Opal Mining, White CliffsCredit: Destination NSW
Head to Outback NSW to explore White Cliffs, an opal-mining town with a difference.
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In northwest New South Wales, the small town of White Cliffs has a big history as Australia’s first commercial opal field. Add it to your next outback NSW road-trip itinerary to discover its fascinating mining history, spend a night in an underground hotel, and more.
Staking a claim
The remote outback NSW town of White Cliffs is a 12-hour drive northwest of Sydney, or a 2.5-hour drive from the regional hub of Broken Hill. It was founded in the late 1880s after a couple of stock hands found colourful rocks and sent them off to Adelaide to be analysed. Those sparkling rocks turned out to be opals — the first commercial seam opals to be discovered. As well as flat opal stones, White Cliffs produces the highly sought-after double pseudomorph opals, commonly known as ‘pineapple opals’ because of their distinctive spiky shape.
To get a sense of opal mining, visit Red Earth Opal, the world’s only company mining and dealing in pineapple opals. Take a tour with owner Graeme Dowton, who’ll tell you all about the town’s mining history, demonstrate mining equipment and give you the chance to try it yourself. If you don’t have any luck, you can buy gems from the Red Earth Opal’s shop, which doubles as a gallery and coffee house.
Under the Mining Act of 1992, anyone can fossick on the White Cliffs Reserve and no licence is required; however, many miners have registered claims that should be respected.
Red Earth Opal, White Cliffs Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a guided tour at Red Earth Opal, White Cliffs with Graeme Dowton.
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Red Earth Opal, White Cliffs Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a guided tour at Red Earth Opal, White Cliffs with Graeme Dowton.
Going underground
Today, the White Cliffs landscape is littered with around 50,000 disused diggings, which gives the town its lunar landscape. Many of these ‘dugouts’ have been converted into comfortable homes that provide respite from the high temperatures above ground. The White House, an architecturally designed dugout and the home of a local couple, offers tours each day at 11am and 2pm — look for the sign 150m back from Red Earth Opal.
Red Earth Opal, White Cliffs Credit: Destination NSW
Red Earth Opal is home of the rare double Pseudomorph, commonly known as the White Cliffs opal pineapple.
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Red Earth Opal, White Cliffs Credit: Destination NSW
Red Earth Opal is home of the rare double Pseudomorph, commonly known as the White Cliffs opal pineapple.
Exploring above ground
Although only around 150 people live in White Cliffs today, plenty of heritage relics remain. The original post office is still in use, the old church and butcher shop are still standing, and the former police station has been converted into a private residence. The White Cliffs Hotel has hosted guests since 1893; come for a good pub meal or stay overnight.
White House Dugout Tour, White Cliffs Credit: Destination NSW
Kitchen and living area shown during the underground White House Dugout Tour in White Cliffs.
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White House Dugout Tour, White Cliffs Credit: Destination NSW
Kitchen and living area shown during the underground White House Dugout Tour in White Cliffs.
Staying cool
If you want to live like the locals for a night or two, book in at the White Cliffs Underground Motel. Dug into Poor Man’s Hill — so named due to the lack of opal — the motel opened in 1989 and has gradually expanded to the size of a football field underground, with 30 rooms under the earth and two above.
The hotel’s facilities, including bathrooms, are shared. Within the complex you’ll find a games room, a history and culture centre, an art gallery and shop, a bar, restaurant and café. You can also have a dip in the pool and take in the views of the surrounding landscape, and imagine the inland sea that once existed here.
Opal Mining, White Cliffs Credit: Destination NSW
Head to outback NSW to explore White Cliffs, an opal-mining town with a difference.
#lovensw #newsouthwales
Opal Mining, White Cliffs Credit: Destination NSW
Head to outback NSW to explore White Cliffs, an opal-mining town with a difference.
More Inspirational Stories
Art Gallery of New South Wales, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a visit the the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.
