NSW, Australia: White Cliffs Pineapple Opal Fields

The White Cliffs opal fields, located near Wilcannia in NSW Australia, are known for their rare Australian "Pineapple Opal" and Opalised Shells or fossils which are unique to this region of New South Wales. In the 1970s, an opalised fossil of a 2 meter long, 100 million year old 'plesiosaur' (a carnivorous marine reptile) was found at White Cliffs. White Cliffs is situated around 1,000 km north-west of Sydney.

White Cliffs is an extreme environment, with average daytime temperatures in the 40º Celsius range. As in Coober Pedy, miners live in underground "dugouts" where the temperatures are cooler by about 18º Celsius. Opals were first found at White Cliffs in 1884.

As you can see in the satellite photo above, the lunar-like surface around White Cliffs is pockmarked with literally thousands of man-made gopher-holes, called "Kupa piti," or "white man's hole in the ground" the cover the landscape north of the town.

For additional Information on White Cliffs Australian Pineapple Opal, go to: White Cliffs Opals

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