Coober Pedy, opal capital of the world.

After another early start, okay it wasn't that early, we arrived in Coober Pedy. Coober Pedy, is not only difficult to say without at some point calling it Peeder Coby, it's also an opal mining town where most inhabitants live underground to hide from the soaring temperatures, sometimes as high as 50 degrees in the midday sun.
We checked into Riba's underground camping ground, we were disappointed to find we couldn't park underground, some scaremongering about carbon monoxide poisoning...However we were allowed to take the bedding from the camper van and use one of the caves. Yes caves. The campsite is an old mine, that has been blasted out to create individual caves.

Entrance to the Campsite.

Our campsite.

Rather distastefully this led to hours posing in "hostage" photo's. Included in the price of one night's stay was a tour of the opal mine on site, now only open to tourists. People are still arriving in town to stake a claim and there are still plenty of opals to be discovered.

Rick talks explosives.

Some of the tour was interesting, but it also became a little too detailed and a little creepy, when Rick told Sian she looked just like a girl he use to date in High School and then asked her if she was indeed the woman he dated forty odd years ago. We managed to escape back to the cave for the night.
In the morning, we stepped out into the blinding sunlight. It's amazing how cool it stays underground, a constant 23 degrees. It was also lovely to leave the flies outside too.
After checking out of Riba's, we headed to Faye's Home. This was the first underground home opened to tourists. We learned from the current owner, Colin that Faye was a bit of a pioneer. She arrived in Coober Pedy in the early 1960's and realised immediately a hotel was required. She set about opening a business, while at the same time digging out her own home. Now you may conjure up images of some sort of hollow in the ground, but in fact Faye dug out a huge three bedroom home with the help of two female friends. They didn't use any machinery, but created a really great and rather stylish home.

One of the bedrooms.

Even the TV reception is great underground.

Sian models the pool table.

The home looks a little like a James Bond set, it has a bar, cellar and even a swimming pool, although the latter is above ground. Faye sold the house over ten years ago but with the condition it always be open to the public for tours. Faye went on to run a successful hotel on the Gold Coast. It really is a unique home she built.
Coober Pedy not only has underground homes, but also churches. We visited a small catholic church and a Serbian Orthodox.

Coober Pedy's Catholic Church.

Entrance to the Serbian Church.

Coober Pedy has also welcomed a few film-makers over the years, look familiar?

From Pitch Black.

Mad Max anyone?