Place to see: Coober Pedy, Coober Pedy, Australia

About this place:

The opal capital of the world. Half of the population of this town lives underground in dugout caves. Not only the houses are underground but art galleries, shops and churches as well. The town is therefore called Coober Pedy, after the Aboriginal word kupa piti, which stands for 'White men's hole in the ground.' The conditions in sum mer are extremely harsh here. Temperatures vary from 50 degrees sizzling hot during the day to less than zero during the night. The temperatures in the underground caves are, with 20 degrees, very stable and comfortable. Opal mining is the only reason for people to come over and live here. This attracts people from all over the world. The population is approximately 3500 and there are no less than 45 different nationalities. Together with two other mining towns, which are near to Coober Pedy, it produces over 85 % in quantity of the world's opal production.