Coober Pedy is one of Australia’s strangest and most famous outback towns, a place where much of daily life happens below the surface because the desert heat above ground can be punishing. Located in South Australia, about 950 km north-west of Adelaide, it grew out of opal mining after a discovery in 1915 sparked a rush to the area. Today, it is recognised as the world’s largest producer of precious opal and is known for its dugout homes, underground churches, underground hotels and other subterranean spaces that helped residents make life in the desert more bearable.
