Unearthing Opal Experience

For one night, you're not watching miners: you are one. Unearthing Opal Experience puts you on the crew with Dan Measey, star of Discovery's Outback Opal Hunters, for a genuine night dig on freshly opened ground at a real working opal claim in Coober Pedy. This is the real thing, not a museum or staged attraction.

Meet before sunset for an opal briefing, then head out to the claim. Gear up, walk straight into the open-cut mine (no ladders or winches) and learn the tools and safety from miners with two generations of know-how. The site is prepared in advance, so your time is spent digging on the level where the excavator has revealed never-seen-before opal-bearing ground. As the desert cools, swing a pick, wrangle a jack pick, then switch on the UV blacklight and sweep the face to reveal hidden colour.

Choose the core Opal Miner for a Night experience, or step up to The Miner's Cut: a smaller group, extended night mining, a next-morning session at the opal workshop, and a share of any opal found.

Experiences run March to November and suit ages eight and up. Small groups keep the learning direct, and tailored experiences, private tours and accommodation pickup are available on request.