Coober Pedy

Among the local public buildings found underground are three churches, a bookstore, an art gallery, a bar, and hotels. | While Aboriginal people have long inhabited the area, miners first moved to Coober Pedy in 1916 after the discovery of opal in the surrounding rocks. | This has continued with much of the modern town being built underground. | Opals can be seen embedded in the walls of some of these hotel rooms. | As a result of the intense heat, a number of miners living in town have chosen to live underground.