It is self-described as "the opal capital of the world" and the opals are the only reason why there is a town. Located in the Outback, it is hundreds of kilometers from the nearest settlement. The harsh summer temperatures and the dominant industry mean that most residents live underground, ie in caves bored into the rock of the hills around the town. There are houses and other buildings on the surface but the advantage of being in a cave is that the temperature remains fairly constant. Surface living requires air conditioning. http://wikitravel.org/en/Coober Pedy