Coober Pedy, the town that lives underground.
Way back in 1917, people came to the desert town of Coober Pedy in search of gold and riches. In addition to gold, the valuable mineral, Opal was also found.
This super hot place, which can reach temps up to 120 degrees has become a subterranean community…all underground.
There are bookstores, churches, houses and bars all carved out of the earth. After 100 years of living in these “dugouts,” the folks who call it home have no plans of stopping.
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Even in the shade, this place is 100 degrees!
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After World War I, many soldiers returned home and started to mine for opal. That is where they started building homes underground, to escape the heat.
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After a mine was dugout and free of Opal…miners turned those caverns into homes.
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There are signs everywhere…just in case you are not aware that there are tons of huge holes in the ground.
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Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Every underground home has electricity, water and internet…just not sunlight.
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Water can be hard to come by however…the high temps make it so people have to really conserve water.
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This is a town like no other!
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The rooms are actually quite nice. This is the bedroom of Faye Nayler, a woman who picked and shoveled her own home in 1960.
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There is a bar, full kitchen and even a swimming pool in Nayler’s pad!
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Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Visitors can even enjoy a game of pool!
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You can even go to a church service…55-feet below the surface!
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…Tour the local bookstore!
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…And of course every town needs a bar!
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Tourists can stay in the Coober Pedy hotel for a cool $150 per night!
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Above ground…there are two supermarkets!
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80% of the town’s population lives underground!
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Not a bad way to live and escape the sun!
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Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
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