The Elusive Black Opal
13 January 2012
Travelling through this vast land, one often discovers places that can envelope the soul with tangible elements: a beautiful river, majestic native forests, indigenous cultural regions, or unspoilt pristine beaches. Every now and again, one can come across a place where the same feeling is experienced without any tangible elements to account for that feeling. Lightning Ridge, home of the valuable and elusive black opal, is one of those places.
Such is the allure of 'the Ridge' that many who initially planned to only stay a day or so as part of a larger travel experience end up staying a lifetime without being able to pinpoint the exact reason.
Nearby, Bourke has the mighty Darling River and the magnificent Gundabooka National Park, while Lighting Ridge has neither a river nor national park. Yet its intangible nature has the town on the top of many a to-do list.
One thing Lighting Ridge does have is plenty of eccentricity. Not the type that one needs to be wary of, but the kind that truly envelopes any visitor and is delivered via characters that could be included in any folkloric Australian novel or film – truly warming and welcoming.
A local of the area, Laurie Hudson (Cumborah Postmaster), once wrote, "Though you've roamed the whole world over, seen most all there is to see, there are scenes you've never dreamed of, in the stone of mystery". Like the stone of mystery, Lightning Ridge also shows its various facets of colour in many different ways depending on how one looks at it.
Opal is found in many parts of Australia, but it is the elusive black opal that has made Lightning Ridge famous. This rare gem is an appropriate symbol of the town, as the exact nature of Lightning Ridge and its people is as mysterious as the stone itself.
So what is black opal? Opal is non crystalline silica, similar to quartz, but is not a mineral. Its internal structure enables unique diffraction of light to produce white, gray, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, magenta, rose, pink, slate, olive, brown, and black. Opal is formed from a solution of silica (very fine sand-like particles) and water. In some sandstone outback regions, water passes though the sandstone to form a silica-rich solution that flows to voids formed from decomposed fossils, and as the water evaporates, a silica deposit is left. This is repeated over vast periods and from it, an opal is formed.
The black opal differs from other opal as it is formed on a darker (black) quartz like layer that enables greater refraction/ reflection of the light to the top of the opal, especially the reds and pinks. It is the 'reds' that are more valuable.
Interestingly, the actually process of how an opal forms is still somewhat a mystery and there are many theories. Consequently, determining where it can be found is also a mystery as it is very hit and miss. Some have described mining for black opal as playing the lottery, but with most of the time spent digging underground.
Black opal was first discovered in the area in the 1870s, but the indiscriminate finds were little more than curiosities when presented to gem buyers in Sydney. However, word spread to another opal town, White Cliffs near Wilcannia, that a new form of opal was discovered and many thought their fortunes lay there and undertook the 700km trip by foot. One such person was Charlie Nettleton, who in the drought of 1902 walked the 700km to the Ridge to see the black opal first hand, and a year later walked back to White Cliffs to develop a market for this new type of opal. Charles Nettleton has been attributed with being a major factor in developing the industry.
The early years of black opal mining saw syndicates form and break up, miners impounded by the syndicates, drinking water poisoned, and even the two large Sydney pastoral companies who owned much of the land of the area engaged in a bitter battle to prevent opal mining succeeding in the area.
It is from this backdrop that the town and its people developed. Similar to the process of the silica being laid down over many years to form the black opal, the rich character of the town developed from what was left over after its tumultuous past to produce the gem that it is today.
Lightning Ridge is a town full of vibrancy with plenty of experiences on offer for the visitor. Like many places, there are self-guided tours, but in a unique Ridge style, these are not sign-posted with touring-type signs but marked with car doors; a differently coloured car door for each one. Someone years ago had the bright idea that with so many abandoned cars in the area, why not recycle parts of them and use the doors to mark the various areas of the town.
Along these touring routes are some great highlights. Out at Sims Hill (Red Car Door) is the award-winning 'The Black Queen', a unique and enthralling three-act play covering not only the amazing story of the creation of the Black Queen and how owners Gale and Roger Collins came to own it and become custodians of its story, but one of the most amazing collections of lamps that you will find anywhere. Also on this route is the Astronomer's Monument (only accessible with a tour) that has its own amazing story.
The Yellow Car Door tour takes in the 3 Mile Opal field, the largest of the town opal fields, and places like the Bird Of Paradise Art Gallery (local artist Paul Bird), 3 Mile Open-Cut Mine, Lunatic Hill, 4 Mile Opal Field, and past Nudeys Paradise. (It's all in the name). Two highlights here are The Chamber of the Black Hand, a massive underground sculpture gallery with an interpretive opal mining tour, and the 'Goddess of 1967' church, the movie set for a 2000 film starring Rose Byrne.
To the north of town is the Green Car Door tour that covers the Walk-in-Mine (self-guided opal mine tours) and Bevan's Black Opal & Cactus Nursery, a phenomenal collection of cacti.
