Private sale Coober Pedy

I am pleased that you are interested in my Coober Pedy property, which I refer to as "Hekkl Hollow" in remembrance of an orphaned Western Red Kangaroo who grew up there, and would like this opportunity to share with you the uniqueness of underground living in a very special town. First, let's get through the boring details.

The property is Lot 1865, Potch Gully, Coober Pedy, SA. It has both town water and electricity connected and there is a phone line to the dugout. The cooking and hot water facilities are gas and the bottles need to be taken to town and swapped when you require more. A new hot water system was installed on 18/1/99. There is a long drop system for toilet waste. This means the plumbing is attached to a very deep shaft that is hidden underground on the property through which the waste seeps away over time. The toilet is your usual flush type, and the waste shaft requires no maintenance. A new verandah extends the full length of the living area off which quite a large shade cloth covered pergola ideal for a garden, barbecue area, or outdoor sitting area has been built. There are three large bedrooms and a huge open plan kitchen, dining and lounge area and a fairly usual shower and toilet. Most of the walls are plastered, there are some rock, brick and wooden dividers, all of which creates a wonderful natural landscape inside the dugout, especially once you pop a few pot plants around. Hekkl Hollow has great potential for the owner to create a living space suited exactly to their needs.

The actual dugout is cut into the face of a hill so you only need to take two steps down and you are in. There is natural light throughout the dugout and each room has a ventilation shaft that goes to the surface.

The all year round temperature underground is between 21 and 26 degrees Celsius so no heating or cooling is necessary. It is a peaceful and ambient space to occupy, as you are totally insulated from outside noise. If, for example, you purchase a new TV, you can easily dig yourself a hole in the wall into which your TV will fit nicely. You may then need an added shelf for your rapidly growing video collection. Dig one. Visitors coming? Need a place for them to sleep? Excavate yourself another room and you may well strike opal in the meantime. Mining in the town area is prohibited, but the town area has also produced much valuable opal in its history. These days, those homeowners who feel there may be opal on their property, extend their homes into mansions.

The material from which you would be digging all these fabulous home extensions is a very hard and dry sandstone. No supports are needed as the slabs of earth stay up there very well. Hekkl Hollow has been happily hosting occupants for 25 years or so. The average rainfall in Coober Pedy is around 3 inches, so there are no problems with worms or seepage.

Coober Pedy or Kupa Piti, the aboriginal word for White Man in Hole, and there are approximately one and a half million holes, or shafts, on the opal fields in the activities.

There is a church, underground or above, to suit just about any denomination, and many clubs for different ethnic groups. Some examples are the Croatian Club, The Italo-Australian Miner's Club (great for a feed) and the Greek Club, famous for its annual Glendi Festival, to name a few.

The main road leading to town, the Stuart Highway is completely sealed. The nearest towns of significance are, to the south, Port Augusta at the 580-km mark and then Adelaide at around 800kms, and to the north you have Alice Springs at around 600kms.

If you would like to try your luck at mining in the town, leases are around $40 for your plot for three months, as it is all private mining there are no opal mining companies. Noodling for opal on other waste dirt sites is also a profitable form of prospecting and does not require equipment or underground work.

If you are interested in looking at the property, the Tennant will be more than happy to hide away all his dirty knickers and give you a tour. I can put you on to some excellent accommodation whilst you are in town, whether your wish is for budget or five star rooms, above, or below the surface. I can also hook you up with a guide to give you a quick tour of the town. If you require any more information in regards to the town, the property, or the easy to obtain mining lease, the local council are the people to contact. Their details : District Council of Coober Pedy, P O Box 265 Coober Pedy SA 5723. Phone 08 8672 5298.