Outback Opal Hunters follows crews of fearless opal miners on their mission to unearth a fortune in some of Australia's harshest and remote landscapes. The stakes are real as these crews risk it all in their quest to strike it rich. Outback Opal Hunters is a rollercoaster of hope and heartbreak as we delve deep inside the world of opal mining to find out just what it is that has our crews hooked on the hunt.
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.
A rookie miner gets trapped down a mine shaft. A dust storm forces the Blacklights to reluctantly return to the failed Land of Promise money pit.
The Misfits, Angel Dempsey and rookie miner, Cody Polglase, must find an opal king stone for a bespoke pendant order. Oscar and Luca are forced above ground
Slim Pickings' efforts to recycle precious dam water are derailed. The Blacklighters scrounge for any last opal in their Land of Promise Claim.
Sam smashes opal with a jackhammer in the Bushmen's mine. Plus, Rod and Les make a wager that will force the loser to wear one of Sam's pink shirts.
The Cheals' dreams of expanding their Opal Empire are crushed by the reality of juggling two mines. Slim Pickings' Lee gambles on mystery opal dirt.
Chris suffers a spider bite. Slim Pickings' Lee battles dangerous ground on a quad bike. A big mechanical failure halts Dan and Renee's enterprise.
The Blacklighters are hit with a double dose of disaster. The Bushmen are blindsided by a government decision to shut down thousands of opal claims.
In the wake of Government shutdowns, The Bushmen are forced back into their deadly mine. Dan and Renee's impatience could cost them their lives.
With water running critically low at their only wash dam, The Cheals work to restore a second agitator. Slim Pickings battle a bung wall breach.
In the race to meet a rainbow matrix order ahead of the Lightning Ridge Opal Festival, The Misfits bet everything on untested DIY contraptions
Drowning in a sea of overburden, The Blacklighters face off against each other as Mark's inexperience with the dozer proves too much for Paul.
On the eve of the famous Lightning Ridge Opal Festival, The Misfits battle to treat 150kg of matrix opal, forcing Cody to cook up a miracle.
Oscar sends The Cheals on an important mission to unearth a rare green-orange gemstone for a potential buyer. The Mooka Boys get a motor problem.
The Bushmen dig a newly drilled emergency shaft. The Mooka Boys are on a dangerous mission to crane a vital DIY shelter across the Lunatic Opal Field.
Mining on his own and desperate for cash, Dan Measey gambles on new but unproven opal-detecting AI technology. Slim Pickings are forced to relocate.
The Mooka Boys are finally ready to start tunnelling toward black opal glory, until their last working machine suffers a catastrophic breakdown.
The Blacklighters' team leader, Mark, is severely injured in a mining accident forcing Paul and John to work overtime on two separate claims.
The Cheals hit a massive pocket of plate sized opal in their open cut mine. Plus, Brutal Outback temperatures cripple Cozza with severe heat stroke.
A miscalculation costs the Blacklighters thousands of dollars.
E1
Mooka Boys brothers Matt and Cozza topple their excavator attempting to reach a new mine on a treacherous opal field. The machine's woes continue as burst hydraulics force Leif to undertake emergency repairs. The Blacklighters are almost buried alive mining opal in unstable tunnels. 16 -year- old Xavier experiences an epic hill climb fail in a dirt laden dump truck, and the team stage a walk out on a miserly buyer. Battling another mine move, the Bushmen's ancient crane breaks down dropping a two-ton digger into a ten-meter shaft. New recruit Benny gives the team a glimmer of hope drilling up a pocket of high value crystal opal.
E2
A busted dirt hauling bogger bucket threatens the Cheals' ambitions for mammoth back-to-back opal hauls, as they remove the last dirt from a super pillar holding up their entire mine. The Opal Whisperers partnership with veteran miner Uwe ends abruptly. Desperate for stock to sell at the Lightning Ridge Opal Festival they call in a favor to mine their claim with an excavator and undercover a $40,000 boulder opal. The Misfits finally hit old timers' workings at the bottom of their open cut mine. Exploration of the claustrophobic tunnels are cut short as heavy vibrations risk a mine collapse. Angel attempts her first opal sale at the Lightning Ridge Opal Festival.
