Port Pirie to Coober Pedy road trip: Best stops, distance & time

The best stops on a Port Pirie to Coober Pedy road trip include Port Augusta, Woomera and Lake Hart. By car, the distance from Port Pirie to Coober Pedy is 631km, with a driving time of 6h37m.

A Port Pirie to Coober Pedy road trip takes you from the cusp of South Australia’s outback to Australia’s opal mining capital.

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Port Pirie to Coober Pedy distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Port Pirie to Coober Pedy is 631km. That makes for a driving time of around six hours and 37 minutes.

The best stops to add to a Port Pirie to Coober Pedy road trip itinerary include Port Augusta, Woomera and Lake Hart.

Port Pirie to Coober Pedy road trip: Port Pirie to Mambray Creek

From industrial Port Pirie, the drive to Coober Pedy heads through Mambray Creek, which is the gateway to the Mount Remarkable National Park and Alligator Gorge. But the next town is Port Augusta.

Port Pirie to Coober Pedy drive: Port Augusta to Coober Pedy

The best things to do in Port Augusta include the Wadlata Outback Centre, which looks at Aboriginal and outback life, and the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden.

Port Augusta accommodation picks

Port Augusta accommodation tends towards the functional. Few people stay here more than one night. Booking site Wotif lists options for from $89, if you’d like to check what’s available.

However, these Port Augusta accommodation choices are particularly worth looking at:

For heritage and character: Pampas Motel.
For green credentials: Crossroads Ecomotel.
For overall quality: Majestic Oasis Apartments.
For cheap rates and a pool: Discovery Parks – Port Augusta.

On the road trip section from Port Augusta to Coober Pedy, try to visit Woomera and the Lake Hart salt lake on the way.

Woomera offers a fascinating insight into space exploration with missiles on display, while Lake Hart‘s salt lake is a unique and beautiful natural wonder.

Things to do in Coober Pedy once you arrive include opal mine tours, visiting underground homes and seeing the remarkable Serbian orthodox church. It is also the most logical overnight stop before heading north to Alice Springs or Uluru in the Northern Territory.

Best Coober Pedy accommodation choices

The most interesting places to stay in Coober Pedy are:

For gloriously weird underground rooms in a former opal mine: Comfort Inn Coober Pedy Experience.
For (usually) the cheapest rates: The Underground Motel.
For pool, playground and apartments: Big4 Stuart Range Outback Resort.
For above ground rooms made from rammed earth, with merciful air-conditioning: Mud Hut Motel.