Australia: the underground village of Coober Pedy
It is famous throughout the world as the opal capital of the world, for its Guinness extraction. But it is a tourist stop for being a city of underground life. Coober Pedy is located in South Australia, in a desert area, and has about 3,500 inhabitants from 45 different countries. A meltin pot of races and colors for one of the world’s leading poles for the opal mining industry. Coober Pedy is located in a desert area about 850 kilometers north of Adelaide.
Most of the residents live underground and work in the mines. The underground houses reach a constant temperature all year round, while living on the surface would be much more difficult due to the sultry climate during the day and harsh at night. In the underground of the city, houses, companies and churches are crowded. Even hotels: travelers are always curious to experience the “mole” life.
For thousands of years nomadic populations have crossed this territory, leaving it in a short time due to the climate and the lack of water. Only recently has the water problem been solved, with an underground source located 24 km north of the city. The first settlement dates back to 1915, when Jim Hutchison and his son came here to chase gold. In vain search, but in return they found the opal. And the city experienced a new life. Even if it is underground.
Among the things not to miss, the Catacomb Underground Church, the Anglican church dug underground during the mid-1970s, and Faye’s Underground Home, an underground house located in a deserted garden, regularly inhabited by tenants who show curious travelers the advantages. to live underground. And then underground museums, shops, the art gallery and, of course, the opal mines. Finally, the only tree in the city is of considerable symbolic importance.
In the city you can stay in suggestive hotels carved into the rock, such as the Desert Cave Hotel, 4 stars for only 4 delightful rooms carved into the subsoil, or even in more traditional structures such as The Opal Inn Hotel, Motel and Caravan Park in the center of Coober Pedy. The best time to stay is between April and October when the weather is better. From November to March, in the summer period, summer temperatures can range from 35 ° C to 45 ° C and dust storms are occasional.