Things to Do in Coober Pedy, Australia: Walking Guide

Coober Pedy is a remote opal mining town in South Australia known for its underground homes, churches and striking desert scenery. Visitors come to experience the dugout way of life, explore opal fields and admire the colourful Breakaways landscape. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Coober Pedy with 2 narrated places, letting you explore at your own pace.

Underground Churches

Parish of Saints Peter and Paul

The Parish of Saints Peter and Paul is a Roman Catholic church carved into the sandstone beneath the town. Its modest interior reflects the community’s faith and the practical need to escape the surface heat.

Saint Elijah the Prophet Serbian Orthodox Church

A few steps away lies the Saint Elijah the Prophet Serbian Orthodox Church, also known as Saint Elijah Church. Built in 1993, this underground complex extends between three and seventeen metres below ground and includes a community hall, parish house, and religious school alongside the main sanctuary, showing how the church functions as a centre for worship and community life.

Opal Mining and the Outback

Opal mining remains the town’s heartbeat, with countless claims visible as mounds of excavated earth across the surrounding plains. Local mines and galleries demonstrate how the precious stones are extracted, and visitors can sometimes see rare fossilized or opalized specimens that highlight the region’s unique geology.

Beyond the town, the Breakaways present striking, brightly coloured ridges that contrast with the vast outback plains. The Stuart Highway corridor adds salt lakes, red soil, sparse vegetation and endless skies to the scenery.

Explore Coober Pedy with Neywo

Neywo’s free audio guide provides two narrated stops that play automatically as you reach each location, allowing you to move at your own pace without a group or a set schedule. While the app does not currently include predefined walking, bus or bike routes, the narrated places give you insight into the town’s underground churches and other points of interest. You can download the guide in 11 languages and start exploring whenever you are ready.

For those planning a wider trip, Coober Pedy lies between Darwin and Adelaide, and it is also a feasible detour for travellers heading to Melbourne. You can find more information about Australia on the country page, or read about nearby cities such as Darwin, Adelaide and Melbourne.