What is the housing like in Coober Pedy?

What is the housing like in Coober Pedy?

dugout homes are excavated into hillsides rather than dug from shafts. The soil in the Coober Pedy hillside is stable enough to allow huge ceiling spans in rooms and it is not unusual for a mining family to buy an adjoining property and tunnel to link two dwellings, or even three or four.

Can you live in Coober Pedy?

Coober Pedy is a small town in the Outback of Southern Australia. Originally an opal mining town, many of Coober Pedy’s residents live underground to escape the region’s immense heat. Homes, dive bars, a church, and more can be found buried underground in what the locals call “dugouts.”

Do people still live underground Coober Pedy?

Today, around 60% of Coober Pedy’s 3,500 locals live underground. Coober Pedy’s origins lie underground, too. About 100 years ago, a teenager discovered a piece of opal in the area. From there, miners flocked to the region, and soon enough, the town of Coober Pedy – the world’s largest source for opals – was born.

Where do people in Coober Pedy live?

Residents spend a lot of time in holes—that’s where 80 percent of them live. Most of Coober Pedy is a subterranean community built into underground shelters called “dugouts” where the temperature stays a cool 75 degrees even on the hottest days.

How does Coober Pedy get water?

Coober Pedy produces and reticulates its own water. The water is bought in from a bore 25km North East of Coober Pedy on the Oodnadatta road via a pipeline. The water is then processed through a Desalination/Reverse Osmosis Plant.

Can you drink the tap water in Coober Pedy?

Is the water safe to drink? Yes, it is clean and safe. Coober Pedy’s water supply comes from a bore 26km out on the Oodnadatta Road. It is filtered and treated in town.

What animals live in Coober Pedy?

There is a large variety of native wildlife found around the Coober Pedy area such as kangaroos, wallabies, emus, sand goannas, bearded dragons, geckos, perentie lizards and a few species of snakes. Dingoes are found outside the dog fence.

Can you live completely underground?

Living entirely underground would be unprecedented, to the point of being nearly unfathomable. But experts say with good design and a lot of psychological support, humans could make convincing—and surprisingly healthy—mole people. Good thing, too, because the above world is looking increasingly inhospitable.

How cold does Coober Pedy get in winter?

Average winter temperatures range from 18°C (64°F) during the day, and falling to 6°C (42°F) at night. Like most of the outback, the winter days are perfect, with clear blue skies. July is the coldest month of the year in Coober Pedy.

How often does it rain in Coober Pedy?

There is virtually no rainfall all year long in Coober Pedy. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is BWh. The temperature here averages 21.1 °C | 70.1 °F. The rainfall here is around 162 mm | 6.4 inch per year.