Things you only see on an outback pub crawl

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This was published 7 years ago

Things you only see on an outback pub crawl

By Guy Wilkinson
Enjoy beers and an animated crowd at the Grawin Club in the Scrub.

Enjoy beers and an animated crowd at the Grawin Club in the Scrub.

The Great Artesian Basin. Source of life throughout the Australian desert. Without it, nothing in these parts would survive. But there's another equally important source of hydration here that also sustains life. It's known as the outback pub.

Pushing open the front door to the Grawin Club in the Scrub, I'm met with a boisterous scene. A smattering of True Blue Aussie characters hold court at the bar, their skin leathery and tattooed. Beside a weathered snooker table, a game of darts is in full swing while out the back, an animated crowd has amassed around a makeshift crab racing arena.

Weaving my way to the bar, it feels like I've stepped on to the set of the seminal 1971 outback thriller, Wake in Fright. There are chest-length beards and Akubra hats everywhere I look, empty schooners cluttered on tables, not a craft beer in sight.

The Artesian Bore Baths offer welcome relief from the dust and heat.

The Artesian Bore Baths offer welcome relief from the dust and heat.

I'm in Lightning Ridge some 750 kilometres north-west of Sydney.

Said to have been named in the 1870s after a shepherd and his flock were fatally struck by lightning, it's known for opal mining and in particular, black opals, the most valuable, sought after kind in the world.

With me as part of a larger group are two brothers, Roman and Andrew Sisa, immigrants from Eastern Europe. They first came here for a barbecue in 1989 and never looked back. Together, they're leading me on a bush pub crawl of some of the region's best loved watering holes.

Akubra hat collection at the Hebel Hotel near Lightning Ridge.

Akubra hat collection at the Hebel Hotel near Lightning Ridge.

Beyond opal mining, Lightning Ridge is also known for its eccentric characters. At a table I'm introduced to an old-timer whose teeth have been fashioned almost exclusively from opal. As we shake hands, he throws back his head and laughs, revealing a mouth glowing red and emerald green.

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He summons me to the car park out back where he begins rummaging in the glove box of his ute. For a moment I fear I might be done for, wondering if he'll pull out a revolver but instead he produces a plastic ice cream tub filled with several other custom-made mouth pieces. Proudly modelling them for me one by one, I look on, blinking in the sunlight, ruminating on the possibility that somebody may have spiked my drink with a hallucinogen.

Back in the truck we tear down the straight desert highway flanked by scorched Mulga trees and 10 minutes later we pull up outside the Glengarry Hilton.

Situated in the heart of the Glengarry opal fields, the pub is constructed almost entirely from sheets of corrugated iron. Out front, a sign reads "Trading Hours, 6am to 6am, 8 days a week, closed NEVER." A smattering of patrons quaff beers in the afternoon sun, winding down from another hard day gouging for opal in the mines. A tiny tin shed serves as a bar where cheap beers are handed through a small hatched window at the front.

I'm struck by the laidback charm of the place. Mismatched chairs and sofas surround a couple of wood burning stoves and in the far corner, metal shelves are piled high with stacks of dusty books, their pages faded yellow from the relentless sunlight.

In spite of the ubiquitous knick-knacks, none of it feels phoney, this place is the real deal, it's etched onto the walls and on the faces of the men and women that live and work here.

In some ways Lightning Ridge has become synonymous with those living on the fringes of society, people looking for a simpler life or even escaping a shadier past. Many hope to strike it rich, not unlike the gold rush pioneers that preceded them throughout rural parts of Australia.

But among the hard luck stories there are countless tales of rags to riches glory.

"The ultimate would have to be about one local bloke – known to all the locals to enjoy a drink or two, or a dozen – who had hardly a penny to his name," says Roman Sisa.

"His mate passed away and left him a claim with a small camp to live on. He moved in but it had no long drop toilet so one day he had a driller come round to install one. The hole brought up colour and lots of it; beautiful black solid opal nobbies. So for the next few years he mined that claim to a total of around $70 million."

