Rookie Opal Hunters Daniel Becker and Justin Lang leave their families behind, risking it all to chase an opal fortune. Lucky enough to stake a claim on a legendary site known as Shell Patch Reserve, will their luck continue or come to a costly end?
Rookies Justin and Daniel tread a dangerous path underground in Coober Pedy, while father-and-daughter mining team Kelly and Al race to stake a claim in Lightning Ridge in an attempt to turn their fortunes around.
Pete and Mick's mining operation grinds to a sudden halt, while Col's Crew heads underground. The Rookies are in despair until mentor John Dunstan steps in with a last-minute lifeline.
Daniel returns to Coober Pedy a new Dad, determined to find more white opal. Col raises the stakes, forking out thousands on an ancient and dangerous exploration rig, while the Opal Queen and her Dad battle the clock, the weather and a deadly cactus.
It's brother vs. brother as Peter and Mick Cooke go head-to-head in an epic scrapheap challenge to build a monster opal-hunting machine. Meanwhile, the Rookies are forced to start hunting at night.
Desperate to move more rock, the Rookies get a lesson in the dangerous art of bomb-making. Al and Kelly's lease is up. while Col returns to action after a health scare.
With the end of the season fast approaching, the Rookies risk cave-ins at their abandoned mine claim; deep underground, Bomb King George is trapped in the blast zone.
The mining season is almost over. To reach their target, Col's crew takes one last gamble by opal spotting from the air. The Cookes make one final attempt to save their opal machine and the Rookies get lucky.
A new season opal hunting begins! The Rookies face potential disaster from the get go; for Col's Crew, their mining quest is derailed by a serious illness, and the Opal Queen brings in new muscle and new machines for an underground opal hunt.
Rookie Justin has cracks in his equipment and his relationships. Col's Crew are a man down and on their last drum of fuel. The Fire Crew are on a wild goose chase hunting a bounty of fabled fire opal.
For the rookies, there's tension as a new partner leads them on a wild-goose chase underground. Plus, the Cooke brothers' season is off to a bad and dangerous start.
Rookie Justin gambles thousands of dollars on buying his way out of trouble. Opal queen Kelly needs a big find underground or risks going broke. Aaron and Greg's Dragonfly claim might finally pay off.
The Rookies battle their biggest claim yet, and each other; Col's Crew must bring out the old machines to hunt a new opal seam; and it's heating up as the Fire Crew race a fuel leak, chasing legendary red fire opal.
It's last chance for The Rookies' partnership. Col's crew are on a crash course as his reoccurring illness slows them down. The Cooke Brothers fight busted hoses and breakdowns in the quest to strike it rich.
Justin ropes in a stranger in a mad dash to get his excavator across a busy highway. Opal Queen Kelly battles a new claim with a new partner. With Col struck down with illness, Aaron and Greg must push on without him.
Justin recruits fiancee Becky to save him from financial ruin. The Fire Crew face deadly reptiles and a snapped suspension in search of blue fire opal. The Cooke Brothers go 21 metres under.
The Rookies battle busted hoses and finally hit treasure, while Boulder Boys Aaron and Greg bring in an old monster about to self-destruct. At their wash plant, The Cooke Brothers race to beat the worst drought in a decade.
The Rookies, Justin and Becky, risk their lives underground, desperate for a find. Meanwhile opal-hunting legend Col Duff is back, hunting long-forgotten treasure.
The Fire Crew's season rests on a knife-edge as they battle their way back from a disastrous setback. The Opal Queen battles rock-hard walls alone, desperate to find opal.
Rookie Justin tackles a deal that could make or break him. The Boulder Boys race to save their claim from a monsoon flood, while the Cooke Brothers finally hit pay dirt.
It's the end of the mining season and the last chance for the teams. The Rookies gamble their hopes on one last haul of opal, and the Opal Queen makes a final desperate dig.
New team The Bushmen clash with opal thieves raiding one of their mines. The Cookes hack an old digging machine, while the Fire Crew hunt for a new deposit of rare black opal.
Bushmen Rod and Les risk their lives re-opening a long-abandoned mine. New team the Young Guns goes deep underground for the first time, hunting pineapple opal.
Rookie team the Young Guns have a life-threatening moment hunting legendary pineapple opal. The Cooke Bros scramble to hunt on another miner's claim for a share of the find.
