WHITE CLIFFS, AUSTRALIA

In the expansive opal field found in the remote outback town of White Cliffs, NSW, mine shafts are dotted across the landscape. The town, which is a 12-hour drive north-west of Sydney, is home to Australia’s oldest commercial opal field. Intensive opal mining began in 1889, and while most of the work in the field was done in the first 20 years, mining continues today.

White Cliffs is the only place in the world where you can find pineapple opals, a gemstone shaped like the top of the fruit from which it gets its name. These rare finds can fetch up to $US543,000 in the premier US market. White Cliffs also happens to be one of just a few places in the world where you can find white opals, which have a light, milky appearance.

During a visit to the town, you can embark on a mine tour and try your luck at discovering your own piece of opal within the mine face.

You won’t find many buildings in White Cliffs – mining equipment was used to dig homes in the hills, allowing many of the town’s 100 or so residents to live underground to escape the scorching heat in summer. The town’s motel below the ground, aptly named the White Cliffs Underground Motel, is a popular tourist destination.

However, the best place to experience the town is from the air, where you can see the strange dotted landscape – something not recommended for anyone with trypophobia (an aversion to the sight of closely packed holes), due to the estimated 50,000 disused diggings.