The inaugural Outback Down Under Tour to Lightning Ridge was declared an unqualified success after seven brave souls put themselves into the hands of Bellingen’s Opal Mining Jeweller, Mac.
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Mac, owner of Mac’s Opals, and a band of merry adventures travelled eight hours west and 70 feet down to observe the opal industry firsthand.
“We were given an education in the sandstone and clay layers where the opal is found,” one attendee said.
“Unbelievable how much dirt has to be moved … seven truckloads of the stuff.
“Then dirt, which had been washed for a week, was now being ‘tailed out’ to see how much colour there was in the mine if we I told how much, well it’s a secret!”
Bellingen’s local ex-chemist and SES Barbara Moore also made the trek outback to see first hand what the fuss was all about.
“Very educational and interesting,” she said.
Another tour goer was Jan who said she, “loved the artesian bore baths” and everyone coped with the shearer’s quarters, “comfortable beds”.
Sue said she “loved the camp cooking - home made vegetable soup and lamb curry to the homemade biscuits and slices”.
For Mac’s part he said “a special commendation must be given to 90-year-old Jim and 80-year-old Rhonda”.
Rhonda made the remarkable journey with a prosthesis, having had her leg amputated below the knee.
“And pecial thanks also to Leanne, Julian the Greengrocer, Hearthfire and Louie the Butcher for their great input and local produce, not forgetting Ian for all the marvelous bread slicing,” Mac added.
“The tour covered opal in the ground, opal in the rough and opal in the shop.”
Mac’s next tour is scheduled for the end of July. It will also include cutting and polishing.