What to do and see in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales: The Best Things to do

In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.A house built with 14,000 coloured bottles… Enchanting stories around the fire… A priceless collection of antique lamps… One truly enlightening experience…The multi award-winning ‘Black Queen’ weaves drama, stories and history around a hand-crafted museum of light. ‘Legacy’ is an inspiring 3-act performance whose stories will stay with you forever. Hold a 4,500-year-old lamp in your hands and learn about one woman’s pioneering act of self-healing as she built the house of her dreams. Join us for an illuminating journey through the history of light.

See the very BEST solid Lightning Ridge Opal collection in Australia. We Mine, Cut, Polish, Carve and Design all our own opals. Unique, classic and interesting jewellery designs in silver and gold by Justine Buckley. On site professional Opal carver and cutter. Feel comfortable to shop with expert advise, knowing you are looking at quality goods at unbeatable prices.

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 all new DTEO is now open. Come and visit the most amazing opal shop in the universe! Remodelled from top to toe. Stunning new opal experience with a bespoke floor never before done anywhere. Double the space of our old shop, triple the loose solid opal display, immersive new technology, and much more.

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.

Lost Sea Opals is about designing and making jewellery that is distinctive, individual and reflective of the uniqueness of every opal. In addition to opals, diamonds, pearls and other gems are used regularly in Jo Lindsay's work. Her designs are always underpinned by her strict trade-based work ethic and traditional artisan standards. Structural integrity is an intrinsic part of every one of Jo's designs ensuring the longevity and wearability of each and every design.

SPARK is a cinematic celebration of Lightning, screened on the opal fields, under the stars! It’s about what makes Lightning Ridge so special – why people come for a few days then stay a lifetime. SPARK stars the people, land, opal and life of Lightning Ridge and is an unmissable introduction to a remarkable place. 6.30pm Tues – Thurs – Sat from Easter to end of September. Group bookings welcome.