Coober Pedy town in Australia. Australian Odyssey

22.05.2023

They live underground, grow cacti in their gardens, and play golf at night - this is what life looks like for the inhabitants of a small town in the Australian desert. We are talking about the opal capital of the world - the mining town of Coober Pedy. Residents of a town located in the southern Australian desert, where summer temperatures sometimes exceed 40°C in the shade, have found a simple way to cope with the heat. In their houses, even in the most terrible heat, it is always cool, but not at all because they use air conditioners; moreover, they do not need to wash the windows or hang blinds on them to avoid the prying glances of their neighbors, but all because the residents of Kuber- Pedis build their homes... underground.

Let's take a look into the opal underground city of Coober Pedy.

Most likely, the name of the city is associated with its unusual houses underground. In the Aboriginal language, Koopa Piti, from which Coober Pedy gets its name, means "white man's hole." The city is home to about 1,700 people who are mainly involved in opal mining, and their houses are nothing more than underground “holes” made in sandstone at a depth of 2.5 to 6 meters. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)

It is located in South Australia, on the edge of the Great Victoria Desert, one of the most desolate and sparsely populated places on the continent. At the beginning of the 20th century, mining of precious opals began here, 30% of the world's reserves are concentrated in Coober Pedy. Due to constant heat, drought and frequent sandstorms, miners and their families initially began to settle in dwellings carved into the mountainside - often it was possible to get into the mine directly from home. The temperature in such an “apartment” did not exceed 22 °C all year round, and the level of comfort was not much inferior to traditional “ground” houses - there were bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. But there were no more than two windows - otherwise it would get too hot in the summer.

Due to the lack of underground sewerage, the restroom and kitchen in the houses are located immediately at the entrance, i.e. at ground level. Bedrooms, other rooms and corridors are usually dug deeper. The ceilings in large rooms are supported by columns, the diameter of which reaches up to 1 meter. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)

Building a home in Coober Pedy could even make its owner rich, as it is home to the largest deposit of precious opals. Deposits in Australia, mainly in Coober Pedy, account for 97 percent of the world's production of this mineral. Several years ago, while drilling for an underground hotel, stones worth about 360 thousand dollars were found. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)

Rooftops of Coober Pedy. A common sight and distinctive feature of the underground city are ventilation holes protruding from the ground. (Photo: Robyn Brody/flickr.com).

The opal deposit at Coober Pedy was discovered in 1915. A year later, the first miners began to arrive there. It is believed that about 60 percent of Coober Pedy's residents were immigrants from southern and eastern Europe who came there after World War II to work in the mines. For almost a hundred years, this city has been the world's largest producer of high-quality opals. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)

Since the 80s, when an underground hotel was built in Coober Pedy, thousands of tourists visit it every year. One of the most visited places in the city of opals was the home of its recently deceased famous resident, nicknamed Crocodile Harry, an eccentric, alcoholic and adventurer who became famous for his many love affairs.Photo: underground church in Coober Pedy. (Photo: Jacqui Barker/flickr.com).

Both the city and its suburbs, for various reasons, are very photogenic, which is why they attract filmmakers there. Coober Pedy was the filming location for the 2006 Australian drama Opal Dream. Scenes for the film “Mad Max” were also filmed in the underground houses of the city. Under the Dome of Thunder." (Photo: donmcl/flickr.com).

The average annual precipitation in Coober Pedy is only 175 mm (in central Europe, for example, about 600 mm). This is one of the driest areas in Australia. There is almost no rain here, so the vegetation is very sparse. There are no tall trees in the city; only rare shrubs and cacti grow. (Photo: Rich2012)

Residents, however, are not complaining about the lack of outdoor entertainment. They spend their free time playing golf, although due to the heat they have to play at night. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)

Coober Pedy also houses two underground churches, souvenir shops, a jewelry workshop, a museum and a bar. (Photo: Nicholas Jones/Flickr.com).

