Lightning Ridge

Lightning Ridge is famous for its opal mining and particularly the black opal. It’s probably not the place to hang out in the peak of summer when the mercury sits around 40 degrees celcius.

As the story goes it was named after a lightning strike that killed a farmer, his dog and around 200 sheep. Hence the name Lightning Ridge.

While you are there you can relax in hot water mineral bathes filled from local bores and fossick around for fossils as well as opals. Though don’t step too far off the beaten track or you might end up in the bottom of someone else’s dig spot.

Lightning Ridge is around 630km from Brisbane or 700km from Sydney making it a very long day drive. Probably better off staying the night somewhere along the way. On our way back from Lightning Ridge to Brisbane we stayed at Glen Innes camping for a few nights with Duncan at the Kookaburra Camping and Caravan Park. More than happy to give a good plug here we loved the place. As we try and do here is a little video on Kookaburra Camping and Caravan Park which gives you a little insight into the park and its friendly host.

There is plenty to do around Lightning Ridge, including:

• follow the self-drive car door tracks;
• let the kids have a dig around for opals;
• relax in the artesian bores;
• do an underground mine tour; and
• check out the carvings in the Chamber of the Black Hand (recommended).

We stayed at Lorne Station while we were in Lightning Ridge, predominantly because we wanted to have an open fire. However there are plenty of alternatives. If you stay at Lorne Station just watch out for the willie willies which hook it through the campsite. One took out my mates tent snapped the poles and everything as it went down. He probably should have put the guide ropes out. Alas, it gave us an opportunity to get a little creative with our bushcraft / tent repairs.

We won’t be going back there every Christmas, but Lightning Ridge is definitely worth the trip.