New mining team The Tunnel Rats blasts its way to a fortune and solo prospector Col Duff gets stranded deep in the Queensland outback. Rookie Sam runs out of air underground.
Old partners Aaron Grotjahn and Col Duff reunite on a prospecting mission. Meanwhile, the Tunnel Rats race to protect their claim as rival miners close in.
The Bushmen risk their lives in the fight to get their one-tonne digger down a twenty-metre deep mine shaft. New alliances are forged as the Boulder Boys hit pay dirt and the Young Guns gamble everything on a camp and lease of their own.
The Bushmen dodge rockfalls in a potentially deadly new mine. The Fire Crew closes in on a new deposit of precious black opal, while the Boulder Boys struggle to drain their opal pit.
In Sheepyards, the Bushmen are desperate for a breakthrough after a run of bad luck. In White Cliffs, the Young Guns are under financial strain and fall out over their new mine.
In Mintabie, South Australia, The Tunnel Rats are under extra pressure as rival miners close in on their claim. In Sheepyards, NSW, The Bushmen must brave an abandoned mine to remove a dead animal. Meanwhile, rookie prospectors The Poms seek a prize opal to kickstart their mining career.
The Bushmen confront a miner who has illegally dug their claim. The Young Guns must find a new source of opal when poisonous fumes force them to abandon their mine.
The Tunnel Rats face an unexploded bomb and deadly gasses. The Bros must wrestle their equipment into a new mine, while The Poms go underground for the very first time.
Boulder Boys Aaron and Ron almost lose their $60,000 excavator. The McFarlanes race a storm in Lightning Ridge, and The Tunnel Rats family ties are torn apart.
The Bushmen gamble on a dangerous mining method deep below ground. An injury causes The Bros a serious setback, and The Poms struggle to find their first piece of opal.
In White Cliffs, NSW, The Young Guns' claim is ravaged by a vast outback dust storm. Meanwhile The Boulder Boys, who are within reach of their $100,000 season target, chase old leads that could see them strike it rich.
A violent summer storm sees The Young Guns race to save their only claim from a flood. Former trucker Chris Cheal arrives in Lightning Ridge, desperate to make a fortune after drought ruined his trucking business.
Tunnel Rats Bayden Pearse and Leese Grobe get the lifeline they desperately need. Meanwhile, Pete Cooke and Sam Westra are on the last dig of their season, and 20-year-old Sam must decide whether to quit opal mining for good.
After an injury to one of their members, the Young Guns face a tough decision on how to continue mining. Meanwhile, the Cheals break through to a long-lost underground mine.
The Bushmen combat opal thieves on land and in the skies. Plus, Lightning Ridge's Gavan McFarlane puts his son to work and the Boulder Boys dig their way out of trouble.
The Bushmen stay up late to drive out poachers from their mine. Col Duff reunites with Greg Geran in one last push to find opal before the summer heat gets too much.
The Young Guns risk it all to find rare pineapple opal. Meanwhile, the Boulder Boys take on deadly ground and the Bushmen face a race to the hospital.
In outback NSW, the worst storm in 20 years devastates the Bushmen's and Chris Cheal's mine, while in Coober Pedy, a new team the Blacklighters need opal to re-establish.
Pete and Sam start a risky project that could set them up for opal riches. Plus, Aaron has to mine his way out of debt after borrowing money to buy his late dad's house.
The Young Guns spend all of their savings on a hydraulic digger that causes more problems than it solves. Plus, the Blacklighters are dealt a dose of reality!
The Boulder Boys drain floodwater in pursuit of a suspected opal level. Rod Manning is under pressure after using his wife's favourite opal ring as collateral.
The Blacklighters must relocate Opalzilla after their claim runs dry of opal. And, the Cheals hope to hit the jackpot in a bizarre structure, the Z-fault.
The Bushmen's new claim turns dangerous, forcing Rod and Les to choose between riches and safety. Plus, the Young Guns demolish their old mine.
Chris Cheal's dream of two mining teams struggles to launch. Meanwhile, the Blacklighters gamble on a new claim to break a month-long opal drought.
Hard ground at the Bushmen's claim causes damage to their digger. And, Pete and Sam hunt for better opal dirt as their "mega wash-plant" shows promise.
The Cheals plan to extract opal hits a wall. The blacklighters continue their search for surface opal to pay for their $15,000 Opalzilla.
