IF YOU’VE ever wondered what it would be like to run on Mars, running in Coober Pedy may be as close to running on the fourth planet from the Sun as you’ll get. A ruddy-coloured sea of desert, pocked with craters and mullock, it’s no wonder it has been the backdrop to a significant number of sci-fi films. Underneath this incredible lunar landscape is an underground labyrinth of mines and accommodation, hidden from the sun’s unrelenting rays.
It’s a harsh environment, but its harshness is also its charm. Each year, the strange, stark beauty of Coober Pedy attracts visitors and adventurers from around Australia and the world. The clear skies, sunsets and sunrises are astonishing – an Instagrammer’s delight. The abrasive desert is a post-apocalyptic movie director’s dream. The dugout homes are a curious sight. And then there’s what the outback town is really famous for: opals.
But the isolation that comes with being 852km from the nearest capital city presents a unique set of challenges for organised sport in the town, especially for primary-school aged kids.
Like most rural communities, Coober Pedy relies