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Come alive with the possibilities as you delve into Sydney’s dynamic arts scene and cultural institutions. Feel moved as you immerse in striking contemporary artworks at public and private galleries, and take in cutting-edge performances and exhibitions across the city.
Be moved by must-see cultural landmarks
Marvel at the ‘sails’ of the Sydney Opera House as you approach this iconic performing arts venue, then join one of several fascinating tours on offer here. Discover the building’s unique history and construction on an Architectural Tour, or go behind the scenes on a Backstage Tour. See a show from an ever-changing program of theatre, dance and music in one of the venue’s many impressive performance spaces, then head to the Opera Bar to take in the front-of-house harbour view as you enjoy seasonal fare and a refreshing drink.
Appreciate the striking art deco façade and waterfront location of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), across the water from the Sydney Opera House at Explore the diversity of Australian modern art as you view highlights of a collection of more than 4,000 works, including a significant body of works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Take time out and digest the wonderful works you’ve just seen as you enjoy panoramic views across Sydney Harbour from the museum’s rooftop café.
Feel far away from the bustle of the city centre as you enter the Domain parklands next to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and make your way to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the leading museum of art in the state. Step back in time to view colonial and 19th-century Australian works and European masters, as well as a dedicated gallery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Then explore Sydney Modern, the AGNSW’s dynamic new addition, to discover site-specific works by leading Australian and international artists.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoy a tour in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoy a tour in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Friends arriving outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in The Rocks, Sydney...Artwork: Moon in a Dew Drop.Artist: Lindy Lee
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Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Friends arriving outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in The Rocks, Sydney...Artwork: Moon in a Dew Drop.Artist: Lindy Lee
Immerse in art in cutting-edge galleries
Lose track of time as you explore a myriad of inner-Sydney art galleries. Delight in a dip into one of the world’s most significant collections of Chinese contemporary art at the White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale, on the fringe of the city centre. Be intrigued by the selection from philanthropist Judith Neilson’s collection of almost 3,000 works created in China since 2000 by around 750 artists, before taking in the tranquil vibe at the gallery’s Teahouse as you snack on handmade dumplings and fine Chinese and Taiwanese tea. (You can also plan ahead and enter the ballot for tickets to cutting-edge performances at Phoenix Central Park, Judith Neilson’s risk-taking cultural centre a short walk from White Rabbit Gallery.)
Lean into the grand scale of Carriageworks, a multi-arts centre housed in expansive former railway workshops in Eveleigh, a five-minute drive or around a 15-minute walk from White Rabbit Gallery. Keep an eye on Carriageworks’ events page for visual arts exhibitions and new performance works.
Take your time exploring the many art galleries dotted around the hip inner-city suburb of Surry Hills. Enter the fascinating world of significant Australian artist Brett Whiteley at Brett Whiteley Studio, tucked away in a side street off Crown Street, one of the main streets running through Surry Hills. Take in the singular atmosphere of the late artist’s former home and workplace, with its unfinished paintings, art equipment, books and graffiti wall of quotes and images, and view one of the changing exhibitions of the artist’s works.
Find yourself challenged and stimulated by the conceptual and design-driven art at independent Surry Hills gallery China Heights, then take the short walk under the train tracks to 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art in Haymarket. Learn about the Asian diaspora in Australia via contemporary art at this fascinating gallery run by the non-profit Asian Australian Artists’ Association Inc.
Thrill to a sense of discovery as you find leading commercial art galleries tucked away in the leafy streets of Paddington in Sydney’s inner east. Roam the side streets of this fashionable suburb to find the likes of Saint Cloche, where gallery director Kitty Clark fosters the city’s emerging artistic talents; Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, one of the most influential commercial art galleries in Australia; and Olsen, founded by Tim Olsen to represent the late John Olsen, one of the country’s greatest painters, and showcase contemporary Australian artists.
White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Women walking through an exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale.
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White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Women walking through an exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale.
Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills
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Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills