We’ve just returned from an unforgettable trip to Coober Pedy, and we’re still buzzing from the incredible energy of the 2025 Coober Pedy Gem Show!
It all kicked off with a warm underground welcome at the CK Confectionaire Restaurant for the Friday night meet & greet dinner—great food, friendly faces, and a perfect start to the weekend.
Saturday was bursting with colour and creativity at the Gem Trade Show. It was brilliant to see the South Australian opal fields proudly represented—Coober Pedy, Andamooka, and Mintabie all shining bright. Andamooka was well represented too, with familiar faces like John & Yoka Dunstan, Peter Giesler, Elizabeth from Desert Jewells, Angel Opal, Issy, and many more showcasing their work with pride.
We squeezed in plenty between opals—breakfast at Big Winch 360, lunch at John’s Pizza Bar, a wander through the Italian Club Markets, and a visit to Josephine’s Kangaroo Sanctuary. It was a full day, and we loved every minute.
Sunday started with another hearty breakfast at the Big Winch—yes, it’s that good—and we caught the Easter Egg Hunt in full swing, which brought big smiles all around.
Back at the Gem Show, we had great conversations and laughs with Ashley & Vanggie, Regine, Deb & Laz, and a fascinating yarn about blacklights with Leon. We also connected with Dan, Jackson Opals, Peter from Sherman Opals, and Heath & Astrid from Treasured Opals—a vibrant, generous crowd of passionate opal folk.
In the afternoon, we dropped into John & Yoka’s Opal and Art to meet the lovely new owners Wayne and Sarah, grabbed lunch at the Outback Bar & Grill, and continued our opal adventure. We saw Trevor’s live cutting demo at The Opal Cave, caught up with Tina and Trevor, popped into Umoona Opal Mine & Museum to see Sabrina, swung past Miners Direct Opal to see Nikki, and had a great visit with Paul and family at Tom’s Working Mine—incredible to see how far it’s come since our last stop. A quick check-in at the Visitor Information Centre rounded out the day.
We wrapped it all up with a relaxed dinner at the Opal Inn Bistro—the perfect way to end an incredible weekend.
There are still so many people and places we didn’t get to this time around, but we’ll definitely be back. If you’re heading to Lightning Ridge later this year, we’ll see you there!
And for everyone else—keep your eyes on the horizon. We’re already preparing for Opal Evolution, Andamooka’s annual arts and opal festival, returning this October 2025. It’s all part of the creative lead-up to the Australian Opal Symposium, returning to South Australia in 2027, proudly hosted by the Andamooka Opal Fields Tourism Association Inc. (AOFTA).
Until next time—thanks, Coober Pedy!
