Lightning Ridge - Fast Facts

Lightning Ridge
Famous opal mining town
Although there are lots of opal mining towns in Australia there are four which have become household names - Coober Pedy, Andamooka, White Cliffs and Lightning Ridge. These are the four which seem to hold some mystery and interest to people who live in the cities. They are wild and unruly places surrounded by a moonscape of mullock humps where people fight against horrendous climatic conditions in their search for precious gemstones. They are, as one observer noted 'monuments to the tenacious optimism of all mankind'.

Of these four towns Lightning Ridge is particularly special because it is now the only place in Australia and one of the few places in the world where the precious and highly prized black opal is found. Unlike ordinary opals the black opal has carbon and iron oxide trace elements in it producing a very dark stone which still has hints of blue, green and red.

Located 768 km from Sydney and 72 km north of Walgett, Lightning Ridge has a population of about 1200 which is supplemented by over 80 000 visitors who arrive every year to either try their luck at fossicking or to see what an outback mining town is really like. This influx of tourists means that this once rough and ready town now boasts a number of good quality motels, an endless array of souvenir and gift shops, some good restaurants, and a veneer of civilisation.

Tourist Information

Lightning Ridge Tourist Information Centre
Fred Reece Way
Lightning Ridge NSW 2834
Telephone: (02) 6829 1462 or (02) 6829 0565
Facsimile: (02) 6829 0565