Coober Pedy is located 846 kilometers north of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. (Photo: Georgie Sharp/Flickr.com).

Coober Pedy has a desert climate. In summer, from December to February, the average temperature is 30 ° C, and sometimes reaches up to 40 ° C. At night, the temperature drops significantly, to around 20 ° C. Sandstorms are also possible here. (Photo: doctor_k_karen/Flickr.com).

Underground gift shop in Coober Pedy. (Photo: Lodo27/wikimedia).

The townspeople escape the heat by digging their own houses underground. (Photo: Lodo27/wikimedia).

Underground bar in Coober Pedy. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)

These beautiful precious minerals are mined in Coober Pedy, a city called the “opal capital of the world.” (Photo: James St. John/Flickr.com).

Some descendants of miners prefer to decorate their underground houses “a la naturel” - they cover the walls and ceiling with PVA solution to get rid of dust, while preserving the natural color and texture of natural stone. Proponents of modern interior solutions cover the walls and ceiling with plaster, after which the underground dwelling becomes almost indistinguishable from an ordinary one. Both of them do not refuse such a pleasant little thing as an underground swimming pool - in one of the hottest places on the planet this is a particularly pleasant “luxury”.

In addition to housing, Coober Pedy has underground shops and museums, galleries and workshops, restaurants and a hotel, a cemetery and churches (including an Orthodox one!). But there are few trees and flowers here - only cacti and other succulents can withstand the hot, arid climate of these places. Despite this. The city has golf courses with rolling greens.

Coober Pedy is a regular stop on many tourist routes around Australia. Interest in the underground city is fueled by the fact that films such as Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and The Black Hole were filmed in Coober Pedy. And on the edge of the Opal Capital of the World lies the world's largest cattle farm and the well-known 8,500-kilometre Dingo Fence.

The city is famous for its opals; it is the capital of the opal stone, cast in all the colors of the rainbow. Opal mining is just under 100 years old, and its deposits were accidentally discovered while searching for water in 1915. Noble opal is distinguished by a rainbow play of colors, the reason for which is the diffraction of light on a spatial lattice and its value is determined not by its size, but by the unique play of color. The more rays, the more expensive the opal. One of the Aboriginal legends says that “long ago, spirits stole all the colors from the rainbow and put them in a stone - opal,” according to another, that the Creator came down from heaven to earth and where his foot stepped, stones appeared, shimmering with all colors rainbows. Opal mining is carried out only by private entrepreneurs. However, this industry brings about $30 million annually to the Australian economy.

The Coober Pedy region is one of the driest, most deserted and sparsely populated areas in Australia. On average, only about 150 mm falls per year. precipitation, and very large differences between day and night temperatures.

If you happen to fly over Coober Pedy, you will not see the buildings we are accustomed to, but only rock dumps with a thousand holes and mounds against the backdrop of the rocky red desert, which creates an unearthly landscape that will stun the imagination. Each cone-mound with a hole in the middle, visible on the surface, is connected by a shaft to the underground world.

Even the first settlers realized that due to unfavorable weather conditions, when the earth heats up in the sun during the day and the heat on the surface reaches 40 degrees Celsius, and at night the temperature drops sharply to 20 degrees (and sandstorms are also possible), it is possible to live underground in mine shafts after opal mining. The constant temperature of underground houses is around +22-24 degrees at any time of the year. Today, the city is home to more than 45 nationalities, but the majority are Greek. The population of the city is 1,695 people.

Water comes from a drilled site 25 km away. artesian well from the city and relatively expensive. There is no public power grid in Coober Pedy. Electricity is produced by diesel generators, and heating is provided by solar water heating panels. At night, when the heat subsides, residents play golf with glow-in-the-dark balls.

