travel help opal terrority

[dhall123]

Hope someone here can help my health has been good with cancer and liver disease. This time last year purchased a Ranger and mdc camper trailer planning grey no madding around Australia a year layer its still a plan. Currently i have itchy feet looking to do a week around Grawin and lightening ridge.

I will coming from 'Sydney out through Dubbo region with some gold prospecting along the way.

What are the noodling restrictions into Grawin and lightening ridge along roads in area and where is a decent place to camp and is september October good months. Is there someone or somewhere i can get general information no secret spots part of the thrill is poke around with out getting in trouble.

Besides opal what other gems can be found in the region.

 

[grubstake]

PA member @Syndyne is your man for on the spot advice on those subjects, dhall. See his post below for up-to-date comments on Lightning Ridge noodling:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/lightning-ridge-opal-festival.39804/post-648933

 

[dhall123]

lodged this in wrong thread need information about region etc have repost not sure right spot

 

[mbasko]

lodged this in wrong thread need information about region etc have repost not sure right spot

Probably the best area to post your question is here dhall.
That way hopefully the gem/mineral members with the info your after will see it.
Sometimes it can take a few days to get a reply back with the best info.

 

[dhall123]

Thank you

 

[Syndyne]

Hi dhall,

Sadly, the Lightning Ridge opal mining district is now under fairly strict limitations in regards to fossicking and specking on the opal fields. This is now signed well in the area. Unless you know or, have permission from a claim operator/mine manager to be there on a particular claim then all fossicking is relegated to the heaps at the tourist information center (they just manually throw bits and pieces on the dirt there regularly for tourists to find).

Don't let that deter you from a visit to the opal fields however. The Ridge is still a unique old town to spend a couple of days in.

Regards,
Shauno.

 

[Mackka]

Unique in many ways. I can recall a time when getting out of the tent only to find that the dust had formed a thick fog type layer from the ground to about 3' and the artesian baths would peel the skin clean off ya. Things many have changed on the last 50 odd years. A great place and always remembered the Bottle House. Mackka

 

[Phil8303]

I know a lady in her 70s, a fantastic metalworker who grew up in Lightning Ridge. She was telling me recently, just how simple things were back then, how unexplored the area was and the unbelievable quality and colours of some of the gems.

 

[Pat Hogen]

I remember in '83 we could buy full opalised shells for five dollars, not chips or broken pieces of shell but full, unbroken, whole shells - and there they sat. I thought they were beautiful but I only gazed at them and wondered what I could do with them.

 

[dhall123]

Thanks all i have not got opal fever i have stage 2 cancer just want to tick off the bucket list.
I will be heading out via Dubbo through lighting ridge Grawin white cliffs

 

[dhall123]

Unique in many ways. I can recall a time when getting out of the tent only to find that the dust had formed a thick fog type layer from the ground to about 3' and the artesian baths would peel the skin clean off ya. Things many have changed on the last 50 odd years. A great place and always remembered the Bottle House. Mackka

i have a stoma or bag for bowels so the bores are of the list

 

[Wbfoto]

Hope someone here can help my health has been good with cancer and liver disease. This time last year purchased a Ranger and mdc camper trailer planning grey no madding around Australia a year layer its still a plan. Currently i have itchy feet looking to do a week around Grawin and lightening ridge.

I will coming from 'Sydney out through Dubbo region with some gold prospecting along the way.

What are the noodling restrictions into Grawin and lightening ridge along roads in area and where is a decent place to camp and is september October good months. Is there someone or somewhere i can get general information no secret spots part of the thrill is poke around with out getting in trouble.

Besides opal what other gems can be found in the region.

Hi all noodling around grawin is now confined to an area around the pubs that have placed dirt there for fossickers. Lots of people will tell you to go to old fields or dumps this is not allowed. Thanks to covid and a certain tv show grawin is now full of tourists that think they have a right to go anywhere they want n take whatever they want. As a result the opal fields are not as friendly as they use to be. You will get reported and will get fined the miners have had enuf. This can be confirmed by calling the lightning ridge mines Dept. 02 6820 5200

 

[Pat Hogen]

Hi all noodling around grawin is now confined to an area around the pubs that have placed dirt there for fossickers. Lots of people will tell you to go to old fields or dumps this is not allowed. Thanks to covid and a certain tv show grawin is now full of tourists that think they have a right to go anywhere they want n take whatever they want. As a result the opal fields are not as friendly as they use to be. You will get reported and will get fined the miners have had enuf. This can be confirmed by calling the lightning ridge mines Dept. 02 6820 5200

Good Job!