Lightning Ridge

One of my big goals on this trip was to get to Lightning Ridge and yesterday I made it! The road in is long and flat and it felt much like setting a course at sea and watching the horizon for hours on end. Ocassionally something would pop up along the way to jolt my brain back in to gear... like this mail box ready for Christmas, or a painting on the side of the CWA building...


Lightning Ridge is much like other mining towns. It hides it secrets well beneath the ground. The people too are gems in the rough and I find them facinating. Today I went on a tour of the area with a bearded driver called Peter who, in addition to driving tourists round the bend, is a saddler, songwriter and sometimes a movie extra.

He told tall tales about the town as we past each corner - about wealth and hitting it rich. About characters and murders, multiculturalism and non-political correctness. We stopped at an open cut mine and met the miner, Brian, who was himself a bit player in several movies. Then we explored a mine and toured a castle folly. There are so many stories to retell!

I tried my hand at fossicking today with extreme limited luck, but yesterday met my neighbour at the caravan park who is a miner and showed me some of his stones... he even gave me a few trinkets so I guess I could pretend they were mine! :)

There is SO much to do in LR with kids, I can't begin to sing it's merits. This afternoon I toured an underground mine where the owner has carved the limestone caves for the past ten years... take a look at this one, for starters!


After a drink at the pub with my other neighbours (a couple of nomads from Brissy) I fried up dinner and settled into the evening. It hasn't been as hot as I had imagined... only high 30s, but they are forcasting heavy rain and possible floods tomorrow. I will hit the road to Dubbo early to try and avoid the onslaught.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!