Dude that made me so anxious for you. Here I sit watching a video of you crawling around an old mine who’s roofs are falling in praying you come back out safe. Thank God above you did. Sometimes the rewards just don’t outweigh the risks. Be careful bud, I’d much rather see you staying alive and making more videos.
I found a cluster of clam shell opal near there that made me a fortune over the years, selling cut stones set in gold. It was about 60 kilos and i could barely wrestle it out of the cramped hole i dug it out of lol had to drag it back out and jump through all the hoops to get it back to the states. Well worth it. Beware of thieves and saboteurs out there. Stay safe.
@@BrianM-44041 wow, what a dream, many search for decades ‘ahem, shuffles awkwardly’ and never see such an astonishing find. We will just have to keep looking! Thanks for sharing and for watching mate, it’s nice to hear stories like this!
@@Opaldigger I would wager there is plenty more out in the ground it's just a matter of digging til you stumble across it. Fossil opal fascinates me and I've found shells, bone, and wood opalised in various places. Australia is a trove of treasures including gold, but the climate and local fauna is very unforgiving. That and some people are unscrupulous no matter where you go. I've known miners to be down in their mine shafts and have their vehicles and such stolen before they came back up, along with whatever they had mined prior. One even had his cables cut and the shaft sealed behind him! Working the jewelry circuit we met a lady who claimed to be the biggest opal seller of all time, named Bianca, who later turned out to be an opal thief that had screwed over more than a few miners and skipped town to America. I had the pleasure of meeting one of those miners when he travelled to Florida with the authorities to arrest her lol Lucky for us my father became friends with a gentleman named Paul downing, a famous opal miner and cutter, and he educated us on how to avoid such things. Two to 3 miners, working in shifts, well armed and equipped in two vehicles on every dig. Unfortunately, he had very few tips on avoiding the spiders! It seems like everything in Australia wants to kill you. It reminds me of the old West in the US. 😆 We visited coober pedy, andamooka, lightning ridge, mintabie, and a few other places and found some outstanding opals. Sadly he passed in 99 and I haven't been back since. I got to visit between the ages of 17 and 28 on multiple occasions when I was in the shape to do that kind of thing. The memories are as precious if not more than the stones. Keep at it , you'll find the that pile of fire.
Going through old tunnels is absolutely awesome, I reckon it was southern cross and we went down some old tunnels and some of the thinner seam they left and itcut amazing and would make great doublets. Thanks for sharing!
Haha yep, we used to be restricted by 240 v leads for the black lights, now you can just keep going until there’s some opal. (Energy permitting) lol. Not a problem for young guns like yourself. I love Southern Cross, only had a few finds there but what I found was mind boggling!
Thanks as always for watching mate! Yeah it was very promising, but the absence of footage is often an indication of disappointment. Still, there were some interesting areas that under other circumstances (big machinery) could be on the edge of some productive areas. I guess it’s about the hierarchy of potential, we have several spots far more enticing so hopefully more ‘opaly’ vids to come!
Haha, I know the feeling. I don’t mind doing it occasionally, but I used to do this almost daily for decades for a working wage. No complaints as it is a life of incredible freedom work wise, but we have to amp it up eventually because the knees probably won’t last forever lol.
@Opaldigger absolutely love les and Rod they're my favourite by far. This last season with digital diggers and such are ruining it tho. I enjoy the hunt and success/ failure. I don't want a eco lecture. Good luck buddy all the best to ya.
Dude that made me so anxious for you. Here I sit watching a video of you crawling around an old mine who’s roofs are falling in praying you come back out safe.
Thank God above you did.
Sometimes the rewards just don’t outweigh the risks.
Be careful bud, I’d much rather see you staying alive and making more videos.
Thanks mate, we certainly plan on not getting squashed wherever possible! 😅🙏
Amazing and fantastic clip.
I found a cluster of clam shell opal near there that made me a fortune over the years, selling cut stones set in gold. It was about 60 kilos and i could barely wrestle it out of the cramped hole i dug it out of lol had to drag it back out and jump through all the hoops to get it back to the states. Well worth it. Beware of thieves and saboteurs out there. Stay safe.
