This Is the Town Where People Live Underground – Coober Pedy | World's Most Extreme

Channel 4 Documentaries

4 Dec 201804:19

Summary

TLDRKuberpedi, known as the opal mining capital of the world, is home to unique underground living. With temperatures ranging from 1 to 45 degrees, residents prefer the constant 22-degree underground climate. The town features over a hundred subterranean homes, churches, and even solar and wind-powered energy. Despite the risk of collapsing mines and accidental encounters with neighbors, the town's history of opal mining has shaped its distinctive way of life, offering both comfort and the unexpected discovery of precious opals.

Takeaways

🌍 Kuberpedi is known as the opal mining capital of the world, with a unique underground living culture.
🏘️ Approximately half of Kuberpedi's 2,500 residents live in subterranean homes carved into the sandstone bedrock.
🏠 These underground homes provide a constant temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius, offering respite from extreme weather conditions.
🧱 The town's underground dwellings are not only comfortable but also low impact, with many powered by solar and wind energy sources.
🏡 Residents have the freedom to design and expand their homes without many regulations, sometimes leading to accidental connections with neighbors.
💸 The potential for discovering opals while expanding homes is a unique benefit, as exemplified by a hotel's extension that uncovered a valuable opal deposit.
🔨 The tradition of underground living began over a century ago with miners who slept in their mine shafts.
🏞️ Despite the decline of the opal mining industry, the legacy of digging and underground living persists in Kuberpedi's landscape.
⚠️ The town is characterized by millions of holes in the ground, some of which are deep and pose risks of collapse.
🏡 The underground lifestyle has become an integral part of Kuberpedi's identity, even as the town evolves with the times.

Q & A

What is the significance of Kuberpedi in the world of opal mining?
-Kuberpedi is known as the opal mining capital of the world, indicating its importance in the global opal mining industry.
Why do half of Kuberpedi's residents live underground?
-Residents live underground to escape the outback's brutal climate, which includes extreme temperatures ranging from 1 degree in winter to 45 degrees in summer.
How many subterranean homes are there in Kuberpedi?
-There are over a hundred subterranean homes dug into the sandstone bedrock in Kuberpedi.
What is the constant temperature maintained in the underground homes?
-The underground homes maintain a comfortable constant temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius throughout the year.
How do ventilation shafts contribute to the underground living conditions in Kuberpedi?
-Ventilation shafts allow air to circulate through the dugouts, preventing them from becoming stuffy and ensuring a comfortable living environment.
What is a unique aspect of building homes in Kuberpedi?
-There are no rules and regulations on how homes are designed in Kuberpedi, allowing residents to build and extend their homes as they like.
What unexpected benefit can come from building an extension to an underground home?
-Building an extension can lead to the discovery of opal deposits, as seen with a hotel that found a valuable pocket of shells during an extension, increasing their assets by nearly 1.5 million.
How did the idea of living underground in Kuberpedi start?
-The idea started over a hundred years ago with miners who slept in their mine shafts while searching for opals.
What is the estimated number of holes dug for opal mining in Kuberpedi?
-It is estimated that there are over two million holes dug for opal mining in Kuberpedi.
What is the potential danger associated with the numerous holes in Kuberpedi?
-There is a risk of falling into the holes, which can be 80 to 100 feet deep, and there have been rumors of people falling into them.
How has the opal mining industry changed in Kuberpedi over the years?
-The opal mining industry has dwindled in recent years, being surpassed by tourism, but it has left a significant mark on the landscape with numerous holes and the unique underground living style.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 Underground Living in Kuberpedi

Kuberpedi, known as the opal mining capital of the world, is a unique town where half of its 2,500 inhabitants live underground in over a hundred subterranean homes carved into the sandstone bedrock. This unusual living arrangement began over a century ago with miners who slept in their mine shafts. Today, residents enjoy a constant temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius year-round, thanks to the natural insulation of the earth. Despite the comfortable living conditions, the town's history with opal mining has left a legacy of millions of holes that pose potential dangers, with some reaching depths of 80 to 100 feet. The town's underground lifestyle is not only a response to the extreme climate, which can range from 1 degree Celsius in winter to 45 degrees Celsius in summer, but also a testament to the resourcefulness of its residents who have adapted to their environment, even incorporating solar power and wind energy to minimize their ecological footprint.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Kuberpedi

Kuberpedi is a town in Australia known as the opal mining capital of the world. The town is central to the video's theme as it showcases the unique lifestyle of its inhabitants who live underground. The script mentions that Kuberpedi has a population of 2,500, half of whom live in subterranean homes, which is a direct result of the town's opal mining history.

