Fodor's Expert Review Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park

This striking series of buttes and jagged hills centered on the Moon Plain is of great cultural and spiritual significance to the traditional owners but to the untrained eye is reminiscent of most spectacular parts of the American West. There are fossils and patches of petrified forest in this strange landscape, which has appealed to makers of apocalyptic films; Mad Max 3—Beyond Thunderdome was filmed here, as was Ground Zero. The scenery is especially evocative early in the morning or at sunset when the colors come alive, and can get very windy so be sure to bring appropriate clothing. Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park is 30 km (19 miles) northeast of Coober Pedy.

Permits to explore the area cost A$10 per vehicle and can be purchased at the Coober Pedy Tourist Information Centre in the District Council Office on Hutchinson Street or from Underground Books.