Lightning Ridge

Describing Lightning Ridge is going to be difficult. We arrived at lunchtime after an interesting drive from Moree, lots of emus sighted which always makes me happy to see in their natural environment.
We set up camp just across from the giant emu called Stanley that sits on the ridge that Lightning Ridge was named after. Drove into town and while there is a lot of normalcy in the main part of town with its opal shops etc as you dig deeper and follow the Door tours ( special drive by tours through areas marked by coloured doors) you can see the eccentricity of the Opal miners with their Castles and houses made of bottles, beer can or flagon s definately a unique area. Most of the claims are 50 metres X 50 metres, but they are also a few massive open cut mines. The town has an awesome aquatic centre and is building the Australian Opal and Dinosaur Centre in the next few years. We swam in the Artesian bore pool and had dinner at the Bowls Club.Read more