Moonta sits roughly 160 km northwest of Adelaide in the region known as the 'Copper Triangle". The other two towns that complete the Copper Triangle are Wallaroo and Kadina.
Moonta was the home to the richest cooper mine in Australia during the end of the 19th century. You can find out what happens in the mine at Wheal Hughes Mine. You can also learn about the town's history at the Moonta Heritage Site, which has a guided walk around the area. There is a museum on the site and an old miners cottage nearby. You can also visit the old school, which is now a folk museum.
Moonta is a historically significant town of South Australia with its well-maintained historic buildings and the the ruins of the old copper works.
Considered by some as 'Australia's Little Cornwall' a title perhaps taken from the fact that the first miners to the area were Cornishmen, a fact reinforced by the bi-annual Cornish Festival held in May. The Cornishmen employed century old mining techniques to extract copper ore from the mines. It is reputed that 'The Moonta Company' was the first mining company to shell out over a Million Pounds in dividends.
There are several cafes and a few pub style restaurants in town where you can eat out, as well as a small selection of accommodation.