Tensions escalate for new team the Opal Whisperers and an incident for the tunnel rats causes one member to down tools and take a crash course in opal cutting.
Dangerous storm damage at Rods Camp requires an urgent recovery operation. A hazardous build up of dirt in the Tunnel Rats mine brings them to a halt.
The Young Guns tackle their new mine with the lack of air causing a headache. Pete and Sam have one last chance to find opal to keep their operation alive.
Desperate for a payday The Cheals race against the storm. New team The Geran Gang protect their field from unwelcome visitors.
The Bishop runs out of luck in his open-cut claim and resorts to explosives. The Young guns battle to get their new mine running. Pressure mounts for the Blacklighters as they handle mechanical failures.
The Geran gang are running out of time and push their gear to the limit. In Queensland storms threaten to scuttle efforts to find opal and a mystery illness strikes Les.
The Cheals rush the installation of a new wash plant after a breakdown halves their opal production; the Blacklighters test a new team member.
The end of the season nears causing The Bishop to take a leap of faith. The bushmen seek out opal to fulfil their contract with their partners. In Queensland the Geran gang receive chilling news that changes everything.
Extreme temperatures force the Blacklighters to attempt potentially dangerous mining at night. Disaster strikes the Young Guns when thousands of dollars worth of opal goes missing.
It’s the last week of the season and difficult conditions force The Bushmen to enlist a rookie miner. The Cheals suffer setbacks above and below ground.
The Young Guns' season is threatened when JC is injured at a steer riding competition. The Bushmen finally strike opal while digging on the boundary of their claim;. The Cheal's struggle to get to their claim.
The Blacklighters break their excavator while trying to break fresh ground; the Young Guns enter a dangerous mine in an attempt to find pineapple opal; the Opal Whisperers work their own claim for the first time to hunt for cathedral opal.
Rory and Oscar are forced to operate their dad's 20-tonne drill rig for the first time. The Tarantos are struck down by sickness as they struggle to find Opals on their massive claim, and the Bushmen build a dangerous mine roof.
The Tunnel Rats risk their lives to get a massive digger under the ground, hoping it will pay off. Meanwhile, the Blacklighters are amazed to unearth the largest piece of opal they have ever found.
The Tarantos' excavator grinds to a halt at the bottom of their mine. The Cheals also face machinery failure as Rory busts their digger underground. The Bushmen's roof is on the edge of collapse.
The Misfits give it all they've got to prove their worth in the mine fields of South Australia. The Bishop loses his prized claim to competitors while the Tunnel Rats risk electrocution while operating their digger.
Joe and Tash fossick on the surface with hand tools after the Tarantos fails to bring up any color; the Opal Whisperers try constructing a noodler from scrap material while the Misfits narrowly avoid a collapse.
Machinery woes cause the Cheals to end their opal dreams and consider splitting ways. The Blacklighters move to a new site while Jaymin and JC work alone in claustrophobic tunnels.
The Bushmen's new rookie rushes into a deadly no-go zone while the Cheals attempt to revive their season; the Mooka Boys try a new technique to expose opal in colorless rock.
A bomb expert comes in to blast impenetrable rock for the Bishop; the Cheals race to move a rock-extracting blower before heat damages their machine and the Misfits battle avalanches and dust storms.
Handwritten clues left by Leif's late father help the Mooka Boys hunt for an abandoned mine; the Blacklighters battle choking dust on their dry claim and the Tarantos make emergency repairs on their machine.
Greg explores the hidden tunnels on his massive claim searching for white opal. The Tarantos' excavator springs a leak and the Blacklighters look for a new house.
The Bushmen gamble the last of their cash on their first ever drill rig; the Cheals, desperate for a big opal find, face off against turbulent weather; the Mooka boys hunt for treasure in a scorpion-riddled mine.
The Young Guns face dangerous roads and impenetrable mine walls and faulty electronics spark a fire in the Opal Whisperers' HQ. The Blacklighters risk losing their plan as their generator dies.
The Bushmen find a hidden shaft by falling into it and the Blacklighters brand-new investment is dead in the water; a busted jackhammer forces JC and the Young Guns to make emergency repairs halfway down the mine shaft.
The Bushmen are dismayed after taking over their new recruit's mine and finding it is both treacherous and light on opal; the Bishop turns to explosive means to move a wall; the Misfits work underground for the first time.
