20120416 NSW Walgett to Lightening Ridge

16-04-2012  Stopped at Walgett for supplies and a quick walk through the town, nop were not staying here, every window was barred shut.

 A high steel fence surounds this Hotels plus all the windows are barred shut.

This is an example of all the shops in this town.

One of the many locals I managed to sneak a photo of.








Stayed in Crocodile Caravan Park, so nice to have a long hot showers.  Walked around town and Des organised a tour for the next day.

White settlers may have seen opal as early as the 1880’s but mining didn’t begin until 1901 or 1902.  The first settlement was called Wallangulla , Although the name ‘Lightning Ridge’ was in use in the late 19^th Century – after a lightning strike killed a shepherd, his dog and sheep on a ridge in the 1870s – the name wasn’t officially adopted until 1963.

One of many Opal Caves, I've never been into opals but there was a pendent I really liked and Mr Scrooge wouldn't bye it for me, it only cost $11,000.

The 1915 Cottage Hospital built in 1932 by Albert Spicer when he struck opal. 

Coopers Cottage built 1916, is a genuine historical display of early pioneer living.

17-04-2012  Picked up at 9.00am and our first stop was the Big Opal mine where you go down 113 spiral staircase 22mt under ground, not for me I had a quick walk and a few snap shoots then returned to the safety of the open air.

 Black opal mine is over 45 year old and is still operating today.

These post are what supports the roof, I ain't staying down here.

These shafts go for miles underground and is apparently safe, ya what ever!

It's hard to believe how they lived and still live today.

Another example of the old miners hut still lived in today, I suppose this one is an improvement.

 This Yellow car door is 1 of  11 displayed along a 45 minute drive following the miners.

The miners humble abode.

It became known as Lunatic Hill because the ground was so rock hard and only madmen would dig it.  Some see as a blight on the landscape, other see as a thing of beauty and wont heritage listed.  Lunatic Hill is just a hole in the ground where miners in the 1970s knocked the top off the hill in search of opal, some got lucky. 

For years, mines were dug out by hand using picks & shovels, the miners dug square- sided shafts, just big enough for the miner to crawl through and the dirt was hauled to the surface in buckets made of hide, tied to ropes.   In the 1960s an automatic hoist to carry dirt to the surface was invented and artesian water became available to wash the opal dirt, making separation of opal from dirt more efficient. 

Have you ever seen the film “The Goddess of 1967” it’s  a 2000 Australian film about a rich young Japanese man who travelled to Australia with the intention of buying a Citroeon Car that he had found for sale on the net.  Once there things, did not quite go to plan and he ends up on a road journey with a blind girl (RoseBryne).  The Church was built specifically for this film.

Amigo’s famous Stone Castle, Amigo has been building the larger than life Castle for over 25 years and is not even close to finishing.  The sad part of the story is Amigo does not own the land this incredible complex is built on.  It is a squat, it seemed suitable at the time, close to town, flat surface, quite area, but  just not his.

It is a Western Land Lease and therefore belongs to the State of NSW, Walgett Shire probably also have a hand in it, for many years they spent time and effort to bulldoze it down but public outrage and national publicity finally convinced the politicians to grant him a lease over the land. After all this time, still bravely battles along without electricity or water.

The “Astronomer’s Monument” the owner used hundreds of paint buckets and filled them with concrete to build the bizzare construction.  It is an observatory, but the yellow dome on top of the building could never open up to make room for the telescope.  The owner never owned a telescope; the construction is simply a local hobby being built as a monument to famous astronomers.

A house made of bottles and Museum we didn't go inside the bus only drives past.

John Murry is a realist working in the medium acrylic paint on canvas and paper.  Whimsical photo-realism is one way to describe his approach to painting.  He painted  caricature  of Julia Gillard as an Emu and Tony Abbot in his dick togs called something Budgie I can't remember but he had a buggie hanging from his crouch, they were well done.