E3
The broke Bushmen are forced to trade opal to get a shaft drilled on a new claim and lose thousands of dollars on the deal. Facing legendary opal buyer "Herman the German" they risk being on the bad end of a trade for a second time. The Mooka Boys attempt to revive a long-neglected dump truck and their opal processing plant with disastrous results. Out of options they're forced to blacklight piles of dirt in the dead of night. The Digi Diggers home-made hoist and bucket breaks apart and the team get lost exploring a terrifying abandoned mine to scavenge for spare parts. High end jewelers arrive in Yowah and hard ball the Digi Diggers on their biggest attempted sale.
E4
The Digi Diggers get their solar plant installed, but the power hungry mine triggers a total system shutdown. Lisa damages an opal filled Yowah nut with the jackhammer jeopardizing sale with a bespoke jeweler designer. The Bushmen must make safe a barebones mine in dangerous wet weather much to Les' fury. Rod is forced to go toe to toe with ratters who stole opal and equipment from their mine. The Mooka Boys drive their loader over a cliff edge as the brakes on the machine fail. Their plight worsens as their dirt processing plant generator tears itself apart, forcing the team to revert to basic hand tools to find opal.
E5
A vicious storm threatens to end the Misfits season early as they tear open old timer's tunnels with the excavator searching for opal missed decades earlier. 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 search ends in disaster as they bog their vehicle in treacherous terrain, hundreds of kilometers from medical aid. Severe Dust storms cause the Blacklighters to bust Opalzilla, slowing operations down to a crawl. The team hit a rich seam of opal in the depths of their mine including opalized belemnite, a squid like creature that existed millions of years ago.
E6
The Bushmen need to sink new shaft for extraction pipes in their flooded mine but efforts to free their drill rig from a bog causes the rescue loader to join the rig trapped in the treacherous mud. The Blacklighters are forced to work a new claim using an ancient opal processing plant, but emergency repairs cause John to get tumbled in the trommel and a busted extraction fan suffocates Xavier with excess dust. The Misfits discover they're losing precious opal as they clear mountains of dirt out of the depths of their vast open cut mine, so they attempt a dangerous night dig with an excavator and ultraviolet blacklights.
E7
The Bushmen's home-made hoist and bucket fails, and Rod is forced to down tools with busted ribs. Les discovers a seam of opal but fails to impress a buyer who makes a low ball offer, raising the Bushmen's ire. Sofia and Isaac, The Opal Whisperers, get trapped at the bottom of their open cut mine in sweltering temperatures. Sofia's jeweler is unimpressed by the opal she must work with to create bespoke necklaces. The Cheals start work on a new mine only to discover their mothballed machinery needs major repairs and flooded access roads to their processing plant bog their dirt hauling truck.
E8
Isaac from the Opal Whisperers works an abandoned, dangerous mine, and partners up with a veteran Yowah miner to unearth an exquisite stone he attempts to sell to an international buyer. The Misfits battle to haul their new opal processing plant across brutal outback track with a busted trailer. The Mooka Boys are confronted by an irate miner as they peg a claim too close to his mine.
E9
The Bushmen's drill rig loses a vital pin, forcing 74-year-old Les to undertake emergency repairs four meters in the air and Rod struggles to maneuver their 4 ton digger across treacherous mud deep underground. The Digi Diggers flooded mine wall collapses as Josiah and Lisa attempt a new method of extracting Yowah nuts from the mine wall with a high-pressure hose after they destroy precious opal with a pick. The Mooka Boys take on an old timers' mine for their last dig of the season. Matt is hit with a crippling asthma attack working in a pocket of bad air and an unstable wall collapses on Cozza as he struggles to extract opal.
E10
The Bushmen bog their dump truck and struggle to locate the source of water flooding their mine. Burst hydraulic pipes eventually shutdown the dig leaving Rod to polish three small pieces of opal for a first ever attempted sale on their website. The Misfits are forced to work Issy's mine Honey Hole as they wait for bulldozer repairs. With just a bobcat and jackhammers they unearth an extreme rare pocket of colored Andamooka fire opal. The Blacklighters are forced to down tools on their opal rich claim to help a fellow miner on a dangerous night dig. Xavier goes missing in the shaft riddled opal fields and the team struggle to sell their $50,000 find to a miserly buyer.