Scott and the Bishop cause an avalanche while trying to secure a wall. The Mooka Boys' bobcat suffers a critical failure and the Blacklighters dig into a rich and dangerous abandoned mine.
The Young Guns' hopes of breaking their drought get shattered after they accidentally smash a valuable gemstone; the Bishop loses Scotty underground; the Tarantos' hopes of exposing a rare opal pocket fall in jeopardy.
The Misfits prove their worth to Opal Joe with an ancient bulldozer on their last dig; the Opal Whisperers suffer from infighting; the Cheals race against the clock and seasonal storms to rescue their mission.
A massive lightning storm forces the Young Guns to work on a series of flooded dirt roads; the Bushmen risk it all in a dangerous area vandalized by opal thieves; the Blacklighters take their chances with night mining.
Brand new team Digi Diggers bring brand new technology to the opal fields; Josiah and Lisa soon find themselves at breaking point. The Bushmen bring in an explosives expert to blast through the toughest rock in Grawin; plus, a brand new team brings cutting edge technology to the opal fields.
The Cheals take on their most dangerous dig ever. The Bushmen trial a rookie miner, Ben, to operate their drill to find new opal bearing ground, but he falls short at the first challenge.
The Opal Whisperers work underground together for the first time on a claim where million-dollar opal Angel of Yowah was discovered decades earlier. The Mooka Boys are forced to work Leif's late father's abandoned mine.
The Digi Diggers, Josiah and Lisa, need to explore new ground after mining opal too brittle to sell; they discover their entire claim is at risk of being flooded. The Digi Diggers need to explore new ground after mining opal too brittle to sell. The Bushmen discover their new claim has been dug out by opal thieves.
The Opal Whisperers are forced to leave behind a rich opal seam in a mine on the verge of collapse; the Cheals are cut off from their mine by crippling floods.
Gale-force winds threaten the Digi Diggers' dreams of an eco-mine; the Bushmen discover dangerous old workings while clearing out their new mine; Angel and Joe's search to join the Misfits threatens to tear the team apart.
The Mooka Boys may lose a potential investor due to their little mining progress, and disaster strikes for the Opal Whisperers when Sofia's hoist fails.
The Blacklighters discover opalised sea creatures in an ancient seabed; the Cheals close in on their biggest opal haul ever, but all is not as it seems.
Mooka Boys brothers Matt and Cozza topple their excavator while attempting to reach a new mine on a treacherous opal field; the Blacklighters are almost buried alive while mining opal in unstable tunnels.
A busted dirt hauling bogger bucket threatens the Cheals' ambitions for mammoth back-to-back opal hauls; the Opal Whisperers partnership with veteran miner Uwe ends abruptly; Angel attempts her first opal sale at the Lightning Ridge Opal Festival.
The broke Bushmen are forced to trade opal to get a shaft drilled on a new claim; the Mooka Boys attempt to revive a dump truck and their opal processing plant with disastrous results; the Digi Diggers get lost exploring a terrifying abandoned mine.
The Digi Diggers get their solar plant installed, but the power hungry mine triggers a total system shutdown; Lisa jeopardizes a sale with a bespoke jeweler designer; Rod goes toe to toe with ratters who stole opal and equipment from their mine.
A vicious storm threatens to end the Misfits' season early; Issy attempts a new black-lighting technique to impress Opal Joe; the Digi Diggers mine is flooded, forcing the pair to scour the Outback for a new claim.
The Blacklighters must work a new claim using an ancient opal processing plant. The Misfits discover they're losing precious opal, so they attempt a night dig.
The Bushmen’s home-made hoist and bucket fails and Rod is forced to down tools with busted ribs. Sofia and Isaac, from The Opal Whisperers, get trapped at the bottom of their open cut mine in sweltering temperatures.
Isaac from the Opal Whisperers works an abandoned, dangerous mine, and partners up with a veteran Yowah miner. The Mooka Boys are confronted by an irate miner as they peg a claim too close to his mine
The Bushmen’s drill rig loses a vital pin, forcing 74-year old Les to undertake emergency repairs four metres in the air. The Digi Diggers flooded mine wall collapses as Josiah and Lisa attempt a new method of extracting Yowah nuts.
