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New South Wales (Western NSW) |
| Lightning Ridge | |
| The population of LIGHTNING RIDGE, 74km north of Walgett on the Castlereagh Highway (the road is fully sealed, but note that there’s no place to stop for fuel between the two), is officially 2500 but unofficially it’s reckoned to be about 7000. Famous for Black opals Lightning Ridge is the principle opal mining town in NSW. | |
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reason for the towns existence – and the reason why people come here in
numbers – is the opal.
There are many old mines to visit and cutting demonstrations to watch.
Amateur fossikers are welcome to try their luck. Artesian bore waters
supply a minerals-rich bathing pool to relax in, and there are many local
displays from arts and crafts to opals and jewellery. Amid
this harsh landscape scarred by holes and slag heaps, Lightning Ridge’s
opal fields are the only place in the world where the extremely valuable black
opal can consistently be found. This one attraction is heavily
exploited by opal galleries and mines you can visit, among them the
Big Opal, 3 Mile Rd (daily 9am–5pm; free; tour 10am, $8), which has
demonstrations of opal-cutting and guided tours of an underground mine;
Spectrum Opal Mines, Bald Hill Road (daily 9am–5pm; free), a centre
displaying solid opals in an underground showroom with a film about
opal-mining shown on the hour; and the Walk-in Mine, 1 Bald Hill Rd (daily
9am–5pm; tour 9am, $5), which has a mining display and tours to an
underground mine. There are also clearly demarcated fossicking areas where
you can try your luck at finding opals – but don’t do it anywhere
else, or you may stray onto others’ claims.
Recover afterwards in the 52°C water of the Hot Artesian Bore Baths on Pandora Street (open 24hr; free). More cooling is the Olympic Pool on Gem Street (end Sept to Easter daily 10am–8pm), particularly appealing in the scorching heat since parts of the pool are shaded from the sun. The Goondee Aboriginal Keeping Place on Pandora Street (tel 02/6829 2001 for opening times which vary) has Aboriginal artefacts and information on bush tucker. Practicalities |
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tourist information centre in Lightning Ridge is in the new Miners
Associated building on Morilla Street and has opal-buying rooms attached
– ask for the useful booklet Walgett Shire and the Lightning Ridge
Opal Fields, which contains a handy guide to buying opals.
Accommodation includes the Black Opal Motel on Opal Street, the Wallangulla Motel, on the corner of Morella and Agate streets, and Lightning Ridge Motor Village on Onyx Street, which also has tent sites. The best place to camp, though, is Crocodile Caravan and Camping Park, Morilla Street, which has a pool and spa and air-con cabins. Full banking facilities are available at Westpac on Morella Street. |
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