Lightning Ridge, NSW, Australia

  • Phone: (02) 6829-0368 (add 011-61 in front to dial from US )
  • Web site: http://www.blackopaltours.com.au
  • Length of Vacation: Few hours to all day
  • Cost: Website does not say – call or email
  • Open: Website does not say – call or email
  • Type of Prospecting: Opal
  • Equipment: Provided
  • Instruction: Provided
  • Lodging: Hotels in area
  • Meals: Bring your own, or purchase with some tour

From their web site:

Join our small, friendly touring company in search of the world-famous, elusive Black Opal, and discover the colourful nature of “The Ridge” on this gem of a tour!

With Black Opal Tours your visit will not only be informative, but also a lot of fun. Our friendly, knowledgeable tour guides, together with the vibrant flavour of the opal fields and their inhabitants, guarantee an unforgettable experience at Lightning Ridge.

Glimpse camp lifestyles, hear stories and fables of The Ridge and take a step into the past as you enjoy exclusive access inside Fred Bodel’s, the oldest mining camp still standing at Lightning Ridge. Marvel at the weird and wonderful Astronomers Monument, an amazing concrete structure of three levels, built by hand!

While you enjoy a complimentary Devonshire Tea at Platform 1, the old Red Rattler train carriage, we’ll share our opal expertise by giving you an opal cutting demonstration and an explanation of what Lightning Ridge Black Opal is all about. Your eyes and mind will fill with colour when you see some of Peter and Vicki’s private opal collection…be careful, or you might really catch the opal bug!

Enjoy views of the incredible historic Lunatic Hill open cut mine while we tell you the history of our opal-bearing ridges amongst the black soil plains. See the aboveground side of mining and try your luck fossicking for opal on our own mining claim! We also take you underground at the Walk-In-Mine — an easy walk in and out — so you can experience what it’s really like for opal miners.

Great Video on Lightning Ridge, NSW