E11
The Bushmen bust blower pipes and break diggers in their last chance to find opal this season. The team tackle two mines simultaneously and bring in a master opal cutter, hoping to transform rough stones into a $100,000 haul. The Misfits are flooded out of their open cut mine and return to Honey Hole with custom-made machinery; a giant chainsaw attached to a bobcat, desperate to turn a profit on the last dig of their season. Sofia and Isaac from the Opal Whisperers are threatened by a mine roof collapse as they struggle to extract opal from crumbling walls. Isaac attempts to make a profit by cutting and polishing their last opal find for the season, but risks destroying the stones in the process.
E12
The Blacklighters' noodling machine shuts down, choked by a mountain of dust, and extreme storms flood their mine, cutting off access to opal they must mine to make their $350,000 season target. The Digi Diggers need cash to pay for their online metaverse store for the first ever sale of opal in the metaverse, but sweltering temperatures and a waterlogged mine threaten to unravel their season-long dream. The Cheals' starter motor fails on their wash plant as they race to process the last opal dirt for the season. A massive $750,000 season target is threatened as they push for their opal biggest sale ever.
E1
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.
E2
The Cheals take on their most dangerous dig ever. The Bushmen trial a rookie to operate their exploration drill, but it doesn't go as smoothly as they'd hoped.
E3
The Opal Whisperers work underground together for the first time on a legendary claim. The Mooka Boys are forced to work Leif's late father's abandoned mine.
E4
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.
E5
The Opal Whispers 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.
E6
Gale-force winds threaten the Digi Diggers' dreams of an eco-mine. The Bushmen discover dangerous old workings while clearing out their new mine.
E7
The Mooka Boys may lose a potential investor due to their little mining progress. Disaster strikes for the Opal Whisperers when Sofia's hoist fails.
E8
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.
E1
The Bushmen's new rookie rushes into a deadly no-go zone. The Cheals attempt to revive their season. The Mooka Boys try a new technique to expose opal in colorless rock.
E2
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. The Misfits battle avalanches and dust storms.
E3
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. The Tarantos make emergency repairs on their bulldozer.
E4
Scotty gets lost while exploring hidden tunnels on the Bishop's massive claim. Jack and Mickey are nearly crushed as the Tarantos try to move their machinery. Greg explores the hidden tunnels on his claim searching for white opal.
E5
The Bushmen gamble the last of their cash on a 50-year-old exploration rig. The Cheals, desperate for a big opal find, close in on a promising pocket against turbulent weather. The Mooka boys battle scorpions to reach an abandoned mine in uninhabited and hostile terrain.
E6
The Blacklighters' plan for a massive open cut mine pushes their machines to the limit. The Young Guns leave White Cliffs to mine in Lightning Ridge.
E7
The Bushmen battle to break through into an abandoned mine. The Young Guns face equipment failure 800km from home.
E8
The Bishop faces off against concrete-hard rock and even tougher opal buyers. The Bushmen trial a new partner.
E9
The Blacklighters are forced into treacherous abandoned tunnels, searching for a new location. The Bishop and Scott dig overnight in a race against thieves.
E10
A crippled bulldozer threatens to derail the Tarantos' dreams. The Young Guns face brake failure, impenetrable rock and intense heat.
E11
The Misfits return to Death Valley, armed with an ancient 40-ton bulldozer, to dig their first open cut mine. The Cheals race summer storms in a last ditch attempt to rescue their disastrous season. Tensions flare among the Opal Whisperers.
E12
In the final week of the season, high temperatures are shutting down machines and pushing the miners to their limits. Struggling to set up their new open-cut mine, the Blacklighters take a chance on mining at night. The Young Guns search for black opal in Lightning Ridge, but a torrential storm forces them to work on a series of flooded dirt roads. The Bushmen risk it all in a dangerous area vandalized by opal thieves.
E1
The Young Guns' season is threatened when JC is injured at a steer riding fundraiser. The Bushmen finally strike opal while digging on the boundary of their claim. The Cheal's struggle to get to their claim after weeks of rain.