Previously, opal mining was carried out manually - with picks, shovels, and the rock was pulled out in buckets until an opal vein was found, along which they then crawled on their bellies. Almost all the mines are shallow and the main passages in them are made by drilling machines that break through horizontal tunnels the height of a man and from there are branches in different directions. These are practically homemade devices - the engine and gearbox from a small truck. Then the so-called “blower” is used - a machine with a powerful compressor installed on it, which, through a pipe lowered into the mine, like a vacuum cleaner, sucks rock and boulders to the surface, and when the compressor is turned off, the barrel opens: a new mini-hill is obtained - a waste heap.

At the entrance to the city there is a huge sign with a blower machine.

Coober Pedy is a small town in the central part of the Australian state of South Australia. The estimated population in 2008 was approximately 2 thousand people.

The city is known as the Opal Capital of the World because it has one of the richest opal deposits, containing about 30% of the world's reserves. The name Coober Pedy is translated from the Australian Aboriginal language as “white man’s hole” or “white man underground.”

Due to the harsh temperature regime and the prevailing mining industry, people constantly live in underground caves, in mine shafts left after mining. Standard home cave bedrooms with a lounge, kitchen and bathroom are located in caves drilled inside the mountain, similar to houses on the surface. This maintains a constant optimal temperature, while on the surface it reaches 40 °C (maximum 55 °C), at which temperature many household appliances become unusable. But relative humidity rarely reaches 20% on hot days.

Much of Coober Pedy's attraction lies within the mines, such as the cemetery and underground churches. The first trees that could be seen in the city were welded from pieces of iron. The city has local golf courses with movable grass and golfers lay out small pieces of "turf" around for tee times.

Coober Pedy is included in many tourist routes in Australia. Coober Pedy was the backdrop for films such as Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and The Black Hole. Around 2012, they are planning to conduct an experimental exercise for an expedition to Mars.

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16 PHOTOS

1. Most likely, the name of the city is associated with its unusual houses underground. In the Aboriginal language, Koopa Piti, from which Coober Pedy gets its name, means 'white man's hole'. The city is home to about 1,700 people who are mainly involved in opal mining, and their houses are nothing more than underground “holes” made in sandstone at a depth of 2.5 to 6 meters. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)
2. Due to the lack of underground sewerage, the restroom and kitchen in the houses are located immediately at the entrance, i.e. at ground level. Bedrooms, other rooms and corridors are usually dug deeper. The ceilings in large rooms are supported by columns, the diameter of which reaches up to 1 meter. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)
3. Building a house in Coober Pedy could even make its owner rich, as it is home to the largest deposit of precious opals. Deposits in Australia, mainly in Coober Pedy, account for 97 percent of the world's production of this mineral. Several years ago, while drilling for an underground hotel, stones worth about 360 thousand dollars were found. Their detection was made possible thanks to modern geodetic equipment - enough to find out which one. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)
4. The roofs of Coober Pedy. A common sight and distinctive feature of the underground city are ventilation holes protruding from the ground. (Photo: Robyn Brody/flickr.com).
5. The Coober Pedy opal deposit was discovered in 1915. A year later, the first miners began to arrive there. It is believed that about 60 percent of Coober Pedy's residents were immigrants from southern and eastern Europe who came there after World War II to work in the mines. For almost a hundred years, this city has been the world's largest producer of high-quality opals. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)
6. Underground Church in Coober Pedy. (Photo: Jacqui Barker/flickr.com).

7. Both the city and its suburbs, for various reasons, are very photogenic, which is why they attract filmmakers there. Coober Pedy was the filming location for the 2006 Australian drama Opal Dream. Scenes for the film “Mad Max” were also filmed in the underground houses of the city. Under the Dome of Thunder." (Photo: donmcl/flickr.com).

