Lightning Ridge: coffee, black opals and outback adventure

Lightning Ridge may be the Black Opal capital of Australia serving up quirky characters and bizarre adventures. But it now comes with a side of great coffee.

Bruno's Italian Restaurant and Takeaway, Lightning Ridge, NSW Australia

Bruno’s is one of the two great Italian eateries that surprises most visitors to Lightning Ridge. (Image: Destination NSW)

Some people used to say that outback towns this far from ‘civilization’ could only serve lacklustre takeaway food and intolerable instant coffee, but there is no trace of that myth today in Lightning Ridge.

Real Coffee in the Outback

The north-western NSW town’s foodie offering is robust, buoyed by a duo of Italian restaurants and a trio of cafes – Opal Street, Morilla’s and Busy Bee – that actually do ‘real’ coffee. Yes, real specialty coffee in the outback.

Morilla's Cafe Coffee Shop, Lightning Ridge, NSW Australia

Good coffee found in Lightning Ridge; Morilla’s is one of a handful of great cafe’s in the outback town. (Image: Destination NSW)

While ‘the Ridge’ has all the creature comforts and punches well above its culinary weight for a town well, exact population unknown, perish the thought that it has ‘sold out’ and become a bush Bondi or outback Fitzroy.

Oh no, Lightning Ridge has been and always will be powered by its ragtag collection of colourful, untameable personalities. People who famously came for a week and stayed for a lifetime because the blue, green and red fire of those black opals wedged in their mind’s eye.

Lightning Ridge’s Arts tail

Their often inexplicable stories manifest in unlikely ways everywhere you look in this free-range town. On the outskirts, 18-metre-tall Stanley the Emu greets you from the roadside.

John Murray Art Gallery, Lightning Ridge, NSW Australia

No visit to Lightning Ridge is complete without dropping by and checking John Murray Art Gallery. (Image: Destination NSW)

Creator of this VW-Beetle-bodied ‘Big Thing’, local artist John Murray, embodies the Ridge’s ‘Back o’ Buggery’ bush spirit. His whimsical ‘realism’-style paintings embrace the outback hues and ‘human folly’ of the Ridge, on display to browse and buy at John Murray Art Gallery on Opal Street.

If you’re fascinated with arts, learn about John Murray’s different approach in painting and his inspirations. (Image: Destination NSW)

A deeper understanding of Lightning Ridge’s penchant for playing by its own rules can be gained at the Chambers of the Black Hand gallery (and opal shop).

Chambers of the Black Hand, Lightning Ridge, NSW Australia

Chambers of the Black Hand is a remarkable place that symbolizes the creative and innovative side of ‘the Ridge’. (Image: Destination NSW)

The sandstone walls of Ron Canlin’s old opal mine have become an unlikely canvas for hundreds of carvings and murals, from tributes to Lord of the Rings and a subterranean Last Supper carving to a statue of Elvis Presley and an Egyptian chamber with ‘humorous hieroglyphics’. Send your kids cross-eyed by setting them the ‘Where’s-Wally?’ challenge.

Black Opal Capital of Australia

Perched on the cusp of an ancient inland Gondwana sea, Lightning Ridge is home to a perplexing array of options for visitors curious about black opals.

Take a stickybeak around aptly named Lunatic Hill Open Cut mine to see one of the richest sources of black opal ever found. You might even kick one up yourself. It’s now a fitting monument to the brave, foolhardy and occasionally jackpot-hitting miners.

Lost Sea Opals: Australian Black Opal, Lightning Ridge, NSW Australia

Beautifully presented jewelries with wide variety of styles that you can choose from can be seen at Lost Sea Opals by designer Jo Lindsay. (Image: Destination NSW)

To see the finished products in their best light, check out the stunning creations of jeweller Jo Lindsay at Lost Sea Opals boutique. Witness the gems being cut and polished by a true craftswoman.

Lost Sea Opals, Lightning Ridge, NSW Australia

Jewelry designs at Lost Sea Opals are inspired by the vivid colours and beauty of the opals. (Image: Destination NSW)

The earth here cradles some of the world’s rarest fossils and, excitingly, prized 100-million-year-old opalised fossils. But you have to know where to look so the Australian Opal Centre runs a limited number of seasonal fossil digs, in conjunction with the Australian Geographic Society. The six-day expeditions have uncovered some mind-blowing specimens, including Australia’s smallest dinosaur babies (book ahead).

Australian Opal Centre, Lightning Ridge, NSW Australia

Known to house the world’s greatest public collection of Australian opal, learn more about opal, opalised fossils and mining at Australian Opal Centre. (Image: Destination NSW)

Plans for the new significant Australian Opal Centre building are cresting the horizon. The energy-efficient, two-storey structure will become an extraordinary national monument to Australia’s national gemstone.

