'Substantial reinvestment': Nab Coober Pedy’s biggest caravan park and oasis pool
On the long haul between Adelaide and Darwin, there’s a moment every road tripper is chasing – the chance to pull over, cool off and dive into something that feels like an outback oasis.
In the moonscape-like opal mecca of Coober Pedy, South Australia, that moment comes in the form of accommodation with a showpiece saltwater swimming pool – and it’s now hitting the market, giving buyers a chance to corner the town’s lodging sector.
The Stuart Range Outback Resort and Mud Hut Motel are being offered in one line via private sale through ResortBrokers’ Kelli Crouch. Combined, they offer 244 accommodation options across caravan sites, apartments and motel rooms – the largest inventory in the outback town.
The dual opportunity is forecast to generate about $3.4 million in turnover and $1.65 million in net profit in FY26, supported by strong year-round occupancy across both operations.
Apartments at the caravan-park-resort are running at more than 80 per cent occupancy, while the motel is achieving about 67 per cent, reflecting a mix of leisure travellers and workers tied to mining, infrastructure and regional services.
Set on the Explorers Way, Coober Pedy sits about 846 kilometres north of Adelaide and 685 kilometres south of Alice Springs, making it a natural midway stop on one of Australia’s most-travelled inland routes.
The town remains “a stopover of choice for travellers making the journey north or south”, according to the information memorandum, with peak tourism between April and October.
Crouch says the campaign has been positive, with buyers responding to the sites’ excellent financial performance and condition.
After acquiring it in 2021, the vendor, Lifestyle Parks, has poured $700,000 into the pool, the addition of 70 caravan sites and other upgrades.
“The general feedback from potential buyers is the premium condition of both properties,” Crouch says. “This reflects the vendor’s substantial reinvestment into the assets.
“At the motel, all guest rooms have been fully refurbished with new air-con and the like. These are genuine turnkey assets ready to go from day one.”
The Stuart Range Outback Resort – which operates under the BIG4 Holiday Parks banner – spans 8.3 hectares on the fringe of town and has operated since 1988.
It includes 24 upscale one-and two-bedroom apartments, 74 caravan and camping sites with water and power, 88 sites with power only, and 30 unpowered sites. Broadening revenue beyond the accommodation is a mix of diversified income streams, including a pizza cafe and bar, a small shop and tour operations.
“Quantity has a quality of its own,” Crouch says. “This is the largest accommodation asset in Coober Pedy, hands down. Even without the motel, the park is the largest accommodation asset in the area, with more than double the number of sites than any competitor.
“Having the park and motel together allows the operator to target different guest markets – grey nomads, independent leisure travellers, workers and business travellers.”
About 1.2 kilometres away, the Mud Hut Motel – opened in 1992 – sits on a 5618-square-metre site and provides a further 28 above-ground rooms and apartments, capturing short-stay travellers and longer-term corporate guests who appreciate the new linen, bar fridges and fresh paint, and leave high online ratings.
The proximity of the two properties enables operational efficiency under a single management structure, with shared staffing.
Importantly for incoming operators, infrastructure improvements are also on the horizon, with SAWater set to take over management of the town’s water network by the end of the year – a move expected to improve supply reliability and reduce operating costs.
Buyer interest has come from across the country.
“We’ve been blown away by the strong demand,” Crouch says. “Interest has come from right around Australia – moteliers looking to branch out into the park space or add to their portfolios, property developers, private park operators and corporates.”
Beyond its existing income streams, the asset offers multiple value-add levers.
The Mud Hut Motel includes a 42-seat restaurant and commercial kitchen that is not operating, presenting an immediate opportunity to lift revenue, while the resort has surplus land available for additional cabins or powered sites, and there is also potential to bring tour operations in-house, which could further diversify income.
Positioned on one of Australia’s great inland routes, the town has a population of just 1566 people, according to the most recent census, but attracts a far larger transient population as a key stop on the tourism circuit.
In Coober Pedy, much of daily life happens underground, with homes, hotels, churches and restaurants carved into hillsides and often almost invisible at first glance. Around half the population now lives in dugout homes, where temperatures remain a comfortable 19 to 25 degrees year-round, shielding residents and visitors from the extremes above ground.
“It’s unique! No need to go to the moon on Artemis II when you can get lunar landscapes right here in Coober Pedy,” Crouch says.
“Travellers love it. It’s on the Explorers Way, ultra caravan and campervan friendly, and it’s got the iconic dugouts. And more opals than anywhere else in the world.”
Coober Pedy serves as a key gateway to central Australia, drawing tourists heading to destinations like the Simpson Desert, Painted Desert, Lake Eyre, William Creek and Uluru.
However, the town also functions as an important regional service centre, supporting government departments, health and social services, as well as the surrounding cattle and sheep stations.
It is also serviced by regular flights from Adelaide via Rex Airlines, along with coach connections linking South Australia and the Northern Territory.
The property is listed for $13.5 million plus stock for the combined holding, with the vendor preferring a single-line sale, though they could be purchased separately.
