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Coober Pedy () is a town in northern South Australia, 846 km (526 mi) north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway. The town is sometimes referred to as the "opal capital of the world" because of the quantity of precious opals mined there. A blower truck is raised above the town sign, representing the importance of opal mining to the town's history. Coober Pedy is also renowned for its below-ground dwellings, called "dugouts", which are built in this fashion due to the scorching daytime heat.
The name "Coober Pedy" is thought to derive from the Kokatha-Barngarla term kupa-piti, which translates to "whitefellas' hole", but in 1975 the local Aboriginal people of the town adopted the name Umoona, which means "long life" and is also their name for the mulga tree.
Background information about Coober Pedy adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Next 7 days at Coober Pedy
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Updated each time the page loads.
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Best time to visit Coober Pedy
Based on 30 years of weather data. Sweet spot: Jun, Jul, Aug — mild temperatures, low rainfall and plenty of sun. Avoid Feb, Dec if you can — typically the wettest or hottest stretch of the year.
Jan
48°
13° low
8mm
Feb
47°
12° low
18mm
Mar
45°
10° low
8mm
Apr
41°
6° low
11mm
May
33°
4° low
11mm
Jun
28°
0° low
11mm
Jul
31°
0° low
5mm
Aug
34°
2° low
6mm
Sep
39°
3° low
8mm
Oct
42°
6° low
11mm
Nov
47°
7° low
11mm
Dec
49°
11° low
16mm
Daytime high (large) · overnight low (small) · monthly rainfall (blue bar). Climate normals: 1991–2020 from Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis.
What else is around Coober Pedy
Points of interest within 25 km, pulled from OpenStreetMap. Distances are straight-line; check road access before heading out.
🎡 Attractions (9)
- 1.0 km
- 1.2 km
- 1.2 km
- 1.3 km
- 1.3 km
- 1.5 km
🔭 Lookouts & viewpoints (6)
- 0.9 km
- 0.9 km
- 1.2 km
- 15.2 km
- 19.0 km
- 19.5 km
⛰️ Peaks & summits (3)
- 17.8 km
- 22.9 km
- 23.1 km
🏰 Historic sites (2)
- 0.9 km
- 4.0 km
🏛️ Museums & galleries (3)
- 0.9 km
- 0.9 km
- 1.4 km
🕳️ Caves (1)
- 1.2 km
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Drive times to and from Coober Pedy
Real road distance and driving time to other destinations in the state. Click through for fuel estimates, suggested overnight stops, and tours along the way.
Frequently asked about Coober Pedy
- Where is Coober Pedy?
- Coober Pedy is in Outback, South Australia, Australia.
- When is the best time to visit Coober Pedy?
- Based on 30 years of weather data, the most pleasant months at Coober Pedy are typically June, July, August — mild temperatures and lower rainfall. School holiday periods can also fit if you don't mind the crowds.
- What's the weather like in Coober Pedy?
- Summer daytime highs average around 49°C and winter overnight lows can drop to about 0°C. See the climate panel above for the month-by-month breakdown.
