To escape the scorching heat above ground, the people of Australia have dug deep, creating an underground town.
Coober Pedy is a small town located in the remote region of South Australia, more than 1,000 miles from the capital, Canberra. In the early 20th century, a massive opal mine was discovered in the area. Despite the extremely harsh climate, people flocked here to mine, turning Coober Pedy into the “opal capital of the world.” Today, mining of this rare mineral has been banned. However, residents have chosen to remain in this harsh town, finding an interesting source of income through tourism.
The average annual temperature in Coober Pedy is incredibly high. Water is also quite scarce, and rainfall is extremely low. Residents here must travel about 15 km daily to fetch water. Due to the intense heat, the people who migrated to this town 100 years ago opted for a unique solution: digging tunnels and building homes underground.
Living underground has effectively helped the residents of Coober Pedy avoid the heat. Regardless of how harsh the temperatures soar outside, reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius, the underground temperature remains around 24 degrees Celsius. Finding a cooler refuge has allowed miners to stay in Coober Pedy. Today, approximately 80% of the town’s population lives in underground homes.
Looking at this image, do you think it’s a den of a meerkat or some underground creature? No. This is an aerial view of Coober Pedy, Australia. (Photo: Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images).
Coober Pedy is one of the harshest areas in the world, with daytime temperatures soaring up to 50 degrees Celsius but dropping below 0 degrees Celsius at night. To cope with the extreme heat above, the residents have dug tunnels and built homes underground. (Photo: Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images).
In addition to housing, the town features museums, churches, art galleries, recreational areas, and bars. They even have a hotel for rent, catering to tourists wanting to experience underground living. (Photo: Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images).
The rooms are furnished quite comfortably, similar to those above ground, with clean beds, wardrobes, TVs, and kitchens. The town’s water supply comes from a 24 km underground aqueduct located north of the town. (Photo: Getty Images/Look).
Coober Pedy was originally a mining area. According to various studies, around 150 million years ago, Coober Pedy was under the ocean. When groundwater was pushed up, the sea receded, allowing silica minerals to flow into rock fissures. Over tens of millions of years, they transformed into various colorful gemstones. (Photo: Getty Images).
In 1915, miners began constructing homes underground to escape the summer heat and the cold desert nights of winter. Over time, they settled, had children, and established an entire underground town. The houses that once stood above ground are now abandoned. (Photo: Getty Images).
A small underground church meets the religious needs of the town’s residents. (Photo: Getty Images/ AWL Images RM).
The landscape above ground resembles that of the moon, but below it is bustling and lively, with about 3,500 people living there. (Photo: Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images).
There are also gas stations and small shops for tourists above ground. (Photo: Reuters).
The entrance to the underground art gallery, where tourists can purchase souvenirs and gemstones. (Photo: APP/Getty Images).
Every year, a small festival is held at the end of summer, where the townspeople come together to sing, dance, parade, and participate in activities above ground. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images).
This town has also served as a filming location for movies such as Strange Planet Monsters, Red Planet. (Photo: Getty Images).
