Family posing in their underground home in Coober Pedy, Australia.
Share this @internewscast.com

A MUM has revealed what life is like living in a $277k underground home to escape Australia’s brutal 55C heat.

Sabrina Troisi, 38, is from Stuttgart, Germany – but now lives in Coober Pedy – a remote South Australian town with a twist.

Family posing in their underground home in Coober Pedy, Australia.
Sabrina Troisi lives underground with her husband, son and daughterCredit: TURBO360
Bedroom in an underground home.
The family lives in a cave-like home called a ‘dugout’Credit: TURBO360
Aerial view of Coober Pedy opal mines and town.
The dugouts are carved into the hillsideCredit: SWNS

With temperatures soaring to a sweltering 55 degrees in the shade, residents have been forced to think outside the box.

To escape the dangerous heat, Sabrina lives in a “dugout” with her husband, Nick, son, Thomas, 14, and daughter, Leah, 13.

“Dugout” is the local term for homes carved out of the hillside.

The family invested £132,000 in their distinctive subterranean home, featuring two living areas, two bathrooms, a pool table, as well as indoor and outdoor spas, all situated beneath layers of rock.

Sabrina, who works as an office manager at a mine, said: “Walking into our house is just walking into a hill, basically.”

The living space at the house is about four metres underground, while Sabrina’s workplace – further into the hillside – sits around six metres down.

Coober Pedy, with a population of around 1,600, is known for its unique underground lifestyle.

Approximately 60 per cent of the locals reside in dugouts, a feasible living arrangement thanks to the malleable gypsum-rich sandstone, which retains its form without the need for additional structural support.

Originally trained as a childcare educator in Germany, Sabrina came to Australia on a gap year where she met Nick, her tour guide.

The pair fell in love and eventually settled in Coober Pedy in 2013, drawn by its “charming environment” and unusual dwellings.

Rescuers dive from helicopters into floodwaters to save stranded as floods batter Australia

Sabrina said: “We had friends in Coober Pedy and wanted to move away.

“We used to travel through it a lot, up and down the highway and it’s just got a charming environment most of the year.

“Underground is just fascinating so we thought, Coober Pedy was 100 percent the place for us.”

At $277,000 AUD, their dugout was much cheaper than the average Adelaide property – which sits at $796,000.

The mum-of-two said: “It’s much cheaper to live underground than above ground.

“It’s cheaper because you don’t need to heat or cool the rooms and you just need lights inside.

“It’s also much cheaper to rent or purchase dugouts because the roof is already there, you just tunnel into the hill to make a building.”

Some homes are machine-dug in two months. Others can take years: “I have seen people digging for 10 years,” she said.

Teenage boy and girl standing in their underground home's living room.
The kids are so used to living underground that they find it difficult to sleep elsewhereCredit: TURBO360
Couple standing in the kitchen of their underground home.
Sabrina and Nick met when she travelled around Australia and he was her tour guideCredit: TURBO360

Sabrina’s favourite part of underground life is the peace and quiet.

She remarked, “There are no outside disturbances. Once you close the door, all the noise fades away. It’s entirely dark and silent, making it ideal for sleeping. I thoroughly enjoy sleeping underground.”

“I wake up in the morning without windows, so you don’t actually look out the windows and see what the weather is like, like any other person.

“But you assume it’s normally nice weather in Coober Pedy, so there’s not much rain here. We get maybe five to 10 rain events a year.

“So you can probably leave your umbrella at home.

Sabrina has gotten so used to the quiet, underground way of life that city breaks now exhaust her.

She said: “When I go on holiday, I’m actually exhausted from the busy, busy streets of Adelaide or streets of a bigger town, because I’m so used to the quietness of Coober Pedy.”

But not everything is better below deck.

Teenage girl in an underground home, reaching for items on a shelf.
They chose the underground life to escape the sweltering temperatures of the area of South AustraliaCredit: TURBO360
A teenage girl stands in an underground home in Coober Pedy, Australia, reaching for items on a shelf.
The house is even kitted out with a pool tableCredit: TURBO360

Sabrina revealed that the biggest downside is the dust – and housekeeping that comes with it.

She said: “If you don’t seal the walls regularly it gets quite dusty because you are inside a hill.

“Otherwise you have got the crumbles from the ceiling dropping into your soup when you are at the dinner table. And that gets quite annoying.

“You do want to varnish the walls and it does rub off so you need to do it regularly.”

Despite the darkness, the family still gets their fill of sunshine and fresh air.

Sabrina said: “It’s normally sunshine outside so if you want your vitamin D intake it’s normally just 10 minutes a day, so it’s not impossible.

