Coober Pedy is situated in South Australia, Australia, right between Adelaide and Alice Springs. It is an active opal field, but most famous for the underground residences, including the hotel. The shafts are cold in summer and warm in winter. The area has very little rainfall so there is no risk of flooding.
There are several tours, self-guided and with guides, around the mining shafts in the city. The actual mine shafts are located outside the town, but opals are still discovered when homes are built underground. Mining started in the area at Big Flat in 1915, and declined until a new find in 1946 started a new mining boom.
Opaltown is situated in Queensland, 62 miles, or 100 km, south of Winton. It is the source of boulder opals. The city itself has only a few hundred residents, and no running water or electricity. The mines were opened in the 1890s, but a drop in the price of opals and a water shortage all but closed Opaltown. It re-opened in the 1960s as a center for fossicking.
Fossicking or "noodling" is to search for gemstones. They can be found on the surface, or in dumps from old mines. To "noodle" in Queensland, a Fossickers' License is required. Licenses can be obtained by individuals, families, clubs or commercial tour operators, according to the Fossicking Act of 1994. They can be obtained at mining registrars or local governments. Duration is from one month to 12 months, with fees varying accordingly.
In Coober Pedy, public fossicking is permitted in an area to the east of the town, known as the Jewell Box. It is is used as a mine dump, and opals are frequently missed by the miners and dumped here.
In other areas outside the town, there are claims and leases which are currently being worked, marked with four white posts. There are directional markings at the base of each post. In such areas, the permission of the claim or lease holder is required.
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, in the middle of the Great Sandy Desert, was home of the latest gold rush in Australia. It started in 1893, when a prospector discovered gold. The 100 mines which opened quickly after had all but closed in 1970, when modern mining started. The old mines were combined into an open-cut mine. This is now the "Super Pit," the biggest open pit gold mine in Australia, producing 850,000 oz. of gold every year. Free tours departing from the nearby town of Boulder and a giftshop are available for visitors.
Most of Australia's iron ore is mined in Pilbara, northern Western Australia, where the mines are situated near the towns of Tom Price and Newman. Mining started in 1943 and the land is still owned by the family who discovered the mine. Pilbara is also the location of the largest manganese mine, in the world, Woodie Woodie, located 248 miles, or 400 km, southeast of Port Hedland.
