Millenniums ago people used to live in cold, dark caves. Today, the word “home” refers to big or small houses, villas, and apartments with electricity, water, internet, and other kinds of modern technologies. But, did you know that there’s a part in South Australia where people still live in caves?
In a small town called Coober Pedy, also known as the “opal capital of the world”, people aren’t living in huge houses, instead, they choose to live in modernized caves bored into the hillsides. The unbearable desert climate with its high temperature and dust storms is dominant in this South Australian area so these “dugouts” are the perfect place to live in.
The residents aren’t cut off from the rest of the world; they have electricity, water, bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, all carved into the hillside. The caves remain at a constant temperature of 75 degrees (23 °C) all year round, so no air condition is needed, it is very quiet and since there are no windows or natural light, you get a very peaceful night’s sleep.
Beside family homes, you can find underground museums like the Umoona Opal Mine & Museum, churches like the Serbian Orthodox Church and even a hotel called the Desert Cave Hotel.
