Lighting Ridge

(and a few free camps)
Banner 2014 to Lighting Ridge
 Flashback:  Free camping at Dickabram Bridge on the Mary River in 2013
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9/10 Sept 2014 - Yarramalong Weir (Camps 7 Qld Site # 644)
Great free camping area on the banks of the Condamine River but use mostlikely should only be used in dry weather.


 Yarramalong Weir
10/11 Sept 2014 - Nindigully Pub (Camps 7 Qld Site # 705)
Lots of work around the Pub to allow free camping since our last visit, however not much work on the almost 150 year old Pub, has occurred!  The pub is full of history with many old photos and relics from days gone by. The beer is cold and they boast at having the world's largest hamburger. 		Nindigully Pub
11/17 Sept 2014 - Lighting Ridge (Opal Caravan Park)
The Opal Caravan Park is one of five in the area and is the best by far!  Only a few year old, well designed with all drive thru sites, good amenities,.laundry and swimming pool.  The caravan park is only 200m from the free artesian bore baths.  Lighting Ridge is a great place to visit to see the opal mining, hard living locals and the local outback art. 

If in Lighting Ridge do the car door tours (Red, Yellow, Blue and Greeen)  first to get a good look at the area.  Pick up the guide from the visitor information centre for $1.  Also do a half day tour with either Black Opal or Outback Opal Tours and get the local info from a local.  The Chambers of the Balck Hand is also a must!

We also visited the three pubs in the bush at the Grawin, Glengarry and Sheepyard Opal Fields to the West of Lighting Ridge.  The Sheepyard Pub with its war memorial, is an interesting visit for veterans.  If you are a veteran -  add your name to the list on the pub inside wall!		 Welcome to Lighting Ridge

 Colleen and the security team
M & M at the start of the red door tour
M & M at the start of the
Red Door Tour		 Hard Living
Lots of hard living
At Lighting Ridge		 Hard Living
Old electronic
Typewriter		 Nettleton's First Shaft
Nettleton's First Shaft

 Lunatic Hill
Lunatic Hill
Signs near Nettleton's First Shaft on the green car door tour
Signs near Nettleton's First
Shaft on the green car
door tour		 Opal mining equipment to get the dirt to the surface on the yellow car door tour
Opal mining equipment to
get the dirt to the surface
on the yellow car door tour		 Lunatic on Lunatic Hill (yellow car door tour)
Another Lunatic
on Lunatic Hill
(yellow car door tour)		 Lots of old vehicles - some still working and others abandon!
Lots of old vehicles - some still working and others abandon!
Someones dream!
Someones
dream!		 Old movie set from the "Goddess of 1967"
Old movie set from the "Goddess of 1967"		 Local artist "John Murray" old van!
Local artist "John Murray"
old van! 		The orginal Post Office - now used as a miner home.
The orginal Post Office
used as a miner home
Our site at the Opal Caravan Park
Our site at the Opal
Caravan Park		 Warning signs near the welcome to the Lighting Ridge
Warning signs near the welcome to Lighting Ridge		 Old timer selling Opals on Lunatic Hill
Old timer selling Opals on Lunatic Hill		 Underground in the Big Opal -113 steps down at spiral staircase
Underground in the Big Opal 113 steps down
Air shaft in the Big Opal
Air shaft in the
Big Opal		 Amigo's Castle
Amigo's Castle
Lighting Ridge		 Sign at Amigo'd Castle
Sign at
Amigo's Castle		 Signs at Amigo'd Castle
More sign at
Amigo's Castle
Astronomers Monument
Lighting Ridge
Astronomers Monument		 Bottle House
Lighting Ridge
Bottle House		 Demo cutting Opal's at the Opal Bin Shop
Demo cutting Opal's at the Opal Bin Shop		 Security detail at rest (Colleen on a tour otherwise the bed would not be used)
Security detail at rest Missy at top centre of photo!
Colleen at Grawin "Club in the Scub"
Colleen at Grawin
"Club in the Scub"		 Sign at the Grawin "Club in the Scub"
Sign at the Grawin
"Club in the Scub"		 Denis at the Glengarry Hilton
Denis at the
Glengarry Hilton		 Golf course at Glengarry Opal Fields
Golf course at Glengarry
Opal Fields
Colleen at the Sheepyard War Memorial
Colleen at the Sheepyard War Memorial		 Sheepyard Pub
Sheepyard Pub
In the Scub		 Denis added his name to the veteran wall in the Sheepyard Pub
Denis added to the veteran wall at Sheepyard Pub		 Colleen and a drop bear at the Sheepyard Pub
Colleen and a drop bear at the Sheepyard Pub
Bra tree at the Sheepyard Pub
Bra tree at the
Sheepyard Pub		 Chambers of the Black Hand
Chambers of the
Black Hand		 Carvings underground in the Chambers of the Black Hand
Carvings
underground		 Carvings underground in the Chambers of the Black Hand
Carvings
underground
Carvings underground in the Chambers of the Black Hand
Carvings
underground		 Denis and Ron Canlin. Ron is the artist that did all the underground curvings
Denis and Ron Canlin. Ron did all the curving		 The way in and out of the mine for Denis
The way in and out of the mine for Denis		 The way in and out of the mine for Colleen (Lift)
Way in and out of the mine for Colleen (Lift)
Warning sign at the mine entrance
Warning sign
at the
mine entrance		 Blood big Emu's out this way! AKA "Stanley"
Blood big Emu's
out this way!
AKA "Stanley"		 The 18m high Emu body parts are made from scrap metal including an old Volkswagen!
The 18m high Emu body parts are made from scrap metal including an old Volkswagen!		 The 18m high Emu head parts are made from scrap metal including an old salellite dishes
The 18m high Emu head parts are made from scrap metal including an old salellite dishes
17/18 Sept 2014 - Swan Brook Rest Area (Camps 7 NSW Site # 254)
Nice spot with no truck parking, located beside Swan Brook. Just off the Gwydir Highway at the half way point between Inverell and Glenn Inness.  Overnight temperture dropped to 2 deg and was the first time we had used the gas heater, away from power.  Worked great!
 Swam Brook
18/19 Sept 2014 - Heifer Creek (Camps 7 Qld Site # 546)
A pleasant spot for a overnight stop or a weekend rest, with drop toilets. The creek has some spots to swim or sit in the running water. Located between Gatton and Warwick.  Another gas heater night!
 Heifer Creek

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