The Bushmen struggle to locate the source of water flooding their mine. The Misfits are forced to work Issy’s mine Honey Hole as they wait for bulldozer repairs. The Blacklighters are forced to help a fellow miner on a dangerous night dig.
The Bushmen bring in a master opal cutter, hoping to transform rough stones into a $100,000 haul. Sofia and Isaac from the Opal Whisperers are threatened by a mine roof collapse as they struggle to extract opal from crumbling walls.
Sweltering temperatures and a waterlogged mine threaten to unravel The Digi Diggers' season-long dream. The Cheals' starter motor fails on their wash plant as they race to process the last opal dirt for the season.
The Bushmen put their lives on the line in the most dangerous mine they have ever worked. Plus, the Cheal's first dig of the season is brought to a grinding halt.
The Bushmen are forced back into their deadly mine.
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...
Mark gets back on the heavy machinery that nearly killed him.
The Mooka Boys face the new season without Chief mechanic Leif Tanzer. Opal thieves have ransacked The Bushmen’s claim.
When the excavator breaks down, Mark comes up with a solution that ends up costing a small fortune. Lee and Roger's old dry rumbler refuses to start.
A road trip to Diggers Gully pays off for the Opal Lovers. Taking a gamble on their Turners Rush claim doesn’t seem to be paying off for the Cheals.
Slim Pickings are suddenly a man down when Lee shocks Roger with an unexpected injury. The Misfits divide and conquer at their Lunatic Claim.
The Bushmen's bad luck continues when Rod and Les near-destroy Sam's hoist while helping set up her new claim.
The Misfits receive a tongue lashing from 'Opal' Joe Kalmar for not producing enough opal. The Cheals' giant prospecting drill is crippled by mud.
The Bushmen are greeted by a fierce creature in their underground mine. The Opal Lovers enlist the help of some friendly backpackers.
The Mooka Boys are at the end of their tether. Sam Mehan calls in some tech gurus to map out the treacherous parts of their underground mine with the help of “Spot” the robot dog. The Opal Whisperers return to Queensland to search for the ‘Yowah Nut’.
The Bushmen have grand plans to drill a new shaft to connect some old underground drives. Slim Pickings' entire operation is shut down when their 60-year-old tractor breaks down. The Cheals must head underground to reach their enormous $500k target.
The Mooka Boys make a discovery that could turn their fortunes around. The Cheals face constant machinery failures. After collapsing the decades old underground mine on their claim, The Opal Whisperers search for Yowah Nuts in the scorching heat.
Slim Pickings' Lee Hobden and Roger Williams look for clues to the whereabouts of buried treasure in the machinery discarded by the old-time miners. The Bushmen have decided to move to a promising new claim they've christened ‘Froggies’.
The Bushmen accidentally unleash a potentially fatal threat to the team. Slim Pickings consult a historian who helps them search for another source of old timers paydirt. Matt and Cozza reach out to former Mooka Boy Dale Groben to lift the team's spirits.
The Cheals are finally getting their second agitator up and running. The Blacklighters find impressive shell fossils in the face of their open cut mine. The Opal Whisperers are bringing in Kelly's partner Dan to help them break ground fast.
The Misfits return to their claim and find it's been soaked by torrential rain. The Opal Lovers dig an intimidatingly deep trench on their Digger's Gully claim. The Bushmen are down on their luck once again, with Jake absent from work with a broken jaw.
The Opal Whisperers are on a mission to unearth something worthwhile from their newly excavated 9-meter-deep trench. Aging machinery slows The Bushmen down. The Cheals are finally doubling the output from their Turner's Rush claim.
The Opal Lovers excavate old drives in search of red crystal opal. Mechanical problems are once again giving the Mooka Boys a headache. Slim Pickings strike a deal with a local mining family to process the waste dirt on their claim.
The Blacklighters are pushing for a big pay day. With weather threatening their operation, the Misfits have to get crafty with their setup. The Opal Whisperers are feeling the pressure after Isaac is invited to be a star guest of the London Gem Show.
The Blacklighters have just one week left to strike opal before the blistering summer heat shuts them down. The Bushmen scramble to beat mechanical failures and rising temperatures. The Mooka Boys are reunited with their chief mechanic Leif Tanzer.
The Misfits are left to fend for themselves as mentor and financier ‘Opal’ Joe Kalmar's health takes a turn for the worse. The Bushmen are desperate to beat the 45-degree heat and salvage what's left of their season.
