kathndes: in the wet at Lightning Ridge

water view from van door at Lightning Ridge

We left Nindigully Pub after 4 nights at this great campsite. Fed the fish a few prawns and had a few nights around the fire when the weather improved. This is how Des spent the last evening there. I tried to recover from a dreadful sinus infection.

tough for some

Travelled south to Thallon then west to Dirrambandi, south to Hebel and on to Lightning Ridge. There is water lying along the roadside in lots of places. Have had a lot of rain out here. It has been such a contrast in temperature here. 30deg the first couple of days and today it has started to rain. This is an incredible place with so much to see, but now that it is wet, we may have to stay put for a few more days. Haven't had a chance to go fossicking or enjoy the natural spa baths. Last evening we went to one of the local tourist attractions called the Black Queen. It was a theatrical presentation of how the present owners came to buy and live in a house built by a lady who started after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 58 and was told she had two months to live. She sold this property at 84 years of age and is still alive today at 90, living in Sydney. An incredible story and an incredible show. Some pictures below. We will add some more pictures when they get sent to us of the house after dark (lights shining through bottles in the walls). This place has the most remarkable private collection of oil and kerosene burning lamps in the world. Some are one offs and priceless. Some of the crystal ones are amazing. Personal taste I guess.

entry to house in theatre at Lightning Ridge

house showing bottles in walls

some of the lamps on display

these rare coloured lamps can never be produced again

Today we took a bus tour to several interesting places. One of these was called Amigo's Castle, an incredible structure 26yrs in the building and still going. This place has a network of tunnels under it and the old guy can gain access from his living room. Another place was Astronomers monument, a wierd piece of architecture built by an astronomer, all concrete was mixed by hand in a wheelbarrow. It is really worth seeing the incredible landscape around town, caused by all the diggings left in mounds wherever the shafts have been dug. Humpys exist on most of the claims. It is hard to believe people choose to live so primitavely in our country. And then of course, there was the opals. What a beautiful gem, especially once you understand how they come to be. We saw the cutting and polishing. Didn't let our head go and buy any. Will wait till we find one.