Next Stop: Lightning Ridge. The quirky mining town on the border of the outback. Hyped tourist attraction or worthy of a long drive? Only one way to find out…
Driving there and having a look ourselves. One thing is clear, it was worth the long drive for us. And a long drive it was… You know in for an exciting drive when the navigation systems gives you directions like “follow the road for 144km, then take the third exit at the roundabout”. Driving in the outskirts of civilisation was an interesting experience. The roads are two lanes, one per direction, no divider, and mostly straight. Seeing your first road train is an impressive experience. They are long and just big in every dimension. But you also see some wildlife along the road. Many birds in all sizes from small and colourful to Emus on the side of the road. Yeah, the drive alone was a great experience.
Lightning Ridge is also an experience, but a different one. It is obviously a mining city with some active mining still going on. Apparently it’s the only place in the world where black opals can be found (and they are amazingly beautiful). But a lot of the miners seem to have realised that it’s easier to extract money from tourists than precious stones from the earth. So there are a lot of touristy attractions in and around the area. And as a final touch, there is a very active local artist that has made a strong visual impression on the area. It’s a great mix with a lot of things to discover, some stunning views and interesting characters. Just don’t expect fancy restaurants or third wave coffee shops. After all, it is still a mining town somewhere in nowhere…