8. Average annual precipitation in Coober Pedy is only 175 mm (in central Europe, for example, about 600 mm). This is one of the driest areas in Australia. There is almost no rain here, so the vegetation is very sparse. There are no tall trees in the city; only rare shrubs and cacti grow. (Photo: Rich2012)

9. Residents, however, do not complain about the lack of outdoor entertainment. They spend their free time playing golf, although due to the heat they have to play at night. (Photo: Les Pullen/South Cape Photography)

10. In Coober Pedy, underground there are also two churches, souvenir shops, a jewelry workshop, a museum and a bar. (Photo: Nicholas Jones/Flickr.com).

11. Coober Pedy is located 846 kilometers north of Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia. (Photo: Georgie Sharp/Flickr.com).

12. Coober Pedy has a desert climate. In summer, from December to February, the average temperature is 30 ° C, and sometimes reaches up to 40 ° C. At night, the temperature drops significantly, to around 20 ° C. Sandstorms are also possible here. (Photo: doctor_k_karen/Flickr.com).

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In one of the driest corners of Australia, where instead of rain there are sandstorms and there is no water even underground, the Australians have built an underground city with all the attributes of public life.

The town of Coober Pedy is located in the state of South Australia on the eastern border of the Great Victoria Desert. It got its name from the Aborigines, who called the settlement of new Australians in their ancestral lands “the white man’s hole.” And the city itself arose as a miners' village. In 1915, noble opal was discovered in the Stuart Range, and it subsequently turned out that there were layers of precious stone here, amounting to 30% of the world's reserves.

From the heat to the ground

Coober Pedy's climate is very harsh. The sweltering heat during the day gives way to a sharp drop in temperature at night. The temperature difference reaches 20 degrees. On the surface of a person there are clouds of flies. In addition, sandstorms often occur. To escape the heat and the pervasive sand, the first settlers of the mining village began to build their homes in the exhausted mines. The peculiarities of the development of the opal deposit required the construction of shallow horizontal mines in the form of tunnels with branches. Miners and their families began to settle in such sleeves.

Real apartments with several rooms were equipped underground. To keep things cool, they usually cut one or two windows near the front door, so the air temperature was naturally maintained around 22-24 degrees.

Churches, shops, workshops, and a cemetery were built underground.

Nowadays, the few residents of the city live in both underground and above-ground dwellings, with air conditioning installed to create a comfortable atmosphere. The dug houses are fully equipped with modern means of comfort - sewerage, electricity, running water. There is even a choice in the decoration of the premises - natural, when the walls of the rooms cut into the stone are simply coated with a special composition for cleanliness, and modern - the stone walls are sheathed with plasterboard, and such a house is indistinguishable from other houses in Australia.

The main treasure

As already mentioned, the city arose from an opal deposit. There is a museum, shops, hotels, and a small local airport. Feature films are often shot in the fantastic surrounding landscapes. In the city and surrounding areas, the preserved remains of decorations, various mechanisms and aircraft remind of this.

But the main treasure in these desert lands is water. The nearest artesian well was dug 25 km from Coober Pedy. No matter how close we looked, there was no water. In former times, water was delivered here by pack caravans and it was worth its weight in gold. Modern city residents receive water from a piped water supply system, but its price is much higher than in other regions of the country.

Iron trees grow in the city - artistic decoration with familiar forms
The most common form of vegetation is cacti.
Dug underground houses are called Dugout
Churches are open for free visits, the main thing is not to forget to turn off the lights when leaving, as the signs at the entrance ask you to do.
The city's small population consists of 45 nationalities
Blower - a vacuum cleaner machine for sucking rock from a mine to the surface

How to get there

Coober Pedy is located next to the Stuart Highway, between Adelaide and Alice Springs. The nearest city, Port Augusta, is 500 kilometers away.

Coober Pedy is a convenient place to visit on an excursion on the way to the Red Center from Adelaide. If you wish, you can stay overnight in the underground city at a local underground hotel. If you are traveling around Australia, you will certainly use the Stuart Highway, which crosses the mainland from south to north, passing through the states of South Australia and the Northern Territory; it is simply impossible to drive past Coober Pedy.