This place is situated on the Stuart Highway at a distance of 863km in the north-west direction of Adelaide. The city, with a lunar landscape, is the largest opal-producing centre in Australia. It gets its name from an Aboriginal word meaning 'white man's hole in the ground'. The meaning refers to the dugout houses used to avoid the savage heat of the interior position. The place enjoys a fixed temperature of 24oC throughout the year. With the success of the development, the churches and shops are also using the same techniques. The activities have almost become subterranean. The largest opal ever mined, known as the Olympic Australia Opal, was discovered in this place in 1956.