💡Subterranean Homes

Subterranean homes refer to the underground dwellings that are dug into the sandstone bedrock. These homes are a significant part of Kuberpedi's culture and are highlighted in the video as a means to escape the extreme climate conditions of the outback. The script describes how these homes provide a constant temperature of around 22 degrees, making them comfortable year-round.

💡Opal Mining

Opal mining is the practice of extracting opals from the earth, which is a major industry in Kuberpedi. The video discusses how the town's entire history revolves around digging holes in search of opals, which has led to the creation of subterranean homes. The script also mentions that the opal mining industry has declined in recent years, but its legacy remains in the form of the town's underground lifestyle.

💡Climate

The climate in Kuberpedi is characterized by extreme temperatures, with winters as cold as one degree and summers reaching up to 45 degrees Celsius. This harsh climate is a key factor that has driven the residents to live underground, where the temperature remains relatively stable. The video uses the climate as a backdrop to explain the practicality of the subterranean homes.

💡Ventilation Shafts

Ventilation shafts are vertical or sloping passages that allow air to circulate within the subterranean homes. The script mentions these shafts as a crucial aspect of the underground dwellings' design, preventing them from becoming stuffy and ensuring a healthy living environment.

💡Sustainable Living

Sustainable living is the practice of reducing one's impact on the environment by using resources efficiently. The video highlights how Kuberpedi's underground homes are a form of sustainable living, as they require minimal power, which is primarily sourced from solar arrays and wind farms outside of town.

💡Regulations

Regulations in the context of the video refer to the rules and guidelines that govern the construction and design of homes. The script points out that there are no strict regulations on how residents of Kuberpedi design their underground homes, allowing for a high degree of personalization and creativity.

💡Opal Field

An opal field is an area where opals are found and mined. The video script mentions that Kuberpedi is still an opal field, which means that residents have the chance to find opals while expanding their homes. This adds an element of surprise and potential wealth to the act of building underground.

💡Mine Shafts

Mine shafts are vertical or inclined passages dug into the earth for mining purposes. The video explains that the idea of living underground in Kuberpedi started over a hundred years ago when miners slept in their mine shafts while searching for opals. This historical context provides insight into the origins of the town's unique living arrangements.

💡Tourism

Tourism is mentioned in the video as a sector that has surpassed opal mining in importance in Kuberpedi. The town's underground lifestyle and unique culture have become a draw for tourists, suggesting a shift in the local economy and a new source of income for the residents.

💡Holes

Holes in the video script refer to the numerous excavation sites left behind from opal mining. The town is estimated to have over two million holes, which pose a potential danger as the ground could collapse. The script uses the holes as a visual representation of the town's mining history and the risks associated with it.

Highlights

Kuberpedi is the opal mining capital of the world.

Half of Kuberpedi's 2,500 inhabitants live underground.

There are over a hundred subterranean homes dug into the sandstone bedrock.

Churches in Kuberpedi are also underground.

Underground living is a way to escape the outback's extreme climate.

Temperatures in underground homes remain a constant 22 degrees.

Ventilation shafts are used for air circulation in the dugouts.

Underground living is low impact, with power coming from solar and wind energy.

There are no rules and regulations on designing underground homes.

Building extensions can sometimes uncover opal deposits.

A hotel extension led to the discovery of opal worth nearly 1.5 million.

Kuberpedi's history revolves around digging holes for opal mining.

The idea of living underground started over a hundred years ago with miners.

Opal mining industry has declined, but its impact on the landscape remains.

There are over two million holes in the area, some up to 100 feet deep.

There have been rumors of people falling into holes.

Despite the decline in mining, Kuberpedi's underground lifestyle persists.