Coober Pedy: The “Opal Capital” of the world

And that is not an empty statement. 80% of all existing opal is found in this area! But that´s not all. Coober Pedy also claims to be the only place on earth where you can camp underneath the ground (at Riba´s) – of course in a discontinued opal mine. That in itself was an interesting and equally dusty experience. And then there is also the Hollywood side of this rustic outback location. Parts of “Mad Max” and other sci-fi/action movies were cast here, taking advantage of the rough and somewhat monotone surroundings of Coober Pedy.

Spacecraft from the movie "Pitch Black" with Vin Diesel which was partly shot around Coober Pedy (so was Mad Max)

Spacecraft from the movie “Pitch Black” with Vin Diesel which was partly shot around Coober Pedy