Outback Opal Hunters

With water running critically low at their only wash dam, the Cheals work double-time to restore a second agitator. Blacklighters, Mark I’Anson and Paul Coon get boxed-in during their monumental mission to clear 9 metres of overburden at their new Servo claim. Amidst a relentless drought threatening to shut down their mining operation, Slim Pickings battle a bung wall breach and opal-smashing ‘shincrackers’.

In the race to meet a colossal rainbow matrix order ahead of the Lightning Ridge Opal Festival, The Misfits are forced to work through the night. After depleting Diggers Gully of opal, Dan and Renee’s hopes of quick and easy cash at their new old timers’ claim are crushed when their massive excavator proves too large for the mine’s narrow entrance.

Drowning in a sea of overburden, The Blacklighters face off against each other... In their ongoing struggle against a near-impenetrable rock cap on their Lunatic claim, The Mooka Boys enlist a powder monkey to crack the cap but then are blindsided... Slim Pickings are forced to relocate their entire washplant in the rush to fulfill a high-stakes order for an international buyer...

The Bushmen risk their lives 12 metres underground... On the eve of the famous Lightning Ridge Opal Festival and outta time, The Misfits battle to treat 150kg of matrix opal... And Rory Cheal returns to the fold, joining Mark in the open cut on their million-dollar hunt...

The Mooka Boys’ hopes of a season-saving pocket of black opal are decimated by a busted starter motor on their dozer ... Blacklighters Mark and Paul are forced to shift 20,000 tonnes of waste dirt to make their treacherous mine face safe ... Oscar sends The Cheals on an important mission to unearth a rare green-orange gemstone for a potential buyer ...

Forced to backfill a deadly section of their Robbie’s Mine, The Bushmen scramble to dig to a newly drilled emergency shaft before they can resume mining. Desperate to recover costs and hot on the trail of elusive colour, The Blacklighters enlist team finance manager, Rachel, to truck loads of dirt from Servo claim to process through Opalzilla in a struggle to maximise findings. As the mercury soars, The Mooka Boys embark on a dangerous mission to crane a vital DIY shelter across the Lunatic Opal Field before they can continue mining in the blistering sun.

Mining on his own and desperate for cash, Dan Measey takes a gamble on new but unproven opal-detecting AI technology which could revolutionise the opal industry... As rising temperatures herald the end of the season, The Misfits must repair a derelict auto bucket tipper to connect two underground drives... Locked in the grip of a relentless drought, Slim Pickings, Lee and Roger lose the race to tailout before their parched dam finally dries up...

With Rod away on urgent Mines Department business, leaving Les in charge, Sam and Ben battle a dangerously steep ramp underground. It’s the last dig of the season and Dan and Renee are fighting ultra hard rock in a hail Mary search for opal at Benito’s... After a season-long battle against an unyielding rock cap, The Mooka Boys are finally ready to start tunnelling toward black opal glory, until their last working machine suffers a catastrophic breakdown.

Closing in on their one-million-dollar season target, the Cheals finally get two agitators up and running doubling opal production but face off against veteran opal dealer Sonja Trifunovic in an attempted one hundred-thousand-dollar sale. The Blacklighters’ team leader Mark I’Anson is severely injured and hospitalised in a mining accident... On their last load of fuel, the Mooka Boys’ season from hell continues as their only working digger overheats and dumps diesel...

Slim Pickings’ ground-breaking mining technique risks dissipating into dust due to a devastating drought, so Lee and Roger spend their last dig of the season attempting to find enough opal to purchase a water saving trommel. The Cheals go into overdrive as they hit a massive pocket of plate sized opal in their open cut mine... The Mooka Boys have one final chance to rescue their worst season ever but brutal Outback temperatures cripple Cozza with severe heat stroke...

As Grawin burns and camps are destroyed in cataclysmic fires, the Bushmen, Rod, Sam and Ben must use their last dig of the season to secure enough opal for Les’ long-awaited retirement. The Blacklighters limp into their final week still without team leader Mark... The Misfits defy Opal Joe’s orders and divide forces until Cody almost meets his demise down a 10-metre mine shaft...

The Bushmen are forced back into their deadly mine.

Blacklighters Mark L'Anson and Paul Coon get boxed-in during their mission.

The Misfits are forced to use untested contraptions to find the rainbow matrix.

Mark's inexperience with the dozer proves too much for Paul.

With the Lightning Ridge Opal Festival a day away, Cody cooks up a miracle.

The Cheals must unearth a rare green-orange gemstone for a potential buyer.

The Mooka Boys crane a vital DIY shelter across the Lunatic Opal Field.

Dan Measey takes a gamble on a new but unproven opal-detecting AI technology.

The Mooka Boys' last working machine suffers a catastrophic breakdown.

The Blacklighters' leader Mark is severely injured in a mining accident.

Brutal Outback temperatures cripple Cozza with severe heat stroke.

A miscalculation costs the Blacklighters thousands of dollars.