A 100-year-old mine shaft gave way Tuesday opening in the middle of an Australian couple's backyard.

The growing sinkhole is about 8 feet in diameter and full of water but the couple's home is not at risk, according to Sky News.

>> Read more trending stories

Ray and Lynn McKay have lived in the house for about 25 years, according to The Courier Mail.

"We got up at half past nine and the bloke next door was watering his tomatoes – we only realized it was there when he asked me if I realized I had a hole in my backyard," Ray told The Courier Mail.

The area is full of underground mines, according to the Courier Mail. The mine shaft is about 330 feet deep and engineers are confident they will repair the hole, according to Sky News.

"It's an exploratory shaft that was put in anywhere between 1903 and 1920," Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale told The Courier Mail. "You can see this shaft was full up with rubbish and bottles and whoever (filled it), didn't follow very good practices. We will take all the steps to get Lynn and Ray back in their house. It's the mines department's responsibility."

About the Author

Featured

The renovation of Jekyll Island's Great Dunes golf course includes nine holes designed by Walter Travis in the 1920s for the members of the Jekyll Island Club. Several holes that were part of the original layout where located along the beach and were bulldozed in the 1950s.(Photo by Austin Kaseman)

Credit: Photo by Austin Kaseman