Lightning Ridge
Event description
with Port Bus
7 Days / 6 Nights
Sunday 11th to Sunday 18th September 2022
Day 1. Sunday 11th : Home - Hollydene Estate - Dubbo Lunch & Dinner
This morning we pick you up from home and begin our drive across to Dubbo via The Hunter Valley. After a morning tea and comfort stop overlooking the river at Memorial Park, Karuah we arrive in the Upper Hunter at the magnificent Vines Restaurant at Hollydene Estate for lunch and tastings of their delicious wine. Following lunch, our journey continues across through Dunedoo and into Dubbo for check in to our accommodation at Cattlemen’s Country Motor Inn. Dinner tonight is in the motel restaurant.
Overnight: Dubbo
Day 2. Monday 12th : Dubbo - Gilgandra Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Our day starts at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, home to over 4,000 animals, and widely recognised as Australia’s greatest open range Zoo. With our own guide on board, we begin our Zoo Safari Tour for a brief insight into over 350 species of animals. After our tour, we have morning tea before boarding our coach and head to Gilgandra visiting the Orana Cactusworld & Gilgandra Museum on our way in. The Milroy Observatory is coming to us at our place of rest in Gilgandra under the open sky with a guided walk through our Milky Way galaxy, our astronomer Donna will take you on a unique journey not only through space but through time itself as you witness the wonders of star birth, globular clusters of stars, even planets. Overnight at the Gilgandra Motel. Dinner tonight is at Gilgandra Services Club
Overnight: Gilgandra
Day 3. Tuesday 13th: Gilgandra - Coonabarabran - Lightning Ridge Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, we continue to the small country township of Coonamble. Our first stop is at the Silo Art for a cuppa and photos. Coonamble is famous for its Nickname Hall of Fame. The ‘Nickname Hall of Fame’ can be seen in and around Castlereagh Street where prominent local characters have been immortalised in caricature and adorn the walls. Visit the Outback Arts Gallery & Museum under The Bridge. We have lunch at Coonamble Bowling Club, then continue up to Lightning Ridge, home of Australia’s National Gemstone the Black Opal and a town known for its rich history and colourful characters. Upon arrival, we check in to our motel before dinner on-site..
Overnight: Lightning Ridge
For more information contact Port Bus Phone: 02 6583 3330
Postal: PO Box 200, Telegraph Point, NSW, 2441
Day 4. Wednesday 14th: Lightning Ridge Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Our Lightning Ridge guide joins us this morning before we head for the fields! Our first visit is to Fred Bodel’s Hut, the oldest miners’ camp still standing in Lightning Ridge and along the way we pass the historic Three Mile Flat, the site of an early miners’ settlement. We continue onto Lunatic Hill Open Cut Mine, which is the largest open cut opal mine in NSW and here learn of historic opal mining techniques and try our luck at opal fossicking ourselves! Travelling back into town we enjoy morning tea, witness an opal cutting demonstration and listen to an informative talk on the famous Black Opal. Filled with new knowledge we head out to Simons Hill Opal fields and Miners’ Camp to get some practical experience. Our next stop is at the weird and wonderful Astronomers’ Monument, a concrete structure of three levels built entirely by hand! The amazing sights around Lightning Ridge continue when we pull up at Amigo’s Castle, built by Vittorio Stefanato, known locally as “Amigo”. Another interesting stop is at Bevan’s Opal Cactus Garden which has the largest variety of cactus in Australia. Lunch is included with our stop at the garden before moving on to the Chambers of the Black Hand, a 100-year-old mine. Here we can take our time to explore the hand-carved sandstone sculptures, walls and pillars of the underground Gallery. After an amazing day, we make our way to our accommodation for a rest and dinner in our motel restaurant.
Overnight: Lightning Ridge
Day 5. Thursday 15th: Grawin - Glengarry Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Our guide joins us again today as we head out to Grawin, Glengarry and the Sheepyard Opal Fields. Our first stop is the Grawin Club in the Scrub for morning tea before travelling through the mining fields viewing working mines and opal mining machinery. Lunch today is from the tucker van at the Glengarry Hilton, a great opportunity to meet some of the eccentric and opal loving locals. After lunch our guide takes us on a tour around town which includes stops at the Sheepyard community War Memorial and Sweeney’s community shop. With everyone back on board our coach it’s back to Lightning Ridge to our accommodation to rest up before dinner.
Overnight: Lightning Ridge
Day 6 Friday 16th: Lightning Ridge - Moree – Glen Innes Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast and checkout, it is goodbye to Lightning Ridge as we begin our journey across to Moree, with a comfort stop @ Collarenebri along the way. We visit the Moree Gold Club for lunch. We then head through to Glen Innes. Next stop New England Wood Turning Centre for a demonstration and lunch. Glen Innes, check in to our motel before enjoying dinner in the motel restaurant.
Overnight: Glen Innes
Day 7 Saturday 12th: Glen Innes - Walcha - Port Macquarie Breakfast & Lunch
Today our first port of call is the Gawura Gallery to paint our own boomerang. Then continue to South Grafton Ex-servicemen’s Club where we indulge in a Chinese Banquet! (Hope you are hungry?) As we head further South, we pop into the National Cartoon Gallery in Coffs Harbour. Arriving back home to Port Macquarie after a wonderful few day in Lightning Ridge with Port Bus.
Exploring the West & the Ridge$1,961 per person Twin Share
$2,295 per person Single
Tour Cost based on minimum 30 pax
The tour prices are valid for travel in 2022. Please note that the itinerary is subject to change without notice.
$200.00 Deposit per person is due within seven days of booking
Final Payment Due by 10th August 2022
For Information & Bookings Contact
Ph: 02 6583 3330