See pictures of deserted town where it is so hot, people live underground

Welcome to Coober Pedy, a bustling Australian town 846 km north of Adelaide, where everyone lives underground.

On the surface, the place looks pretty deserted. With just a few hotels and, randomly, a golf course dotted around, the place has the air of an abandoned town.

Located 800km north of Adelaide, most of Coober Pedy’s buildings – including houses, restaurants, and churches – are underground.

Why? Because it’s too hot to live on the surface.

Desert temperatures in the summer usually exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit and it can get quite chilly in the winter.

Years ago, the original miners stumbled upon a solution to living there: Build everything underground. They began using old opal mines or digging out new structures for housing. The underground homes naturally maintain a comfortable temperature.

They require no air-conditioning or heating systems, greatly reducing the residents’ carbon footprints. Most of the towns 1,916 residents continue to build and live underground.

Coober Pedy was established in 1915 following the discovery of opal there. Ninety five per cent of the world’s opal comes from the area.

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