E2
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. Isaac and Sofia, the Opal Whisperers, work their own claim for the first time to hunt for cathedral opal.
E3
Rory and Oscar are forced to operate their dad's 20-ton drill rig for the first time. The entire Tarantos family is struck down by sickness as they struggle to find Opals on their massive claim. The Bushmen build a dangerous mine roof.
E4
JC returns to White Cliffs after his accident. Blacklight Xavier misses a massive pocket of opal passing through the noodling machine. The Tunnel Rats start their season in a vermin-infested mine.
E5
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.
E6
The Bishop mines the support pillars in a mammoth new claim. The Tunnel Rats risk electrocution while using their one-ton digger to mine for crystal opal. The Misfits hunt for Andamooka opal in isolated mines in South Australia.
E7
Joe and Tash search on the surface with hand tools after the Taranto brothers fail to bring up any color. The Opal Whisperers try constructing a noodler from scrap material. The Misfits narrowly avoid an avalanche.
E8
The Blacklighters are forced to move their 10-ton processing plant to a new claim. The Cheals use abandoned truck parts in an attempt to fix their agitator machine.
A back injury underground causes trouble for the Boulder Boys. A difficult layer requires an explosive solution to satisfy their mining partners The Tunnel Rats struggle to work on unfamiliar ground.
One team attempts to extract opals through impenetrable sandstone. Another searches for surface opal to pay for an expensive excavator. The Opal Whisperers search for a unique and elusive opal.
Tensions are at an all time high for the Opal Whisperers as opinions clash. A team is forced to put their tools down. Rain clouds could spell disaster as they threaten a new mine.
With water levels rising Rod's camp sustains dangerous flood damage that needs to be dealt with. The Tunnel Rats deal with a hazardous build-up of dirt. The Bishop uses explosives to find his opal.
The Young Guns battle to open up a crucial ventilation shaft 14 meters underground. The Opal Whisperers gamble on a new claim. The Boulder Boys are slowed down by ageing machinery.
A freak storm threatens a crucial truckload of paydirt for the Cheals. The Geran Gang deal with an unwelcome visitor as they race to make up time on a late start to the season. The Bishop works with a new partner.
The Bishop resorts to using explosives in a desperate attempt to break an opal drought. The Blacklighters have reason to celebrate when they achieve a long-held dream with the purchase of an excavator.
With only days left on their permit, the Geran Gang must suffer through scorching heat. The Opal Whisperers battle against monsoonal storms. A mystery illness sends Les to the hospital.
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 Bishop takes a risk and buys the rights to a vast underground mine. The Bushmen make a disturbing discovery that halts their efforts. The Geran Gang are close to relocating until they receive chilling news.
Extreme summer heat pushes the Blacklighters to do a dangerous night-time dig. Monsoonal storms threaten the Boulder Boys' season. The Young Guns lose thousands of dollars worth of opal.
It is the final week of the season and one team makes a huge discovery that has the potential to make their season. The Bushmen hire a rookie miner. The Opal Whisperers chase big money.
In outback NSW, the worst storm in 20 years devastates the Bushmen's and Chris Cheal's mine. In Coober Pedy, the new team, the Blacklighters, need opal to re-establish.
Pete and Sam start a risky project that could set them up for opal riches. 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. The Blacklighters face reality after running out of opal.
The Boulder Boys drain floodwater in pursuit of a suspected opal level. Rod Manning is under pressure after using his wife's favorite opal ring as collateral.
The Blacklighters must relocate Opalzilla after their claim runs dry of opal. 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. The Young Guns demolish their old mine.
Chris Cheal's dream of two mining teams struggles to launch. 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. Pete and Sam hunt for better opal dirt as their mega wash-plant shows promise.
The Tunnel Rats are under extra pressure as rival miners close in on their claim. The Bushmen must brave an abandoned mine to remove a dead animal. Rookies The Poms search for a prize opal to begin their 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 deal with an unexploded bomb and hazardous gases. The Bros attempt to fit their equipment into a new mine. The Poms make their first trip underground.
In Opalton, Boulder Boys Aaron and Ron's excavator have a close call. The McFarlanes battle against a storm in Lightning Ridge. The Tunnel Rats struggle with family issues.
