Rookie Opal Hunters Dan and Justin leave their families behind, risking all to chase an opal fortune.
Justin and Dan tread a dangerous path deep underground, chasing a seam of opal in the supporting walls of the mine. The closer they get, the more danger they put themselves in.
Pete and Mick's mining operation grinds to a sudden halt, while Col's Crew head underground.
Crews of fearless opal miners are on a mission to unearth a fortune in some of Australia's harshest and remote landscapes.
Crews of fearless opal miners are on a mission to unearth a fortune in some of Australia's harshest and remote landscapes.
Desperate to move more rock, the Rookies get a lesson in the dangerous art of bomb making.
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 world's toughest treasure hunters push their bodies and bank accounts to the limit on a quest to strike it rich, hunting Opal in the harsh Australian outback.
With partner Dan stuck at home, Justin starts the new mining season alone. He is dealt a huge blow as he discovers their rich underground mine has been pegged by another miner.
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' relationship is on the rocks as they battle their biggest claim yet, as well as each other. With two partners working at different speeds, there's a fight brewing.
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.
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, and Boulder Boys Aaron and Greg bring in an old monster about to self-destruct.
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.
Australia's toughest treasure hunters are back, taking on the extreme hardship of the Australian outback in pursuit of opal riches.
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.
Brand new team Digi Diggers bring brand new technology to the opal fields; Josiah and Lisa soon find themselves at breaking point.
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 legendary claim where the million-dollar opal The Angel of Yowah was found decades earlier.
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 Cheals, Chris, and son's Rory and Oscar are cut off from their mine by crippling floods. Oscar bogs their truck in treacherous mud attempting to reach the claim.
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.
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...
