Australia | Andamooka, South Australian Opal Mines

Australia's Great Artesian Basin, and the town of (Andamooka) are located approximately 60 km off the Stuart Highway, north-east of Port Augusta and Woomera, on B97 Olympic Way. The opal fields are quite a distance south of town, on the Andamooka Tract road. This is big county, and the Andamooka opal fields are about 580 km from the capital city of South Australia, Adelaide.

There are thousands of "Kupa piti," or "white man's hole in the ground" covering the landscape, just as in Coober Pedy, and "mining" in this area is a freelance operation that only requires a 'Precious Stones Prospecting Permit' (PSPP) and the will. Mining at Andamooka can be as simple as "noodling" (walking and looking), "tunneling," or "open cut mining" with a rented dozer, pick shovel, and bucket.

For additional Information go to: Andamooka Opal Fields