- Coober Pedy, in South Australia is
a mining town, known as the "Opal Capital of the World".
It also has the distinction of being so incredibly hot in the
summer that 60% of the town lives underground in dwellings known
as "dugouts." These dugouts are built using the same
mining machinery that digs the local opal mines. Some people
have even found opals while building additions onto their homes.
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- The benefit of living underground is
that these dwellings are relatively inexpensive to build, plus
they requite no heating or air conditioning.
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- From December to February, the weather
warms up and summer temperatures range from 35 °C (95 °F)
in the shade, with occasional dust storms. The annual rainfall
in the area is amongst the lowest in Australia, at around 130
millimeters (5.1 in) per year.
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- The town is in a very barren &
desolate area of Australia, and the town has attracted movie
producers, with parts of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, The Adventures
of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Pitch Black having been
filmed in the area.
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