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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.
- Attractions
St Peter & Paul's Catholic Church
An underground Catholic church carved into the rock — completing Coober Pedy's trio of dugout churches.
- Free
- Underground
- Attractions
Catacomb 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
- Essentials
Coober Pedy Visitor Information Centre
Start here — maps, tours, Breakaways park passes, noodling info and local advice.
- Free
- Accessible
- Day trips
Moon Plain
A vast, lunar gibber-stone desert used as a film location — utterly otherworldly.
- Free
- Opal mining
Public 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
- Kid-friendly
- Attractions
Serbian Orthodox Church of St Elijah
The largest underground church in town — 17m below ground, with carved rock walls and stained glass.
- Free
- Underground
- Attractions
The Big Winch Scenic Lookout
Coober Pedy's highest point — 360° town views, a café and the famous Big Winch sculpture.
- Free
- Kid-friendly
- Day trips
The Dog Fence (Dingo Fence)
See a stretch of the world's longest fence — 5,600km built to keep dingoes from the south-east.
- Free
- Attractions
The Spaceship (Pitch Black Prop)
A film prop spaceship from the movie Pitch Black, parked in town — a fun free photo stop.
- Free
- Kid-friendly