Taking the nickname ‘down under’ to a whole new level, this town in Australia is a place where its residents live underground to escape the extreme heat.
Located in the outback, Coober Pedy is a small town north of Adelaide in South Australia, where harsh desert temperatures can often exceed 100 degrees fahrenheit during the summer.
It gets so hot there that birds have been known to fall from the sky and some electronics need to be kept in the fridge to stop them from overheating.
Advert
Because of the severe hot temperatures, many locals prefer to live in caves dug into the hillsides, which are known as dugouts.
The mining town originally became known for its opals in the early 1900s but now the main attraction is the quirky town itself.
With a population of around 1,500 people, the area is often busy with tourists who flock to visit its underground art gallery, bars, shops and even churches.
Advert
In some neighborhoods, the only sign of life are the home ventilation shafts poking up out of the ground.
If you want your own home in the area then a standard three-bedroom cave house complete with a living room, kitchen and bathroom can be excavated for a similar price to building a home above ground.
The difference is though that these underground houses keep a cooler temperature so there is no need for air conditioning.
Advert
Residents go about their daily lives underground and have their own ways of avoiding the blistering sun, including opting for a game of golf in the evenings when the temperatures cool down a bit.
The 18 holes are even lit up so golfers can see where they’re putting their fluorescent golf balls.
There is also a campsite located a few meters below ground where campers can pitch their tents.
The locals love their lifestyle so much that it’s even in the name of their town as Coober Pedy is loosely translated from an indigenous Australian term meaning “white man in a hole”.
Advert
However, underground homes do come with their own risks as one resident spoke to the BBC about how his house collapsed.
“It doesn’t happen very often,” the local said. “It was on bad ground.”
Reddit users were fascinated with the unusual setup, with one commenting: “This is making me wonder why I don't just live underground. I mean, look at how much easier that is! And you get the best insulation one could ask for, say goodbye to heat loss.”
Advert
Another added: “Time to get a shovel.”