There was a time when staying in a bed and breakfast was relatively uncommon. People either stayed in motels, hotels, caravans, tents, or with their in-laws and / or friends. At this time, Bed and Breakfasts could have been considered an ‘underground’ sensation in themselves, but even those B&B’s would have paled in underground credibility compared to those in Coober Pedy, Australia.

Located 8 hours north of Adelaide, Coober Pedy is a small town like so many other small Australian towns. With a standing population of around 2,000, you could be fooled into thinking that there is nothing to see out here in a place where the first tree to appear in the desert soil was one welded together out of scrap metal. You might pass it by without a second thought, but if you did, you’d be missing out on one of Australia’s most unique and extreme experiences.

You see, the people of Coober Pedy, a location also known as ‘the Opal capital of the world,’ live underground, carving their homes out of the Opal rich sandstone. Often referred to as ‘dugout’ homes, these holes in the ground might sound uninviting to a traveller used to home comforts, but one should not be fooled by the simplicity of the name, Coober Pedy is home to some magnificent underground architecture.

The ‘Underground’ is just one of several Bed and Breakfasts in this fascinating desert region. Far from being a primitive dwelling, this B&B showcases just what can be achieved with a little elbow grease and some contemporary fittings.

Older Coober Pedy homes were simply tunneled into the rock face, however modern Coober Pedy dwellings usually have a tidy frontage above ground, complete with desert garden. It is only once one goes through the front door that one begins to descend into the very innards of the earth.

Afraid of a cave in? Don’t be, Coober Pedy homes are carved from the local sandstone. Sandstone is an ideal material for underground homes because it is highly stable and very strong, but also relatively easy to carve. So easy to carve, in fact, that large underground churches have been constructed far below the reach of the blazing desert sun. Above ground, the average summer temperature is 98 degrees Fahrenheit, or 36.4 degrees Celsius, with temperatures peaking at around 116 degrees Fahrenheit (47 Celsius). Underground, Coober Pedy homes maintain a cool temperature of around 77 degrees (25 Celsius)all year long.

So what are you waiting for? Stay underground, get a taste of Opal mining, explore the vast Australian outback and enjoy the local cuisine. If you want to get a taste of the ‘real’ Australia, you can’t get a much more authentic location than Coober Pedy.