Ancient hieroglyphics, Tutankhamen's tomb, Terracotta Soldiers, Australian prime ministers, cartoon  characters and a feast of fairy-tale types  - are we in Egypt, China or Euro Disney? Well the peacock colored glint of light reflecting off a deep, black background from a selection of finely crafted jewellery in the premier gift shops in town and the slight, sulfurous odour from the artesian baths will tell you we're at Lightning Ridge, outback New South Wales.

In typical Aussie charm, the locals will tell you of their exploits here from other lands, Denmark being the origin of underground cave carver and opal miner, Ron Canlin, being one of them. Others will want to sell you their wares, and what fine wares they are - black opal originates here and is a rarity, they say. The characteristic bluish green colour is solid, based in a black, rocky foundation. Unlike the milkier variety you get elsewhere, this opal is a treasure that looks like it came from the ocean, not from the sparsely vegetated sandstone rocky outcrops of an otherwise flat landscape in the central west of New South Wales.

Most folk have come from somewhere else, visiting temporarily, only to fall in love with the laid back lifestyle of the place, gripped by opal fever and the promise of riches the coloured rock offers you. Others, like us, are visitors. We caravanned in during winter and spent a couple of days self-touring this small community, easing into the wonderful heat of the artesian spring-fed community pool and enjoying the banter of the slow, conversant style of the locals who visit it daily. They told us the 'Chambers of the Black Hand' tour was a must, and it was. The incredible artistry of the man, Ron Canlin,  who made all those carvings underground, is a testament to the might of determination, persistence and passion that is still evident in modern man. His huge variety of painted carvings are a delight to the young and young at heart.

Above ground, a short drive takes you to the old tin church, set amongst the ruins and scrub that is the  typical scenery hereabouts. On a clear winter's day with blue skies and no air pollution, I took some great photos - rusty clad walls make stark contrast to the midwinter blue sky, beige sand and sage green weedy outcrops from the crumbling foundations.

At night, the ground mist rose up and the lights of the caravan park glowed like a Halloween lantern, without the scare factor. Someone had put on a casserole to cook in a cast iron pot in the fire pit and the smells reminded me of warmth and mother's cooking back in the 'sixties. A billy tea and some damper with Golden Syrup for dessert in this semi-desert scene topped it off nicely as the quintessential visit to the outback, only 805 kilometers from the Gold Coast. It's a must-see, must-do kind of place.