The Bushmen take a big risk, trying out a new mining method deep below the ground. Injury slows down progress for The Bros. The Poms are struggling to find their first piece of opal.
An outback dust storm ravages the Young Guns' claim in White Cliffs. The Bushmen face an underground disaster. The Boulder Boys are in reach of their season target of $100,000.
A violent storm leaves The Young Guns racing to protect their claim from a flood. The McFarlanes try to build a drill from spare parts to dig below their mine's floor.
Pete Cooke and Sam Westra head out on the last dig of their season as Sam decides whether or not to stay in the business. Veteran prospector Col Duff scouts possible sites for a new mine.
After an injury to one of their members, the Young Guns face a tough decision on how to continue mining. The Cheals break through to a long-lost underground mine.
The Bushmen chase down some opal thieves on land and in the skies. Wild weather pushes the Boulder Boys to dig their way out of trouble. Gav McFarlane puts his son through his paces.
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.
In the final days of the mining season, the Young Guns risk it all to find a rare $500,000 pineapple opal. the Boulder Boys battle against deadly ground.
New team The Bushmen clash with opal thieves raiding one of their mines. The Cookes hack an old digging machine. The Fire Crew hunt for a new deposit of rare black opal.
Bushmen Rod and Les risk their lives reopening a long-abandoned mine. New team the Young Guns go deep underground for the first time, hunting pineapple opal.
Rookie team the Young Guns run into trouble as they look for pineapple opals. The Cooke Bros race against time hunting opals on another miner's claim. The Fire Crew run themselves broke.
The Tunnel Rats blast their way to a fortune. Solo prospector Col Duff is 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. 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 20-metre deep mine shaft. Plus, new alliances are forged as the Boulder Boys hit pay dirt.
The Bushmen dodge rockfalls in a potentially deadly new mine. The Fire Crew close in on a new deposit of precious black opal. The Boulder Boys struggle to drain their opal pit.
In Sheepyards, The Bushmen seek a breakthrough after dealing with a string of bad luck. The Boulder Boys attempt to save a sinking excavator. The Young Guns suffer some financial blows.
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; and in the wild west, new team 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. The Cooke Brothers' season is off to a bad start and Col's Crew is called on an emergency repair, wrestling a one-ton tire change.
Rookie Justin gambles thousands of dollars on buying his way out of trouble; Opal Queen Kelly needs a big find underground or risk going broke; and 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 recurring illness slows them down, while the Cooke Brothers fight busted hoses and breakdowns in the quest to strike it rich.
Rookie 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 and with Col struck down with illness Aaron and Greg must push on at Dragonfly without him.
Justin recruits fiancée Becky to save him from financial ruin. The Fire Crew faces deadly reptiles and a snapped suspension in search blue fire opal. The Cooke Brothers go 21 meters under, desperate to get their hands on the first opal of the season.
The Rookies battle busted hoses and finally hit treasure, Boulder Boys Aaron and Greg bring in an old monster about to self-destruct, and 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, to take on the Outback, hunting long forgotten treasure.
The Fire Crew's season rests on a knife-edge as they struggle to battle their way back from a disastrous setback. The Opal Queen battles rock hard walls alone, desperate to find opal. And the Boulder Boys abandon their drill and hunt for opal by hand
Rookie Justin tackles a deal that could make or break him. The Boulder Boys race to save their claim from a monsoon flood. And on their last dig of the season The Cooke Brothers finally hit pay dirt.
It's the end of the mining season and the last chance for all the opal hunting teams to make enough cash to survive. The Rookies gamble their hopes on one last haul of opal. The Opal Queen makes a final desperate dig.
In South Australia, rookie miners Daniel Becker and Justin Lang leave their lives behind, risking all to chase an opal fortune.
Rookie miners Justin and Daniel tread a dangerous path deep underground in an abandoned mine. Meanwhile, Kelly and Al search for a rare, valuable black opal.
Mick Cooke's mining operation grinds to a halt when the conveyor belt rips on a vital piece of machinery. In a desperate need for cash, Mick heads out of town on another job.
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.
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 mining season is almost over, to reach their target Col's crew take one last gamble opal spotting from the air.
Welcome back!