“We do go for walks and we have got a garden. However, when you have a garden, you have to pay for water, which is quite expensive in Coober Pedy, so a lot of people actually use the shower and the laundry water.”

Sabrina’s children, who were toddlers when the family moved in, barely remember life above ground.

She said: “When we go on holiday and stay in hotels, they notice every little noise, roosters, planes, anything. Underground, you don’t hear a thing.”

Life in Coober Pedy is remote – the nearest town is over 400 miles away – but it’s close-knit.

Essentials like hairdressers, vets and banks are only accessible with long drives.

Aerial view of opal mine buildings at sunset.
Around 60 percent of the homes in Coober Pedy are underground dugoutsCredit: SWNS
Bedroom in an underground home in Coober Pedy, Australia.
Sabrina says the one downside is having to vanish the walls – or face dust insideCredit: TURBO360

Sabrina said: “It’s very relaxed. Everything’s five minutes away. No traffic lights, not many cars.”

When her dog got sick and needed to visit a vet 650km away, a neighbour offered to do take it in their car after seeing Sabrina’s call for help on Facebook.

“That’s what Coober Pedy is like. It’s a very welcoming town. Everyone helps each other,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Sabrina wouldn’t trade her lifestyle for the chaos of the city.

She added: “If we ever moved, I’d want to live somewhere quiet. Not busy like Adelaide or London.”

As for whether underground living could catch on elsewhere, she’s not convinced.

“You have to have the right material like we do to build structures.

“I don’t think it’s the future unless they really find a way of doing it.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Collapsed gangway knocks out power at Fernandina Harbor Marina

Power Outage at Fernandina Harbor Marina Due to Gangway Collapse

The gangway collapsed Friday night during a fireworks show, plunging spectators into…
Two girls, Renee Smajstrla and Janie Hunt, at Texas Christian camp found dead

Two Young Girls, Renee Smajstrla and Janie Hunt, Discovered Deceased at Texas Christian Camp

Two girls from Camp Mystic, who were missing, were discovered deceased during…
Pope Leo XIV Illinois childhood home purchased by village of Dolton

The Village of Dolton Buys Pope Leo XIV’s Childhood Home in Illinois

The 1,050-square-foot home in Dolton, south Chicago, was bought by the Pope’s…
Houston-born Heart O' the Hills camp director dies in Kerr County floods

Director of Heart O’ the Hills Camp, a Native Houstonian, Passes Away in Kerr County Flooding

“We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives…
I overheard my brother fighting with his wife — should I say something?

I overheard my brother arguing with his wife — should I intervene or stay out of it?

DEAR ABBY: I inadvertently received a voicemail from my brother that captured…
Claim $150 bonus or $1K first bet safety net for Wimbledon

Unlock a $150 Bonus or Secure Your First Bet with a $1K Safety Net for Wimbledon

Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission…
South Philly shooting today: At least 8 wounded in mass shooting inside 7 Elements Restaurant Bar and Lounge in Philadelphia, PA

8 Injured in Mass Shooting at South Philly’s 7 Elements Restaurant Bar and Lounge Today

PHILADELPHIA — Eight people were wounded in a mass shooting early Saturday…
Jason Kelce slammed for 'tone deaf' Fourth of July post about setting aside differences: 'Privilege is showing'

Jason Kelce Criticized for ‘Insensitive’ Independence Day Post on Setting Aside Differences: ‘Shows Privilege’

Jason Kelce encountered criticism on social media following his remarks urging people…
Inside Barry Morphew's secretive life 600 miles away from epicenter of murder investigation into wife's death

Barry Morphew’s Hidden Life 600 Miles from the Center of His Wife’s Murder Investigation

CAVE CREEK, Ariz. – More than 600 miles from Salida, Colorado, where…
Bobby Jenks, 2-time All-Star and former White Sox closer, dies at 44

Former White Sox Closer and Two-Time All-Star Bobby Jenks Passes Away at 44

He was an All-Star in each of the next two seasons while…
Mexico President Sheinbaum hopes deported boxer Chávez Jr. will serve time in Mexico

Mexican President Sheinbaum Wishes for Deported Boxer Chávez Jr. to Face Justice in Mexico

Mexico City — President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico stated on Friday that…
South Philly shooting today: At least 8 wounded in mass shooting inside 7 Elements Restaurant Bar and Lounge in Philadelphia, PA

Mass Shooting at 7 Elements in South Philly: 8 Injured

PHILADELPHIA — At least eight people were wounded in a mass shooting…