As sunset takes hold above the desert plains, we roll in at our final destination, The Sheepyard Inn.

A group has gathered to watch live music in the back yard where an elderly man on guitar accompanies a younger woman with blonde hair and a country dress.

Though it's getting late, there's a refreshingly mellow air. Punters take turns getting up to perform, but the relatively high standard suggests this is more a long standing tradition than a handful of drunks looking to milk a few moments in the limelight. Even out here in the desert where the people are tougher than the sun-baked earth beneath their feet, the importance of art shines through.

It's dark when we make the hour-long drive back to the campsite at Lightning Ridge.

Midway home, we pull over on the side of the highway to marvel at the stars sprawled across the night sky. In my haze – without any of the light pollution I'm accustomed to – it's as though someone has tossed a fistful of gold glitter over an infinite scroll of sheet black paper.

Back at the campsite someone suggests rounding off the night at the Artesian Bore Baths a short stroll away. I sink into the soothing waters, pleasantly surprised by the blissful sensation. Though it's roasting during daylight hours, come nightfall, the temperature plummets dramatically.

A few days ago I'd driven into Lightning Ridge curious but far from enamoured by my first impressions. Now I can see the appeal of a place like this. Sure there are the more obvious attractions; the rodeo, opal and fossicking tours, historic poets' houses, art galleries and even the vaguely bizarre Amigo's Castle and cactus garden. But really, its strength lies in the sense of community, the characters, the stories you hear.

"It's all about the people," says Andy Sisa. "There are so many different nationalities, nobody judges you on where you came from, whether you're rich or poor, on what you do or how you do it. And when you're down on your luck, people here try to help you out any which way they can."

From the shadows, more bathers have emerged to enjoy a late night dip, clearly old friends partaking in a regular routine. Taking a deep breath, I float for a while on my back, buoyed by the mineral rich waters.

Above us, a billion stars blaze iridescent in the night sky.

TRIP NOTES

MORE INFORMATION

Lightningridgeinfo.com.au

GETTING THERE

Lightning Ridge requires a decent road trip from most major Australian cities. From Sydney head via the Southern Highlands and Eastern Riverina, across the Blue Mountains and north through the Central Ranges or via The Hunter Valley and New England. See lightningridgeinfo.com.au/getting-to-the-ridge.html

STAYING THERE

The Bluey Motel offers a comfortable family run 10-room motel with a central location on Morilla Street. Double and single rooms from $65. See blueymotel.com.au Alternatively the Lightning Ridge Outback Resort and Caravan Park is a well equipped place to camp with onsite shower and kitchen facilities and a modest outdoor pool. See lightningridgecaravanpark.com.au

Guy Wilkinson travelled at his own expense.

FIVE MORE THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND LIGHTNING RIDGE

EASTER FESTIVAL & RODEO

Among the best times to visit The Ridge is for the annual Easter program, which showcases everything the town has to offer with street fetes, live music, exhibitions and the much lauded rodeo. See lightningridgeinfo.com.au

THE HEBEL HOTEL

Another outback classic, this pub was originally a Cobb & Co stagecoach stopover located just over the NSW border in Queensland. The locals are friendly and the General Store opposite serves incredibly good meat pies. See facebook.com/Hebel-Hotel-416100688500654/

CAR DOOR TOURS

A series of free, self-drive tours orientated around battered car doors differentiated by colour and theme. Pick up a map from the Visitor Information Centre for $1. See lightningridgeinfo.com.au/car-door-tours

BIG OPAL UNDERGROUND MINE TOUR

Wander the maze of underground tunnels at the first licensed opal mine opened to the public in Lightning Ridge. Free entry above ground. See wj.com.au

CHAMBERS OF THE BLACK HAND

Explore a surreal scene more than 12 metres underground with images carved into sandstone pillars and walls complete with an Egyptian chamber, opal shop, Lord of the Rings characters and more. See chambersoftheblackhand.com.au

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