get a great view of the town, and you can see the chimney stacks of the underground homes poking out of the ground. We'd read that about half of the residents live underground (see it in our video).
  8. The Serbian Orthodox church. Our first unsealed road of the outback trip. It was dry, and it was easy in Ron, but after the previous week's rain it might have been a different story. You walk straight down a ramp into a church carved out of the rock, with curved ceilings, mosaics (please don't touch them) and the smell of incense (see it in our video).
  9. Sunset at the Big Winch. We finished with a drink at the lookout (see it in our video).
  • Drive-in nights. A local guide site lists screenings on Saturday nights, plus some Fridays. We'd check the drive-in's own listings or with the visitor centre before you plan around it (Things To Do in Coober Pedy: the drive-in).
Coober Pedy in our van. The drive-in, the Old Timers Mine, opal, the underground churches and sunset at the Big Winch. Watch on YouTube

Buying opal: solid, doublet and triplet

This is how it was explained to us in the opal shop (see it in our video):

  • Solid opal is opal all the way through.
  • A doublet is a thin slice of opal glued to a backing. It's cheaper than solid opal.
  • A triplet is a doublet with a clear top, like resin, which protects the opal.

Ask which one you're looking at before you buy, and take your time. There are plenty of shops in town.

More to see: the Breakaways, the Dog Fence and noodling

We didn't do these ourselves. They're the things other travellers bring up most, so here's what to know.

Popular with other travellers: the Kanku-Breakaways and the Dog Fence loop. The Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park is about 25 km north of town. It's known for colourful mesas such as the Castle and Salt and Pepper, and for Panorama Hill, which appears in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The local tourism site describes a loop of about 70 km that carries on to the Dog Fence, which runs for over 5,300 km, and back across the Moon Plain, where you'll find fossils. In a 2WD: the roads are unsealed and unformed in places, and they can close or become 4WD only after rain. Only go when they're dry and open. We think it was closed after the heavy rain while we were there, so we didn't make it. See Coober Pedy tourism: Kanku-Breakaways and the Dog Fence (checked 4 November 2026).
Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). National Parks SA says Kanku-Breakaways is co-managed with the local Aboriginal community and is a registered Aboriginal site. Park entry fees apply, and permits are sold at the visitor information centre, at Underground Books or online. There's no camping and no wood fires, and dogs must be on a lead. The park is closed on Catastrophic fire danger days and may close on Extreme days. Check the Desert Parks Bulletin before you go (National Parks SA: Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park).
Popular with other travellers: noodling for opal. Noodling means searching through mullock (the waste dirt from the mines) for missed opal. There's a public noodling area on Jewellers Shop Road, where you search by hand and don't need a permit. Using tools needs a precious stones prospecting permit, and pegged claims are off-limits. You can be fined for trespassing on them. In a 2WD: yes, it's in town. See Coober Pedy tourism: noodling and mining and Things To Do in Coober Pedy: public noodling area (checked 4 November 2026).

Mine shafts, heat and rain

  • Stick to visitor mines. The town and the fields around it are dotted with old shafts. We only went underground at the Old Timers Mine and the churches.
  • We'd heard about break-ins, so we stayed in a secure caravan park.
  • Winter is lovely, but come prepared. It was chilly in the morning and warmer in the sun. Locals live underground partly to escape the summer heat, so carry plenty of water and plan your outdoor time for early and late in the day.
  • Rain changes everything. Dirt roads go to mud. We'd take the "might be a different experience" warning seriously.
Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). SafeWork SA warns that the opal fields have many unmarked, unfenced shafts, and that you shouldn't walk backwards or run in the fields. Visit Coober Pedy advises only entering visitor mines and not walking in the fields after dark (SafeWork SA: mind your step in opal fields, Visit Coober Pedy: plan your visit). For road conditions, check Traffic SA (Traffic SA: road conditions). The Visitor Guide lists the outback road report on 1300 361 033 (Coober Pedy Visitor Guide (PDF)).

FAQs

Can you camp underground in Coober Pedy?

Yes. Riba's Underground Camping, about 5 km south of town, has sites dug into the ground that stay at about 23 to 25°C all year. We stayed at a secure caravan park in town instead.

Is there free camping in Coober Pedy?

Yes. The Old Timers Mine has a donation-based RV area for self-contained vans with a 72-hour limit, and travellers also camp on Crown land off Kempe Road, which has no facilities. Check the latest rules before you go.

Can you drive to Coober Pedy in a 2WD?

Yes. It's on the sealed Stuart Highway, and we found the drive easy. Most sights in town are on sealed roads. The Breakaways and the Dog Fence are on unsealed roads that can close after rain.

Is Coober Pedy safe for campervans?

We'd heard about break-ins, so we chose a secure caravan park. The bigger safety risk is the opal fields: stay on roads and paths, and only go into visitor mines.

Where can you get water and empty your toilet in Coober Pedy?

The Visitor Guide lists coin-operated water and a dump point on Hutchison Street, at the council and visitor information centre. Water is precious here, so arrive with a full tank.

How long do you need in Coober Pedy?

We had a night and a full day, which was enough for the drive-in, the Old Timers Mine, the Desert Cave Café, an opal shop, two underground churches, the lookout and sunset at the Big Winch. Add another day for the Breakaways.

Do you need a permit for the Breakaways?

Yes. National Parks SA says entry fees apply and permits are sold at the visitor information centre, at Underground Books or online. There's no camping in the park.

What's the difference between solid opal, a doublet and a triplet?

Solid opal is opal all the way through. A doublet is a thin slice of opal on a backing, which is cheaper. A triplet adds a clear protective top. Ask which one you're looking at before you buy.

Sources

Our own experience comes from our winter visit on the way up the Stuart Highway and the videos linked above. Official and other travellers' information was checked on 4 November 2026. Things like camping rules and park closures change, so check before you go.

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