Tourists are flocking to the new tourist attraction in Lightning Ridge where
you can go 11.2 metres underground to explore hand carved images
sculptured out of the sandstone walls and pillars of an old opal
mine. Then tour an old opal mine that was started over 100 years
ago.
Expect to see..
Native animals, Lord of the Rings characters,
biblical entities, and dinosaurs like you have never seen them before.
Carved on the wall of an opal cave, these captivating images have been
created by local opal miner Ron Canlin. Ron has transformed a number of
drives(tunnels) of an old opal mine into an interactive work of art.
Countless carvings are set in sandstone on the walls.
You'll be amazed...
The Egyptian chamber has humorous hieroglyphics and is a replica of
an Egyptian tomb. Atlas holds the world while Adam supports the roof of
the entrance to the working mine — another feature of the tour.
The
Last Supper which took six months to complete and the pondering
Nostradamus, which took five hours to carve, are depicted in
magnificent detail and is testimony to the razor sharp skill and
patience of Ron.
Discover...
It has taken the miner three years to complete the carvings so far
and the evolving process will see even more sculptures and chambers
added to the tour. The mine was converted into a privately
managed tourist attraction which offers guided tours, interactive
display and underground shop.
Admission:
Chambers of the Black Hand is managed by Cheryl and Trevor
Hudson. The tourist attraction is open daily and offers
small-guided tours. Local guides are experienced opal miners and who
are extremely knowledge on the area and can provide insight to the time
and dedication put into creating the sculptures.
Please phone ahead for bookings. A refreshing cuppa is included and you can enjoy hearing a yarn or two from local guides. $20 per person(as of June 2007)
Contact:
Chambers of the Black Hand
Car Door Number 7
Three Mile Road
Lightning Ridge NSW 2834
Phone: 02 6829 4730
