Would you be able to live underground? What if it was the only way to survive high temperatures? This is precisely what the inhabitants of Coober Pedy, an Australian city where most residents live in old mines to ward off the heat. And why don't they move somewhere else? Well, very simple! The opal mining industry in this area employs most of the inhabitants.
Do you want to discover more details about this curious city underground? Well, we recommend you to be very attentive to what we tell you next, especially to our gallery, where we offer you a lot of images of Coober Pedy.
Temperatures reaching 48 degrees
Today we move to the north of South Australia, 846 kilometers north of Adelaide, to discover one of the most amazing cities in the world. And it is that most of the population of Coober Pedy, of about 3,500 inhabitants of 45 different nationalities, lives underground. The reason is very simple: temperatures reach 48 degrees in summer. In addition, residents must face shortage of rains and storms of sand. If you had to live in this place, wouldn't you also live underground?
Opal mines
Coober Pedy is known for being the world capital of opal, as numerous mines of this mineral can be found here which was first found at the site in 1915 by Willie Hutchsion. Only a year later the first excavations took place and soon immigrants from different parts of the world, especially from Serbia, Slovenia and Yugoslavia, arrived in the area, since working a few years in this place could provide a great wealth. And it is necessary to take into account that opal is one of the most valued semi-precious stones in the world. In 1999 there were more than 250,000 access wells. And although today the mines are in the hands of large companies, explorers continue to come to the site.
White man's hole
How could it be otherwise, today the economy of Coober Pedy is not only based on the mining industry, but also on tourism. And it is that there are many travelers who come to the place to know the mines and the living conditions of the residents of this city whose name derives from the aboriginal term "kupa-piti", which means "hole of the white man". The tourists they can stay at the hotel and carry out different activities: extract opal, live underground, visit the city underground, play golf day and night, go on excursions in the desert ... As for the hotel, the Desert Cave Hotel, offers rooms both indoors and outdoors.
The city underground
While explorers from different corners of the planet were arriving at the area, the miners were building makeshift houses in the mines to flee from the heat from outside. Today most of the city is underground, being able to find bars, bookstores, churches and, of course, houses, which have three bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and living room. In addition, the houses have running water, electricity, air conditioning and even the Internet. As you can see, the only thing they lack is natural light. Furthermore, it is important to note that water is highly prized due to frequent droughts. Then we leave you with our Gallery, where you will find more images of this curious Australian town. Do not miss it!
This Is the Town Where People Live Underground – Coober Pedy | World's Most Extreme (April 2024)
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