Curated field list
Free Things to Do in Coober Pedy
Coober Pedy on a budget - free attractions, lookouts, noodling and underground churches.
You don’t need to spend a cent to experience the best of Coober Pedy. Fossick for opal in the public noodling areas, take in the view from the Big Winch, visit the extraordinary underground churches, and drive out to the Breakaways and Moon Plain. Here’s what’s free.
13 places in this collection
Map view
AttractionsCoober Pedy Oval parkrun
A free, weekly 5km run, jog or walk every Saturday morning at the Coober Pedy Oval - dogs and visitors welcome.
- Free
- Good with kids
AccommodationFree Camping in Coober Pedy
Two free camps for self-sufficient travellers - the donation-run RV camp at Old Timers Mine, and the bare-bones paddock off Kempe Road just out of town.
- Free
AttractionsGeocaching in Coober Pedy
Yes, the global treasure hunt reaches the opal fields - including an EarthCache at the Big Winch lookout that teaches you how opal forms.
- Free
- Good with kids
AttractionsStargazing in Coober Pedy
Some of the darkest skies in Australia - the Milky Way, the Southern Cross and two naked-eye galaxies, best seen a short drive out of town.
- Free
- Good with kids
AttractionsSt Peter & Paul's Catholic Church
An underground Catholic church carved into the rock - completing Coober Pedy's trio of dugout churches.
- Free
- Underground
AttractionsCatacomb Church (Anglican)
A cross-shaped underground church cut from sandstone in 1977, with fittings made from mulga wood and an old miner's winch.
- Free
- Underground
EssentialsCoober Pedy Visitor Information Centre
Start here - maps, tours, Breakaways park passes, noodling info and local advice.
- Free
- Accessible
Day tripsMoon Plain
A vast, lunar gibber-stone desert used as a film location - utterly otherworldly.
- Free
Opal miningPublic Noodling Area
Free, beginner-friendly fossicking on Jeweller's Shop Road - sift the mullock heaps by hand and keep any opal you find. Open 24/7.
- Free
- Good with kids
AttractionsSerbian Orthodox Church of St Elijah
The largest underground church in town - 17m below ground, with carved rock walls and stained glass.
- Free
- Underground
AttractionsThe Big Winch Scenic Lookout
Coober Pedy's highest point - 360° town views, a café and the famous Big Winch sculpture.
- Free
- Good with kids
Day tripsThe Dog Fence (Dingo Fence)
See a stretch of the world's longest fence - 5,600km built to keep dingoes from the south-east.
- Free
AttractionsThe Spaceship (Pitch Black Prop)
A film prop spaceship from the movie Pitch Black, parked in town - a fun free photo stop.
- Free
- Good with kids