A favourite of many who visit Lightning Ridge, especially those who may be a bit 'saddle sore' from travel, is the bore baths. Fed from the Great Artesian Basin, water flows naturally to the surface at 41.5° Celsius and then mixes with the cooler water of the bath to create the perfect temperature for a soothing experience. Many claim therapeutic benefits from bathing in the water.
Originally, the water flow was over 20L/second, constant and transported via 100km of open drains supplying many farms in the area. With over four million litres of water being wasted though evaporation and seepage, not to mention 600-plus tonnes of salt entering the landscape, measures of conservation were recently implemented and the water flow is now regulated and transported underground.
Time in Lightning Ridge will inevitably turn to buying opal, and like most types of shopping, particularly that involving jewellery, it is often the ladies who lead the way with the male of the species firmly in tow. There are many options in the Ridge, Angledool Opals, Down to Earth Opals, GGS Goldsmith, the Opal Bin and the Opal Cave, but one that should be high on the list is Lost Sea Opals. Conveniently located next to a café and round the corner from a gallery, Lost Sea Opals is a jewellery shop showcasing wonderful pieces of set Opal and also specimen pieces, with all opal jewellery made on the premises produced in a viewable workshop.
CHEAP TREATS
BEVAN'S BLACK OPAL & CACTUS NURSERY (On the Blue Car Door Tour)
Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm, seven days
Cost: Adults $10, children free if accompanied by an adult
Ph: (02) 6829 0429
WALK-IN MINE (On the Blue Car Door Tour)
Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm seven days
Cost: Adults $16, Children $6
Ph: (02) 6829 0473
BIG OPAL – UNDERGROUND MINE TOUR
3 Mile Road, Lightning Ridge
Hours: From 9am seven days
Tours: Self-guided $10, full tour – adults $22, 9am and 1pm
Ph: (02) 6829 0247
BOTTLE HOUSE
60 Opal Street, Lightning Ridge
Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm, seven days
Cost: Adults $10, children free
Ph: (02) 6829 0618
HISTORICAL SOCIETY & HERITAGE COTTAGE
9 Morilla Street, Lightning Ridge Opening Hours:
Open three days a week or by appointment, phone for details
Cost: Donations Appreciated
Ph: 0419 639 120
MUST-SEES
THE BLACK QUEEN: (On the Red Car Door Tour)
Open: March to November
Performances Daily: Matinee 1pm and sunset 5pm
Cost: Adults $25 bookings essential
Ph: (02) 6829 0980
CHAMBERS OF THE BLACK HAND: (On the Yellow Car Door Tour)
Open: April to November 10.30am and 3pm (seven days a week)
Open: December to March 10.30am only (seven days a week)
ORGANISED TOURS:
Black Opal Tours
Departs: seven days a week 8.30am, 9.30am and 1.30pm
Prices: $30 adults, $25 seniors, $12 children, $68 family (two adults, two children)
Ph: (02) 6829 0368
Or
OUTBACK OPAL TOURS:
Departs: seven days a week 9.00am and 2.00pm.
Prices: $30 adults, $25 seniors, $12 children, $68 family
AUSTRALIAN OPAL CENTRE:
Morilla Street, Lightning Ridge Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 1pm-5pm, Saturday 9am-5pm
Free entry
GARRAWAL ABORIGINAL ARTEFACTS SHOP 29
Nobby Rd, Lightning Ridge
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5:00pm (Mon-Fri)
PLACES TO STAY
CROCODILE CARAVAN PARK
Morilla St, Lightning Ridge
Ph: (02) 6829 0437
www.crocodilecaravanpark.com.au
Prices start (double): powered sites $20, unpowered sites $15
LIGHTING RIDGE TOURIST PARK
Harlequin Street, Lightning Ridge
Ph: (02) 6829 0532
Prices start: Powered sites $25 a night or $150/week Unpowered sites $15 a night or $90/week
LIGHTNING RIDGE HOTEL/MOTEL (CARAVAN PARK)
Onyx Street, Lightning Ridge
Ph: (02) 6829 0304
Prices start: Powered van sites single-double $26, triple $31, unpowered campers single $15, double $20, extra person $5 each
LORNE STATION
Lorne Road, Lightning Ridge
Ph: (02) 6829 1869
www.lornestation.com.au Prices Start: Powered sites $25/night or $132/week Campsites from $8/person per night or $48/week
CROCODILE CARAVAN PARK
Morilla St, Lightning Ridge
Ph: (02) 6829 0437
www.crocodilecaravanpark.com.au
Prices Start (double): powered sites $20, unpowered sites $15
TOURIST INFORMATION
LIGHTNING RIDGE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE
Morilla Street, Lightning Ridge NSW 2834
Ph: (02) 6829 1670
Web: www.lightningridgeinfo.com.au
EVENTS: LIGHTNING RIDGE EASTER FESTIVAL: (INC GOAT RACES)
Lightning Ridge Black Opal Rodeo, Easter Weekend Lightning Ridge Opal Festival, July
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON BAYLISS
