Photo: Coober Pedy, underground Hostel

The opal capital of the world. Half of the population of this town lives underground in dugout caves. The town is therefore called Coober Pedy, after the Aboriginal word kupa piti, which stands for 'White men's hole in the ground.' The conditions in summer are extremely harsh here. Temperatures vary from 50 degrees sizzling hot during the day to less than zero during the night. The temperatures in the underground caves are, with 20 degrees, very stable and comfortable. Opal mining is the only reason for people to come over and live here.