During the summer month of December to February inclusive we have limited scheduled Experience Tours but please call to enquire during this period.

We are part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2025 from March 1st to 23rd. Please book directly on the Adelaide Fringe website during that period.

Unearthed Australian Opal

BOOK NOW

Duration: Minimum 2.5 hours
Adult: $250Child 8 to 16 years $185
Family: 2 Adults and 2 children $850

*Please be informed that we have a minimum requirement of 2 PAX for bookings. If we do not receive additional reservations for that evening, we will be obliged to cancel the booking and issue a refund.

Join us for a must-do hands-on real deal mining adventure where you join forces with us to hunt for the elusive gem in our working opal Mine with our equipment in the cool of night.

Get your hands dirty swinging a pick, wrangling a jack pick and wielding a UV black lighting after the 50 Tonne Excavator reveals never seen before opal bearing ground.

With 2 generations of experience, we have developed an efficient mining technique in an easy to access open cut mine. No ladders or winches as we drive right down into the open sky mine. We will have the mine site prepared for you in advance, so that your time spent at the mine is digging on the level maximising the chance of unearthing opal!

If we find a “big one” you will have the first-hand experience and excitement in unearthing & holding a beautiful, coloured opal and see the magnificence that they exhibit.

Make no mistake….If we get onto Opal, you help us dig it out!

Group Discounts are available upon request

INQUIRE NOW

The Experience

Duration: Minimum 2.5 hours
Adult: $250
Child 8 to 16 years $185
Family: 2 Adults and 2 children $850

*Please be informed that we have a minimum requirement of 2 PAX for bookings. If we do not receive additional reservations for that evening, we will be obliged to cancel the booking and issue a refund.

Experience an actual working mine located withing the Opal Capital of the world, where you are with us, to work as we do. Whilst the anticipation and excitement of finding beautiful opal is why we do what we do, the reality is that the open cut conditions and mother nature can make it a significant challenge. The machinery can be a little noisy, the conditions can be dusty and whilst we do our best to make it as safe as possible the surfaces can be rough. There can be insects and the occasional scorpion that are attracted by the UV and white lights. Mining has an element of danger but ensuring your safety is our primary concern and we guide you throughout the evening. Digging opal from the ground is hard work so be prepared to roll up your sleeves to unearth gem opal. These facets are the day to day for us and the “Real Thing” that is part of the experience.

Lastly our aim is to give you the best chance of finding and digging gem opal, we want you to experience that excitement. Opal is an elusive gem and despite best efforts, preparation, and the best signs unfortunately we cannot guarantee that you we will find precious opal. We can guarantee that we will do our best to provide you the real experience and as much information as we can in an effort to make your time in Coober Pedy memorable.

FAQ’s and Safety

Q: What should I wear.
A: The terrain and surface on a mine site can be rough and loose therefore enclosed shoes with good ankle support are required. The nights in Coober Pedy can be cold therefore long pants and a jumper are recommended.
Q: What Level of Fitness is required.
A: A moderate level of fitness is required because the mine site has loose and rough surfaces that can be a challenge to navigate on foot. A reminder this is a real working mine site.
Q: How safe is the mine site?
A: We prepare the site with safety being our priority. You will be located in a designated “Standby zone” with your host. This area is designated the safe zone and you must remain in that zone until advised by your hosts. You will be provide with clear safety glasses, ear protection, dust masks, hard hats and white light. We will be constantly evaluating the ground conditions and providing instructions. There is always an element or risk when on a mine site.
Q:Do we get to keep opal we find?
A: We want you to take home some Opal you found on your visit to Coober Pedy. Although all opal found on the night remains the property of Unearthed Australian Opal as the claim holder if we have some luck on the night we will share the luck with you. It will be at discretion on the night to allow participants to keep any opal found. Participants will be given the opportunity to purchase opal found on the night at a discounted rate.
Q: Is the experience tiring?
A: The level at which you participate is up to you. We will have chairs located in the Standby Zone for your comfort. That zone is in a safe area within good viewing distance of the excavator operating and the mine face. Digging with a pick and jack pick on the face and noodling can be tiring but you can choose how much you do.
Q: Can we take photos and videos?
A: Absolutely, we encourage you to take as many photos and videos of your experience but we would appreciate you tagging us in on social media posts.
Q:What is included?
A: All onsite equipment such as a headlamp, UV blacklight, hand pick and shared jack picks and bottled water.
Q:How do we get to the mine site?
A: You will be provided details on a meeting point and time. From there you will tag along to the mine site in your vehicle.
Q: Is the journey to the Mine site suitable for all vehicles?
A: The roads to the mine site will be suitable for both 4WD and 2WD vehicles
Q: Do we go underground during the experience?
A: The experience is on an Open Cut Minesite however depending on the site we are working at the time we may break into old underground tunnels which if deemed safe will be made available for exploration.
Q: Can we leave before the experience is finished.
A: The Opal fields are a hazardous are with many unmarked holes and mines and very few designated roads. It will be a the discretion of the hosts to allow early departure depending on current mine site status and exit route.

The Itinerary

Upon booking you will receive an email with relevant information including departure time and meeting location
Your EXPERIENCE adventure starts when you meet 2 Opal miners at one of Coober Pedy’s quality restaurants for a departure approx. 30 mins before sunset.
Show your booking confirmation for a 10% discount on all your meals. Plan to arrive early to have dinner before departure and eat up big because digging out opal takes a lot of energy!
Tag along in your vehicle winding through the opal fields to the mine site (2wd safe)
Once onsite you will be briefed you will be assigned all your safety and mining equipment including hard hat, glasses, headlamp UV Blacklight and pick.
We will then run through an Opal information session where we will brief you on the history of the Coober Pedy opal fields, the various ways we mine for opal, how it is formed and some Q and A. We will have Opal in its various forms for you to touch and appreciate including in its rough form to amazing, finished Jewellery and even opal fossils all available should you wish to purchase.
Next you will be placed in the Standby safe zone before we fire up the 50 Tonne excavator and begin to reveal never seen before Opal bearing ground. Then its lights off and you will now hunt for gem opal using UV blacklights. Once found you will use handpicks and jack picks to carefully extract it.
Opal mining is very challenging and there is an element of danger, but we will constantly be monitoring the site and guiding you along the way. During the night we will be imparting all we know about opal mining or think we know and the many stories of the Coober Pedy opal fields.
The duration and number of times we dig with the excavator will depend on how much luck you bring with you. We are happy for you to bring as much luck as is humanly possible!
After we find lots of Opal (fingers crossed) we will have some time to star gaze the amazing desert sky with a warm cuppa whilst we check out the nights finds before heading back into town.

Is the ideal tour date not on the list?
Let us know what dates you have in mind and we will see what we can work out.

booking

Ready to book the Experience?

*Please be informed that we have a minimum requirement of 2 PAX for bookings.
If we do not receive additional reservations for that evening, we will be obliged to cancel the booking and issue a refund.

See our available dates below: