We loved our stay in Lightning Ridge! There are so many family friendly things to do that our weekend visit turned into a week long adventure!
We were also lucky enough to discover awesome family friendly accommodation in Lightning Ridge which made our whole stay even more enjoyable!
Location, Location, Location!
Our first favourite thing was how close to everything the resort is. It’s just a short walk to the Visitor Centre, the historic Cooper’s Cottage and Heritage Centre, the fantastic John Murray art gallery and a huge choice of opal jewellers and shops. There is also a large supermarket within walking distance as well as a post office, cafes and retail shops too.
A short drive will take you to the hot Artesian bore baths or the Olympic pool and water theme park.
To see the mining side of the town Outback Opal Tours will pick you up from right out the front and tell you the history and stories of everything Lightning Ridge – including a visit to Amigos Castle, a walk in mine, Lunatic Hill and much more!
Fossick for your fortune!
At the Visitor Centre just over the road you’ll not only find lovely staff but also a giant fossicking heap where you can search for your own piece of opal. There is a playpark adjaceant where the kids can play if they get tired of digging, and they hold weekly markets there on a Sunday too.
We found ourselves lots of lovely pieces right on our doorstep too – the resort has it’s own fossicking area which was full of sparkling surprises!
Kid Friendly
The park is great for kids – there is a swimming pool, a playpark at the back of the pub beer garden and a family friendly lounge in part of the pub (the chocolate machine was a massive hit!)
Pet Friendly
Dogs are welcome at the resort – and just over the road there is a massive dog off leash area to enjoy as well!
The Pub!
The resort has a brilliant pub at the main entrance – the staff are friendly and they always have lots happening. You can get bar food during the day or treat yourself to breakfast, lunch or dinner at the restaurant on site too. There’s a massive beer garden with a kids’ playpark area too.
We enjoyed the free pool and jukebox on Friday night as well as the raffles and Miner’s Hat draw (no wins though!)
If you fancy a few quiet drinks around the BBQ there is also a bottle shop on site too with great deals.
Accommodation Options
We stayed in a powered site for 4 nights – the sites were giant and were also drive through which we love! The amenities were close and clean – and they were doing a great stay 4 pay 3 deal so always check for any specials going. We also stayed 2 nights in one of their recently refurbished motel rooms (a treat for hubby’s birthday!) and the rooms were clean, comfy and had everything we needed for a bit of luxury. There are also family friendly cabins available too so there are options to suit all types of traveller.
If you are heading over to find your fortune, learn about the colourful mining history of the town or simply to kick back in the artesian pools and enjoy the magnificent sunsets on offer, then look no further than the Outback Resort and Caravan Park for your family and pet friendly accommodation in Lightning Ridge!
Watch our video for all our favourite bits
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