Town under the dessert ! COOBER PEDY !
Would you sleep underground in the middle of the dessert? Why would anybody want to live here? What are they hiding?
Table of contents
1. Name of the town
2. Meaning
3. Temperature
4. History
5. Largest Opal
6. Underground facilities
7. Town separate identity
8. Facts of COOBER PEDY
Is there really such a town? If so where it is?
The name of the underground town is COOBER PEDY. It is a town in South Australia on the Stuart Highway.
The name Coober Pedy itself comes from the Aboriginal term "kupa-piti" which means "Boys waterhole" or "white Man in a whole"
In summer month, temperature exceeds 40°C. The average maximum temperature in Coober Pedy is 30°C - 32°C with occasional dust storms.
Like wise, the rainfall in the area is very low.
Let's first look at the history of how this town came to be !
Back in 1915, a boy WILLIE HUTCHINSON found an opal gemstone (valuable mineral) in the middle of this dessert in South Australia. This discovery attracted attention to this place and changes its history. Those who came here in search of opal have started their livelihood in the underground because of intense heat in the dessert. This is how the town called COOBER PEDY was formed. Currently 2500 people living in Coober Pedy.
Finding a valuable opal is not easy. Opals comes in different colours and sizes. The most common opal is blue color opal.
The World's largest Opal was discovered here. It's Weight is around eight pounds and valued about 2.5million dollars.
COOBER PEDY has over 70 Opal fields and is the largest opal mining area in the world and so called "Opal capital in the world".
How can basic amenities inhabited underground? Is this possible?
Now you can't believe what you're going to read!
In Coober Pedy, a typical underground house is a three room cave with a kitchen, a living room and a bathroom.
There also has a separate entrance to a mine areas. So miners don't get to go outside for a work.
It has separate connections for sewage, water and electricity.
Coober Pedy has own SOLAR POWER STATION. This solar power station supplies power to this area.
A local goverment council was established in 1987.
It has restaurants, art galleries, cafe's and bars.
This town has golf club called THE COOBER PEDY GOLF CLUB, where the greens are red and fairways are dusty.
In August 1982, separate newsletter has been established called COOBER PEDY TIMES and in 15th March 2001, it's name was changed as COOBER PEDY REGIONAL TIMES.
This town also has drive-in-theatre. It is opened in 1965, but became popular at 1980 and ceased regular opperation in 1984. It was re-opened in 1996.
Over time, a lot of people around the world started coming here, to see the largest source of opals here and to experience the underground life.
But be careful when walking in the dessert. There will be deep pits everywhere for the search of mines. These are called mine shafts. There are signs everywhere warning up for their presence.
Facts of COOBER PEDY :
1. MINNIE BERRINGTON is the first woman to mine in Cooper Pedy in 1925.
2. Coober Pedy was flooded when 115 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in 24 hours on 10 April 2014.
3. Over 70 million years ago, this town has actually inland sea and there's also the presence of some old sea creature fossils.
4. In 2013, it was reported it has oil resources. A significant tight oil resource has been found in Coober Pedy.
5. Except the mines, during the hottest season of three to four months of the year, the residents often build their dwelling below ground.
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