LIGHTNING RIDGE

Lightning Ridge has always been on my 'to visit' list. I have heard so many good things about it, it just had to be seen. 

So without upsetting any 'Ridge' people, personally, it wasn't my cup of tea. It's a town with lots of of piles of dirt, as they mine for Opals. Lots of dirt, lots of flies, and very hot. 

We decided to stay in a caravan park, if you pay for three nights, you get the fourth for free.....well we didn't stay for the fourth night, we got out of there this morning ! 

We were parked next to a lovely couple that live full time in their van as well, and were heading to Adelaide to visit their daughter......they didn't like it either and left the same time we did this morning. 

But in saying all that we did a few self tours. There is a red door, yellow door, green door and red door tour. They are all old car doors that have been painted, their respected colours, and you get a piece of paper that tells you what to look out for along the way. 

We did the red car door tour, and the yellow one. All you really see it lots of dirt piles and lots of 'houses' that have been self built with sheets of corrugated iron, or bits of wood. I cannot believe people can live like that......but I suppose they are just chasing their dreams of finding a black opal. 

On the red door tour, we came across this usual place. This man came out from Italy and loved Lightning Ridge so wanted to settle, and dig for Opals.  It was going to be his home, and he built it all by himself from rocks that he had taken off the land. It was a very slow process, and could only manage a few rocks a day. Anyway, fast forward quite a few years, the greenies took him to court for removing all these rocks from the land. The judge decided that because they were taken from crown land, but were built and still were on crown land, he threw the case out of court on the proviso the man would stop building. 

So the town folk got together and instead of the structure going to ruin, it was declared a heritage site, and now you just pay a small fee to look around and it keeps the place looking good. 

I loved it as there was underground tunnels where he used to do all his diggings for his opals. 

There was also a little art gallery in one of the rooms. 

This is where he now lives....at the back of this unfinished structure. Alł those rocks were put in one by one ....

His house now looks like a junk yard! 

The sunsets from the caravan park were lovely...

And the other direction there was a storm approaching...

We came across this on one of the tours... All made from rust tin...

These are Pub Photos....

So now we are at a small place called Eumungerie, one pub, and a post office that opens when it wants to...

It's just a big campground with a toilet and cold showers, which won't be used. I went into the loo earlier, and was greeted by a huge spider, as big as my hand.....so I broke the the land speed record for getting back safely into the caravan.....Ed assures me its just a mosquito eating spider....to which I replied I don't care if the bloody thing sits back and smokes a pipe......a dead spider is a good spider as far as I'm concerned!!!   😳😳😳