Lightning Ridge

Lightning Ridge, the town with an unknown population. We were told this is because people can go there to hide and never be found, or it could be that if you were pushed in a mining hole no one might ever find you. These are a few things we were told by locals in the area. A rather eerie place to visit.

Before harvest started Brad and I were able to make it to the town of Lightning Ridge that relys purly on the mining of black opal found underground. Many people believe it is the lightning the area receives that causes the opal to form roughly 6 meters underground between layers of limestome. Millions of dollars worth of black opal has been found here over the years keeping the obsessed residence in a town that reaches nearly 50 degrees celcius in summer months and swarmed with flies. Here is the first opportunity we have had to make it into the 'outback' and I can understand why there isn't much out here. Regardless of the heat during the day, it made for a pleasant night to try swag life for the first time which was quite comfortable, if only it had a fly net. We also tried out the hot artesian bores in the middle of the night which were 40 degrees celcius.