The Australian Opal Exhibition will be held on 5-6 August at Southport Sharks in Queensland, bringing together key industry members from across the country for two busy days.
Among them will be long-time exhibitor Outback Opals, which believes it is mining in one of the world's finest boulder opal-producing regions. Located at Vergemont Station, approximately two hours south of Winton, the mining operation is set within the state's rugged and spectacular outback landscape, and Ulrike Kalthaus said her experiences have highlighted the evolving nature of the business.
"We have been test drilling for boulder opal for more than 30 years, including the past five years on Vergemont Station," Kalthaus said.
"As a result of that drilling program, we secured a mining lease and are now seeing some spectacular production."
“We're always looking ahead and continuing both exploring and mining. It takes around a year for a mining lease to be granted, and we are currently applying for a second lease following encouraging drilling results using a nine-inch auger drill."
Drilling is not widely used in the boulder opal industry; however, it has proven highly successful for Outback Opals. Kalthaus said that while it is still a business with its fair share of challenges, she was looking forward to gathering with the broader industry in Queensland.
"This is not an industry for the faint-hearted," Kalthaus said.
"We work in a very remote area, shopping for supplies only every couple of weeks. Heavy rain can leave us isolated for days. We've built a shed to house our camper and equipment, with rainwater collection providing our domestic water supply and water for cutting opal. There are few comforts, and at the end of the day, we may not find any opal at all."
Registrations are open for the 2026 Australian Opal Exhibition. For more information, visit www.austopalexpo.com.au.
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