If you've ever fancied yourself as a science-fiction warrior, or perhaps an intrepid explorer, you'll feel right at home in the harsh surroundings of Coober Pedy, one of Australia's best-known outback towns.

Coober Pedy, located 846 kilometres north of Adelaide along the Stuart Highway, is a place of extremes. This rugged opal town has summer daytime temperatures that can soar to more than 50C, so it's not surprising that about 80 per cent of the town's population chooses to live underground.

One of the first things you'll notice is the range of nationalities that have chosen to make their home in this arid and somewhat forbidding landscape. About 4000 people live in and around the town and you'll see more than 45 different nationalities represented here.

Such cultural diversity is reflected in a number of the town's attractions - you can tee off at the town's grassless golf course, take time to reflect in the two underground churches or fossick for gems outside the town. You would expect to find a few wacky characters in a place like this, and the town doesn't disappoint. One of the more infamous characters is Crocodile Harry, whose bizarre underground house featured in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.

Most of the world's opals come from Coober Pedy's opal fields, which cover an area of 4,954 square kilometres. Pop up to the Big Winch, one of the town's most prominent landmarks, for a bird's-eye view, and get a snapshot of mining life in the 19th century by joining a mining tour at the Old Timer's Mine.

In the centre of town you'll find the Umoona Opal Mine & Museum. It's worth seeing the onsite mine during one of the daily tours, and there's also an Aboriginal Interpretive Centre and an underground home. It's a good way to get a better understanding of the town's colourful history, and there's also a stunning collection of some of the world's finest opals on display.

There's a somewhat apocalyptic feel about the landscape surrounding Coober Pedy, so it's no wonder that several movies have been filmed in the area. Take a drive 15 kilometres north-east of the town to the Moon Plain, an aptly named lunar landscape which has featured in movies including Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and the Red Planet.

For another example of the area's unusual geography, don't miss the incredible views of the Breakaways, 33 kilometres north of Coober Pedy. A vista of flat-topped mesas among the desert, the Breakaways was once covered by a vast inland sea. Surprisingly, some flora and fauna manages to exist here, and the area also boasts an interesting Aboriginal and European history.

Coober Pedy isn't your usual tourist destination. Such a harsh environment breeds the unusual, with striking landscapes, quirky characters and a lifestyle few of us could imagine. You'll never see another town quite like it.

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• Nearest City:Adelaide
• Distance to Adelaide:83kms
• Nearest Airport:Adelaide
• Distance to Adelaide Airport:83km

Local Attractions in the Area

• Coorong Adventure Cruise by Spirit Australia Cruises
• Steam Train, Peninsula Coastline
• Adelaide Region Parks
• Currency Creek Wine
• The Marina Hindmarsh Island,

Helpful Links for the Area

• SA Tourism: Goolwa
• Fleurieu Peninsula Tourism
• SA National Parks
• Alexandrina Council

Seasonal Events

• Milang to Goolwa Freshwater Classic(yacht race)
• Goolwa Alive!: October
• Goolwa Air Spectacular: February 2007
• Wooden Boat and Music Festival: March 2007
• Fleurieu Peninsula Calendar of Events