Lightning Ridge’s distinctive architecture

The Ridge’s shanty-chic architecture is as colourful as the gemstones that funded it. Beer Can House – built by Gary and Pat Holms back in the days when we used to drink out of steel cans – and perhaps Lightning Ridge’s most recognisable structure, the Camelot-esque, ironstone-boulder Amigo’s Castle (made by Vittorio ‘Amigo’ Stefanato), are standouts in an ocean of eccentricity.

Amigo Castle, Lightning Ridge, Outback NSW, Australia

Part of the amazing Amigo Castle. Onsite is a yard full of drums and other unusual ‘collectibles’. (Image: Destination NSW)

Finding hidden gems among the sprawling labyrinth is a cinch for visitors, thanks to the distinctly Ridge-onian phenomena of coloured-coded car-door tours. Four self-drive safaris cover as much unconventionality as you can take (get your maps from the Lightning Ridge Visitor Information Centre, off Bill O’Brien Way).

See Lightning Ridge on a tour

To see if you can strike it lucky, Outback Opal Tours offers a comprehensive town tour (including an underground mine visit) and a full-day jaunt that ventures into ‘opal-rush’ territory, where folks live in camps without power or town water.

Glengarry Hilton, Lighting Ridge, NSW Australia

Enjoy a happy hour with a difference at the Glengarry Hilton.

Visiting the ‘Pubs in the Scrub’ of Grawin Opal Fields is a highlight. Beer and banter flow easily at the Sheepyard Inn, Grawin Club in the Scrub and the Glengarry Hilton. And, if you’re lucky (and game), you might even score a personal mine tour from a friendly patron.

Nettleton's First Shaft Lookout, Lightning Ridge, NSW Australia

Watch the sun setting and appreciate the view in the outback at Nettleton’s First Shaft Lookout. (Image: Destination NSW)

As the light begins to change, take a slow drive out of town, perch at Nettleton’s First Shaft Lookout, and witness sunset ignite the Coocoran Opal Fields. Then boomerang back into the Ridge to catch an under-the-stars “cinematic celebration of Lightning Ridge" at the SPARK Outdoor Cinematic Exhibition.

Artesian Bore Bath, Walgett NSW, Australia

Relax and unwind in the naturally heated outdoor Artesian Bore Bath. (Image: Destination NSW)

The perfect way to de-brief from a wild day in the north-west is to indulge in unpretentious Ridge-style wellness. Slink into the mineral-rich waters of the Artesian Bore Bath (a toasty 41 degrees) for a soothing soak in an open-air pool, while you reflect on a compelling day in astonishing Lightning Ridge – a place where the bizarre soon becomes normal and the normal bizarre.

To plan your holiday to Lightning Ridge, visit www.walgett.nsw.gov.au/tourism.

The World Heritage-listed site must be seen to be believed.

I’m sure I speak for many of us when I say I’ve always wondered what it would be like to visit the moon. Seeing it in the evening sky always conjures up feelings of whimsy and wonder in me – a mystic, dreamy place just begging to be explored. Unfortunately, also like the majority of us, I can’t afford to just jump in a rocket and zoom on up there.

But what if I told you there’s a place right here on Earth that effortlessly encapsulates this ethereal atmosphere? I didn’t believe it either, until I visited Mungo National Park myself, one of Australia’s most underrated national parks.

Where is Mungo National Park?

Mungo National Park is in Ouback NSW, just over 200 kilometres from the Victorian border town of Mildura or a 10-hour drive from Sydney. The World Heritage-listed site spans 240,000 hectares across the picturesque Riverina Murray region.

Mungo National Park spans 240,000 hectares. (Image: Destination NSW)

For those in the know, Mungo is definitely worth the road trip, with many people travelling to the region purely to witness its lunar-like landscapes. But this ancient, Ancestral place flies relatively under the radar in the grand scheme of things, often overlooked in favour of its Aussie counterparts.

Don’t believe me? Well, while places like Kakadu National Park, Blue Mountains National Park and Daintree National Park see from 200,000 to 6 million visitors a year, just 37,000 people visit Mungo annually. But for what it lacks in numbers, Mungo more than makes up for in beauty, history and cultural significance.

Why visit Mungo National Park?

While the topography of Mungo National Park alone is reason enough to visit, its history is equally as staggering. This is a place where megafauna once roamed, a land that lays claim to the oldest collection of fossilised human footprints ever uncovered – dating back to the Ice Age.

Mungo is a culturally significant site for its Traditional Owners. (Image: Destination NSW)

The archaeological discoveries of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady also rewrote history. Discovered in 1968 and 1974 respectively by geologist Jim Bowler, the remains are the oldest known examples of ritual burials in the world, dating back over 40,000 years.

