(PRESS RELEASE) The Australian Opal Centre (AOC) has announced the return of its Australian Opal Tour in September 2026 – a nine-day journey covering more than 3,800 kilometres (2,380 miles) and touching down at four of Australia’s principal opal-producing localities.
Departing Sydney on 22 September 2026, the tour links Lightning Ridge (NSW), Winton (QLD), Coober Pedy (SA) and, newly added for 2026, Andamooka (SA). Separated by thousands of kilometres, these fields can only be experienced within nine days by charter aircraft – allowing extended time on the ground and rare aerial views of Australia’s opal country.
The inclusion of Andamooka expands the South Australian component of the program and reflects renewed interest in this historically significant opal field.
Designed for collectors, gemmologists, jewellers, and others drawn to the natural and cultural heritage of Australia’s opal fields, the tour will take participants into active mining communities to meet miners, cutters and traders, see opal at its source, and gain insights into the geological and cultural forces that shape each place.
“This tour is about understanding Australian opal in its context,” said Jenni Brammall, Head of Collections, Programs & Research at the Australian Opal Centre. “When you are on the fields, seeing opal fresh out of the ground and speaking with miners, cutters, scientists and traders with decades of experience, you gain insights that are impossible to obtain from a finished stone alone.”
Participants will visit working mine areas, handle rough and finished stones, and learn first-hand about opal extraction, cutting, science, culture and trade. The itinerary also incorporates access to the Australian Opal Centre’s internationally recognised collection of opalised fossils, along with experiences such as night fossicking.
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The previous tour attracted participants from Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, reflecting international interest in Australian opal provenance and field-based knowledge.
The Australian Opal Centre is a not-for-profit scientific and cultural organisation based in Lightning Ridge, dedicated to research, education and the preservation of Australian opal, opalised fossils and the history and culture of Australia’s opal fields. The tour forms part of its broader educational and industry outreach activities.
Further information about the 2026 Australian Opal Tour is available at: www.australianopalcentre.com/opaltour
