Opalton, a spot on the map situated a million miles from modern life but just 127km south of Winton. Here, the biggest piece of pipe opal ever found was brought to light in 1899. It was more than 3m long and as thick as a man’s thigh. And that set the scene for an area that has entered into folklore and that everyone should visit at least once. Enjoy a bit of your own opal fever with some fossicking or enjoy a stroll along the many walking tracks for some birdwatching and wildlife spotting.

The drive out from Winton takes about one-and-a-half hours on a good but unsealed road through plains, valleys and creeks. You might come across a bit of corrugation occasionally and it’s definitely a fair-weather road, but getting off the bitumen is all part of the adventure.

After opal was discovered in these parts in 1888, a small township sprang up and by the turn of the 20th century, 600 people lived here, lured by the promise of opals to be found. A plaque remembering those days can be found at the old cemetery just over the creek, or take one of the new Historic walking track loops starting at the Bush Park.

The Opalton Bush Park is a great outback headquarters, whether you’re staying just for a day or kicking back for a few weeks. Most people bring their own van, trailer or tent but there are some rustic sheds if you’re up for a unique bush-stay. The showers in the amenities blocks are heated by a donkey and the water is caught from each roof and  stored in tanks, just to remind you that you really are out in the sticks. A pizza oven gets a good workout (people use it for bread and roasts as well as for pizza baking) and there’s even a barbecue plate that can sizzle enough steak and sausages for 50. An unofficial happy hour seems to happen at the end of every day when people converge to talk about everything under the sun, including, of course, the opals they have found.

To do your own fossicking, start by buying a fossicking licence and getting some basic equipment from the park caretaker, who can also provide you with a mud map to show where you can noodle to your heart’s content. Opalton is famous for having three kinds of opals— pipe opal, matrix and fairystone. There’s even a tour in the mornings so you can pick up a few tips.

If you watch Outback Opal Hunters on TV, you will already know that opal mining is still carried out around Opalton. There’s every chance you’ll meet an opal miner, and it might even be one of the characters from that show. They’re a friendly mob out here, so meeting the locals is always fun.

While Opalton is a fair way from civilisation, you’re not totally cut off. A Telstra cell tower services the area with about a 5km diameter coverage around the entire Opalton Bush Park. Although fuel is not available at Opalton, the park caretaker has basics like ice, bread and milk. But you will need to bring cash to make all your purchases.

For the twitchers, even more exciting is the chance to meet some quaint birdlife including three of the rarest grass wrens in Australia. One even bears the name, Opalton grass wren. A dam close by means that sightings of wildlife are common, which adds another dimension to a stay at Opalton.

Back in Winton, perhaps your visit will coincide with one of the opal events held in the main street of town. Traders sell a whole spectrum of opals, from rough parcels and cut stones to finished jewellery items. And if you’re there on July 12 and 13 this year, the main street will come alive as the venue of the Winton Opal Festival . The Queen of Gems Jewellery Design Awards entrants will be on display at the Waltzing Matilda Centre Art Gallery from 6 to 13 July for your viewing pleasure.

Historic Walking Tracks

The latest addition to Opalton is over 7 km of walking tracks. Five separate loops ranging from only 500 metres to 4 km take you to historic sites such as the old township, cemetery, dam, lookout, horse and slaughter yards.  Enjoy the peace and tranquility of walking through the bush and keep your eye out for some opal or a rare bird.  Tracks are well marked and all start at the notice board at the Bush Park.

Directions

To get to Opalton from Winton, take the Jundah Road for 15km then turn left. Travel 120km of unsealed road through the plains, valleys, and channels. Winton to Opalton usually takes about one-and-a-half hours. From Opalton, you can also take a loop drive to the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument at the Lark Quarry Conservation Park. It takes approximately four hours to drive the entire loop, making it perfect for a day drive while you’re headquartered at the Opalton Bush Park.

If you don’t like the idea of driving on unsealed roads and you’re not looking to stay but you do want to have an Opalton experience, a full day fossicking tour is available through Red Dirt Tours.