The findings also scientifically proved that Aboriginal culture has existed here since time immemorial. Mungo National Park is on the Traditional Lands of the Paakantji, Ngiyampaa and Mutthi Mutthi people and remains a culturally and spiritually significant site for Traditional Owners. It is symbolic of Australian history, representing the timeless connection First Nations people have with Country.

Must-see sights in Mungo National Park

Mungo can be experienced in a variety of ways, with many visitors opting to explore the national park on their own. I recommend joining at least one of the Indigenous-led guided tours with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. It’s a great way to learn about the land’s history and culture, as well as get the most out of your time at Mungo. Here are a few highlights.

Lake Mungo

Middens found in Mungo National Park in NSW

Ancient middens can still be found within the sand dunes. (Image: Destination NSW)

Lake Mungo is one of 17 arid lake beds within the region. It held a vast amount of water and marine life around 50,000 years ago, but has long since dried and fossilised. The now eroded sand dunes that tower around the park’s circumference continuously reveal evidence of an area once thriving with prehistoric life.

Mungo Woolshed

Built in 1869 using an ingenious drop-log cypress pine construction, this historic woolshed harks back to when Gol Gol pastoral station brought thousands of sheep to the region. The farming activity on this dramatic but delicate land helped archaeologists discover the secrets buried beneath its red-ochre surface.

Walls of China

The awe-inspiring Walls of China attract many visitors. (Image: Destination NSW)

Arcing around the eastern edge of the lake, the Walls of China is Mungo’s star attraction, where visitors most often describe a lunar-like appearance. Its low curve of sandy hills, or lunette, rises up out of the Earth like pinnacles, sculpted by millennia of sand-soaked winds.

Red Top Lookout

Head to Red Top Lookout in time for sunset for unparalleled views over Mungo. The fading light renders its tapestry of deep ravines and rising hills in all shades of orange, pink and purple, mirroring the magic of the moon.

Mungo Loop Track

See the highlights along the Mungo Loop Track. (Image: Destination NSW)

Get acquainted with this awe-inspiring desert landscape by driving, or better yet, cycling the 70-kilometre Mungo Loop Track. Cross the ancient lakebed to the Walls of China before tracing its shores, taking in the iconic dunes and mallee trees of Outback NSW.

The Meeting Place

Head to the Meeting Place at Mungo Visitor Centre to learn about Mungo Man and Mungo Lady. While the remains are kept private for cultural reasons, the lunette-shaped viewpoint here commemorates their resting place and that of countless Aboriginal Ancestors. You’ll also see casts of the park’s ancient fossilised human footprints.

Mungo wildlife

Mungo is home to adorable red kangaroos. (Image: Destination NSW)

Many species call Mungo home, and spotting them is like a game of wildlife bingo. There are over 100 species of bird here, from mulga parrots to pink cockatoos. It’s also a prime place to see red kangaroos and emus. If you’re lucky, you may also spot short-beaked echidnas, fat-tailed dunnarts, pygmy possums, carpet pythons, mallee dragons and more.

How to get to Mungo National Park

The closest major city centre to Mungo National Park is Mildura in Victoria, around a 2.5-hour drive away. You will inevitably encounter unsealed roads that are usually in good condition, but always check traffic updates and carry adequate food and water.

A small plane in Mungo National Park in NSW

Take a scenic flight to see Mungo from above. (Image: Destination NSW)

If you’re coming from Sydney, it’ll take you up to 11 hours to reach Mungo. You can stop in trending detour destinations like Goulburn and Wagga Wagga to rest and refuel. I’d also highly recommend flying with Murray Darling Scenic Flights from either Echuca or Swan Hill. You’ll see Mungo in all its glory from above, as well as nearby natural landmarks like Lake Tyrrell, one of Australia’s most mesmerising pink lakes.

Where to stay at Mungo National Park

Mungo Lodge is a 10-minute drive from the Mungo Visitor Centre. The sprawling 77-hectare property is well-appointed with large family rooms, deluxe cabins and glamping tents, as well as an onsite restaurant and bar.

Mungo Lodge in Mungo National Park in NSW

Book a stay in one of Mungo Lodge’s cosy cabins. (Image: Destination NSW)

The Mungo Shearers’ Quarters offer rustic accommodation in the heart of the park. Stay in a cosy cabin with access to communal kitchens and bathrooms. BYO bedding.

Two kilometres out of Mungo National Park is Main Camp. Located off Arumpo Road, the campground boasts plenty of unpowered sites and includes picnic tables, barbecues and non-flush toilets. Pre-booking is not available.

Finding good coffee, black opals and adventure in Lightning Ridge.