The 10 Best Things to do Good for Kids in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales

Outback Opal Tours is an accredited tour operator in Lightning Ridge offering a variety of tours. Our popular Town Tour is running daily at 9am & 2pm - 7 days a week. See the best there is to see of the Ridge with us locals. This tour will take you underground at the Walk-In Mine, into Amigos Castle, to see an opal cutting demonstration and lots more. We conveniently pick-up and drop-off from all accommodation places in town or the Visitor Information Centre. We also offer Full Day Tours to the Grawin, Glengarry & Sheepyard Opal Fields and three bush pubs - the real deal outback experience. We run this tour any day we get a minimum guest number of six. If you want to book simply call Outback Opal Tours or ask your friendly staff at your accommodation place in Lightning Ridge. We also offer Evening Tours, Tag-Along Tours, Private Tours and we can organise tours for coaches, fly-in groups and for larger groups. For all details, quotes and other queries please simply call or email us.

Explore the opal fields with friendly guides who are experienced opal miners Free pickup from your accomodation Complimentary Devonshire Tea! Go inside Fred Bodel’s, Lightning Ridge’s most treasured old mining camp – open only to Black Opal tours Famous Lunatic Hill open cut Exclusive to Black Opal Tours opal dirt processing site with the largest Opal agitator ever built (weather permitting)

The colour and humour of life in the bush jumps out of the work with the whimsy and realism that sets John Murrays artwork apart from the pack. No visit to Lightning Ridge is complete without some time spent in the John Murray Art Gallery. Established in 1992 by creative duo John and Viki Murray to showcase John’s vibrant original acrylic paintings, the Gallery has since grown to include quality reproductions ranging from canvas prints and mounts to postcards and stubby coolers. The world-class gallery has retained its rustic roots and Australia’s leading outback artist continues to lure people from all over the country to see his endearing work first hand. Having lived on the opal fields for many years, Viki Murray has truly captured the personality of Lightning Ridge in her own unique photographic style. Whilst the Ridge is where she makes her bed, Viki is a sucker for a project where she has the opportunity to travel. This is why you’ll see a vast array of incredible photographs from India, Vietnam, Bali and coastal Australia mixed in with her bush photography. Viki likes to change her mediums as often as she does her subjects, you’ll be treated with rustic wooden prints, classic canvas and the sharp vibrancy aluminum prints bring to the table. From prints to books and cards, her works are quirky, eclectic, rustic and retro all rolled into one. Art that makes you smile.

Nestled on our family station Bando, Just Rustic is an eclectic collections of artefacts, indigenous artworks and weapons, early settler tools and implements, memorabilia and a large collections of working order engines dating back to the early 1900's. The collection also provides a rich and detailed history of the Lightning Ridge area and surrounds told by a local farming family.

A unique gallery of over 350 sandstone carvings plus murals painted on the sandstone walls in the sandstone level above the opal level of an old opal mine. Ron Canlin is the artist of this amazing attraction, 12 years passion and still carving daily, a real work in progress. After touring the carvings, Trevor Hudson with 30 years experience in mining and prospecting then takes you down to 2nd level where he will draw on his wealth of knowledge to give you a very informative talk on the geology and formation of opal, the drives and shafts were hand dug by the old timers over the past 100 years. Not to be missed, winner of the NSW 2008 Hidden Jewel award.

Free entry. They are a really beautiful spot in the morning when the sun rises, especially in the winter when it's chilly there.

One of the most comprehensive privately owned cactus collections from around the world, located in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia. Over 60 years in the making. Entry is available to small groups, up to coach groups. Tours of the garden for large groups should advisedly be booked in advance. We sell locally mined opals and souvenirs. Open daily from 9am to 5pm. Call John on 0407392778.