Coober Pedy: opal capital of the world.

An interesting wander around the backstreets of Coober Pedy while there for a shoot recently.

Coober Pedy and The Breakaways

Coober Pedy is a town in northern South Australia, 846 km north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway. It's in the desert - the South Australia outback. It can get hot here, but not when I visit in June. In June, the sun is out, but the wind that whips along the open vastness can be chilling.

Much of the town has been built underground in a bid to get away from the summer heat. It's what makes this town quirky and interesting. Visitors can stay in underground houses and hotels, visit cafes, shops, galleries and churches and of course, go down the mines.

Coober Pedy is also known as the Opal Capital of the World. You can find your own or purchase from the many stores.

Just north of Coober Pedy is The Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park. It is a protected aboriginal heritage site and one of South Australia's Outback 'sights to be seen'.

An inland sea once covered the Breakaways. Today it is a rocky and colourful landscape that looks like it's from another world.

The dog fence is also here - a 2m high wire barrier that stretches for over 5,300km across three States. It protects the Southern farming country from the Dingo.

The best time to see the awesome Breakaways is sunrise or sunset, when the colours intensify and the shadows that fill the land add drama. It's no secret - everyone comes at this time.