Visit The Fascinating Underground Town Of Coober Pedy

In these modern times, you wouldn’t expect to find people living in a series of underground caves, but they do in Coober Pedy. Around 50 percent of people in the South Australian town are living in caves, complete with a church, shops, hotel and casino. Why do they do so? Was there a major catastrophe in the town? Read on to find out more.

Coober Pedy, an underground town in Australia

Back in 1915, three men were unsuccessfully prospecting for gold south of Coober Pedy. After setting up their camp with Will Hutchinson, 14, the son of one of the men, went searching for water in the arid area. Meanwhile, William spotted something glittering on the ground, and while it wasn’t the desired gold, it was the semiprecious gemstone, opal.

According to the Coober Pedy Historical Society, Will found a small waterhole in the arid dust, as well as the opal. However, with it being so arid, he was more worried about the water than the opal. His discovery sparked the beginning of what would be the largest opal mining operation in the world.

However, the first settlers had to work out how they could live and survive there. Coober Pedy is located around halfway between Adelaide and Alice Springs and is surrounded by a barren and stony desert. The area sees very little rainfall and temperature in summer often soar above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Naturally, this is not the best place to settle down and make a home.

Meanwhile, in 1915, the people of Coober Pedy made the first dugout. The underground dwelling was carved out of the soft hillside rock and provided a cooling place, away from the blistering heat. However, it wasn’t until it rained in 1919 that a true opal rush began and men streamed into town on camels and horses.

While the population increased, in order for the town to get a post office, they had to find a name. One of the miners came up with Coober Pedy, an anglicized version of the Aboriginal words “kupa piti,” which translates roughly as “white man in a hole.” Reportedly, aboriginal people had been living in the area for thousands of years.

While the area was quiet during the Great Depression and the Second World War, the town experienced a slump. However, after the war was over, it began to recover. Now, in 2023, the first primitive dugouts have transformed into modern underground homes.

Modern underground town

In the scorching heat of the area, the sandstone cave dwellings maintain a comfortable temperature all year round. Besides the homes, the town has a selection of subterranean shops, restaurants, hotels, and even a casino. Meanwhile, the Desert Cave Hotel dubs itself, “the only internationally rated underground hotel in the world.”

According to the hotel’s website:

Sleeping underground is a unique experience. Quiet, cool, dark and airy—the rooms are spacious with high ceilings. Enjoy fine dining, splash in the pool, relax in the spa, workout in the gym or browse in the cool comfort of the underground shops.

Besides the hotels, one of the underground churches features beautiful stained-glass windows. Meanwhile, a state-of-the-art, 360-degree cinema shows films of the changing landscape, filmed over a period of one year.

On top of this, one of Australia’s last drive-in cinemas shows movies in the fresh air every Saturday night. Moreover, golfers have the opportunity of nighttime sessions, played with glowing balls on a grassless course.

Coober Pedy is a popular tourist destination

Due to the uniqueness of the town and the adventure element, Coober Pedy has become a popular tourist destination. Here, visitors can explore the town’s museums and other attractions.

Among them is “Crocodile Harry’s Underground Mine & Dugout,” which was the home of a Latvian crocodile hunter who traveled to the town to try his luck at opal mining. Of interest to note, Harry’s cave is featured in the science-fiction movie, Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome, most of which was filmed in Coober Pedy. This fact is of interest to those who like to visit filming locations in the world.

Visitors can also experience “Faye’s Underground Historic Home & Mine Tour.” This tour takes visitors to the place where female miner Faye Naylor earned her fortune in the early 1960s. It includes the cave home Faye dug out by hand with her friends, along with the location of the first underground swimming pool.

These days, building methods have been modernized and the town’s residents have every modern comfort and convenience. In fact, in 2021, 33 of the one- and two-bedroom cave homes were sold on auction. The most expensive sold at $33,000 and some of the cheapest went for a mere $1,300.

When Will Hutchinson discovered his first opal, he had no idea what would become of his find. While on the outside, the stark desert landscape remains the same, heading underground has all modern comforts, including the Desert Cave Hotel.

Readers can find out more and see more photos on the Coober Pedy official website here.