Rock Hounding & Fossicking

Coober Pedy is famous for opal, but the wider field is a rock-hound’s playground. Alongside the precious stuff, the mullock heaps and gibber plains turn up gypsum (including clear, bladed selenite crystals), jasper, banded ironstone, quartz and the odd piece of petrified wood. Bring a keen eye, a hat and plenty of water.

Where to start

• Opal — the safe, legal and free place to fossick (“noodle”) for opal is the Public Noodling Area on Jeweller’s Shop Road. Sift the heaps by hand and keep what you find; using any digging tool counts as mining and needs a permit.
• Other minerals — gypsum, jasper and ironstone show up across the gibber country, but where you can collect them is the catch (see below). Ask at the Visitor Information Centre for current advice on accessible spots.

Know the rules before you dig

Most of the ground around Coober Pedy is under active opal claims, mining leases or precious stones field rules — you can’t simply dig wherever you like, and wandering onto a worked claim is both dangerous (open shafts) and not allowed.

South Australia’s Department for Energy & Mining sets the ground rules for fossicking statewide:

• Fossicking is recreational only — hand tools only, no machinery and no explosives.
• You need the landowner’s or claim-holder’s permission before entering to fossick.
• No fossicking in National or Conservation Parks — that includes the Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park.
• Leave shafts, equipment and other people’s claims well alone.

Take it further at home

If you catch the bug, a lapidary or gem club will teach you to cut, polish and identify your finds. The Gem and Mineral Clubs Association of South Australia (GMCASA) can point you to a club in your home town, and Adelaide locals have the Adelaide Gem & Mineral Club at 19 Fourth Ave, St Peters, which runs lapidary, faceting and silversmithing workshops for all skill levels.