Australia's black opal fields lure dreamers and prospectors

Part-time miners flock to desolate but colorful Lightning Ridge in search of riches

Nikkei opal 17. One of the most beautiful black opals from Lightning Ridge is the 180-carat Aurora Australis, on display at Altmann & Cherny re.jpeg

One of the most beautiful black opals from Lightning Ridge is the 180-carat Aurora Australis, on display at the Altmann & Cherny retail store in Sydney. (Courtesy of Altmann & Cherny)

GEOFF HISCOCK, Contributing writer

August 27, 2021 08:00 JST

LIGHTNING RIDGE, Australia -- Hudson pear sounds like something a fancy restaurant might serve on its dessert menu, topped off with a dollop of cream. But in the hot, dry wilds of the Australian Outback, the Hudson pear is a cactus intruder from Mexico, and far from a tasty or benign addition to the landscape.