Place Type
Population - Town
Location
539.62kms SouthWest of Brisbane - Driving 735 km (8 hours 9 mins)
579.05kms NorthWest of Sydney - Driving 729 km (8 hours 34 mins)
Address & Contact
1 Opal St
Lightning Ridge NSW 2834
Phone: N/A
Email: N/A
Web: N/A
Information
Lightning Ridge is a famous opal mining town located in outback New South Wales, around 70km north of Walgett and only 6km off the Castlereagh Highway. The town has a population of some 1,826 people and lies next to the world’s richest deposits of black opal - the most valuable and widely known type of opal. Lightning Ridge offers plenty to see and do including: natural hot artesian bore baths, artist shops, a water theme park, the interesting bottle house, and of course - trying your hand at opal fossicking!!
Lightning Ridge hosts the annual Goat Race in the town's main street and a rodeo on the Easter long weekend. What makes the goat race appealing is that the goats are harnessed and driven by children, much like harness racing in equine sports. The Goat races are accompanied by wheelie-bin races, and horse races the following day.
Lightning Ridge and its surrounds feature a diverse range of native wildlife including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, echidnas, possums, an abundant range of reptiles, and even rare Australian birds.