'Tardis' house in South Australian desert town of Coober Pedy grabs an adventurous buyer

Behind this “Tardis” entrance is a comfortable desert home that could be on another planet.

In Coober Pedy, considered the opal capital of the world, the door the underground property seems to rise out of the red dust.

In the middle of a Mars-like landscape, where generations of Australians have chased their fortune, Lot 1073 Opal Crescent has a Domain listing price of $78,000 and is under offer.

$78,000

Lot 1073 Opal Crescent, Coober Pedy SA 5723

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The offering comprises two dugouts with exposed rock walls, both on a single title.

Coober Pedy is Australia’s equivalent of the wild west, and the properties are among of the nation’s cheapest, but most intriguing.

Coober Pedy’s median house price is $85,000, representing a year-on-year rise of 3.7 per cent, Domain’s latest figures show.

The South Australian town, 846km north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway, was the dusty red set of the iconic 1985 movie Mad Max Thunderdome, starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner.

As an opal mining town in the Great Victoria Desert, many properties in Coober Pedy are nestled underground, or dugout style, to combat the severe heat.

Lot 1073 Opal Crescent has a “Tardis” style entrance, the listing says. It is reminiscent of the time travel contraption used by Doctor Who in the long-running television series.

This leads down into the main dugout, which has three bedrooms that extend from the living zone.

A glass sliding door partitions the living spaces to help the occupants control the temperature, which sits naturally at about 23 to 24 degrees, the listing explains.

Above ground, the heat can be blistering.

Properties for sale right now in Coober Pedy

Please contact agent for details

1668 Crows Road, Coober Pedy SA 5723

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The twin dugouts feature the natural beauty of sandstone walls and ceilings, and are tenanted.

$249000

Lot 966 The Painters Road, Coober Pedy SA 5723

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Make yourself at home here and revel in the possibility of striking it rich, the listing says.

CONTACT AGENT FOR PRICE

100 Brewster Street, Coober Pedy SA 5723

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The four-bedroom property is perfectly suited to a buyer who wants to blend life and work.