Lightning Ridge Public Fossicking (Noodling) Heaps

In the black-opal capital of outback New South Wales, a large public noodling heap sits beside the Lightning Ridge visitor information centre, piled with mullock that local miners tip out for anyone to sift by hand. It's free and open to all, a genuine chance to turn up a flash of colour missed out on the fields, and an easy introduction to fossicking for opal. Note that the working mullock dumps out at the Grawin fields are private and off-limits; the town heaps are the place to noodle.