00:00Cooperpedia is a small town located in the hot and dry outback of northern South Australia.
00:06It is famous all over the world for being the top producers of opals, beautiful gemstones
00:12that shine with many colors.
00:14In fact, about 70% of the world's opals come from this one place.
00:18The town began in 1915 when some prospectors discovered opals while looking for gold.
00:25Soon many people came to Cooperpedia to dig for these valuable stones turning it into
00:30a busy mining town.
00:32One of the most interesting thing about Cooperpedia is how people live.
00:37The summers here are extremely hot with temperature going over 40 centi.
00:42To stay cool many people live in homes built underground called dugouts.
00:47These homes are carved into hills or rock and stay much cooler than regular houses.
00:52Building underground protects people from the heat, dust storms and even flies.
00:57Not just home but many buildings like churches, shops, restaurants and even hotels are also
01:02built underground, giving the town a very unique look.
01:06The land around Cooperpedia is covered with thousands of small mine shafts and piles of
01:11white rocks.
01:12These are the signs of the mining work that still continues today.
01:16The economy of the town depends a lot on opal mining.
01:19Many local families are involved in digging, cutting and selling opals.
01:23However, tourism has also become an important part of the town's income.
01:28Tourists from around the world come here to see the underground lifestyle, visit opal mines,
01:33buy opal jewellery and learn about the history of the town.
01:37Even though Cooperpedia is in a tough and dry place, the people have found smart ways to
01:42survive.
01:43Their underground way of life and strong connection to opal mining make this town a special place
01:49in Australia.
01:50It shows how creative and as strong a community can be when it faces challenges from nature.
01:56Whether you are interested in precious towns, underground living or just want to see something
02:01truly different, Cooperpedia is a place worth visiting.
02:05Moreover, the town itself is the setting for several films and its environment has also
02:11attracted movie producers.
02:13Also the local golf courses mostly played at night with glowing balls to avoid daytime heat.
02:19It is completely free of growth and golfers take a small piece of trough around to use
02:24for the ting off.
02:25If you like this video, please comment, share and subscribe.
02:28Thank you very much.
Comments