@@BrianM-44041 wow, what a dream, many search for decades ‘ahem, shuffles awkwardly’ and never see such an astonishing find. We will just have to keep looking! Thanks for sharing and for watching mate, it’s nice to hear stories like this!
@@Opaldigger I would wager there is plenty more out in the ground it's just a matter of digging til you stumble across it. Fossil opal fascinates me and I've found shells, bone, and wood opalised in various places. Australia is a trove of treasures including gold, but the climate and local fauna is very unforgiving. That and some people are unscrupulous no matter where you go. I've known miners to be down in their mine shafts and have their vehicles and such stolen before they came back up, along with whatever they had mined prior. One even had his cables cut and the shaft sealed behind him! Working the jewelry circuit we met a lady who claimed to be the biggest opal seller of all time, named Bianca, who later turned out to be an opal thief that had screwed over more than a few miners and skipped town to America. I had the pleasure of meeting one of those miners when he travelled to Florida with the authorities to arrest her lol
Lucky for us my father became friends with a gentleman named Paul downing, a famous opal miner and cutter, and he educated us on how to avoid such things. Two to 3 miners, working in shifts, well armed and equipped in two vehicles on every dig. Unfortunately, he had very few tips on avoiding the spiders! It seems like everything in Australia wants to kill you. It reminds me of the old West in the US. 😆 We visited coober pedy, andamooka, lightning ridge, mintabie, and a few other places and found some outstanding opals. Sadly he passed in 99 and I haven't been back since. I got to visit between the ages of 17 and 28 on multiple occasions when I was in the shape to do that kind of thing. The memories are as precious if not more than the stones. Keep at it , you'll find the that pile of fire.
Going through old tunnels is absolutely awesome, I reckon it was southern cross and we went down some old tunnels and some of the thinner seam they left and itcut amazing and would make great doublets. Thanks for sharing!
Haha yep, we used to be restricted by 240 v leads for the black lights, now you can just keep going until there’s some opal. (Energy permitting) lol. Not a problem for young guns like yourself.
I love Southern Cross, only had a few finds there but what I found was mind boggling!
Scarry just watching and thinking about getting stuck underground. My sense of get the heck outta there is overloaded
Reality and from someone with great experience. Loved this clip.
Thanks mate! Much appreciated.
Nice look around a very unstable tunnel, thanks for the trip, love piece of crystal shell you found, pity there wasn’t a kilo more 😂😂😂😂
Thanks as always for watching mate!
Yeah it was very promising, but the absence of footage is often an indication of disappointment. Still, there were some interesting areas that under other circumstances (big machinery) could be on the edge of some productive areas.
I guess it’s about the hierarchy of potential, we have several spots far more enticing so hopefully more ‘opaly’ vids to come!
watching this makes my knees hurt. those flies? I couldn't even...
nice little bits of color. Stay Safe and happy hunting!
Haha, I know the feeling. I don’t mind doing it occasionally, but I used to do this almost daily for decades for a working wage. No complaints as it is a life of incredible freedom work wise, but we have to amp it up eventually because the knees probably won’t last forever lol.
Like old les said. You only have to find one good stone! Hes 74 and not found one yet tho lol. Goos luck and happy hunting.
Haha, gotta love Les, he gives me hope that I could still be scratching around for a while yet!
@Opaldigger absolutely love les and Rod they're my favourite by far. This last season with digital diggers and such are ruining it tho. I enjoy the hunt and success/ failure. I don't want a eco lecture. Good luck buddy all the best to ya.
@@jay71512 I am 100% with you on that one! No school like the old school mate! 😁
Stay safe lads..
Cheers mate! We just crawl around like mice until it looks safe then attack it like a beast haha.
I’d love to buy some of this material do you sell it online ?
Hi! Thanks for watching! Our rough parcels are mostly found at opalauctions.com/stores/graceopal Thanks for looking!
Hey opal miner! Your a George Clooney twin
Haha! I identify as Jack Black.
Sorry brother, i cant even watch you crawling around underground like that.
Ok, thanks for trying though! 😁
i love South Australia. 15 mile is only 900km up the road from my house or just a stones throw away.
Dad dragged us all up there from Saddleworth in the mid 80’s became home immediately.. Love it!
First