Welcome to Lightning Ridge!
Lightning Ridge is an opal-mining town in the north-western corner of the Australian state of New South Wales. Long-time residents will tell you of a time when the town was rough and lawless, populated by those in search of a fortune, or on the run. These days, the town still has an outback feel and it's not just another country town. Tourism is just as big an industry for the Ridge now as mining and artists and designers now call the town home, with galleries and jewellery shops along the main street. After a day of fossicking, mine tours, and soaking in in a hot artesian bath, you can get a decent coffee, a nice dinner, good wine, and a cold beer.
The Lightning Ridge region provides many visual experiences that can't be had elsewhere in Australia.
Lightning Ridge is a small outback town in north-western New South Wales, Australia. Part of Walgett Shire, Lightning Ridge is situated near the southern border of Queensland, about 6 km (3.7 mi) east of the Castlereagh Highway. The Lightning Ridge area is a world-renowned centre of the mining of black opals and other opal gemstones.