Opal Hunters S04 E02
Travel to Australia, and watch this real life documentary, of people mining the Opal gemstone.
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Transcript
00:00On Outback Opal Hunters
00:03I haven't gone through all this from some other prick to get me money
00:06The Bushmen are victim to an underground robbery
00:09There you prick
00:10You dug my friggin claim mate
00:12No
00:13Yes mate
00:14New team, the McFarlands, explore a condemned minefield
00:18Holy
00:19Desperate to find Opal to repair their broken home
00:23Woah, woah, woah, woah
00:24Dad, come on
00:25Can you hear him? Can you see him?
00:27What do you want me to do?
00:28We need you to come and get us
00:29The young guns battle to find a new claim
00:32This spot is perfect, I think
00:34As their mine becomes too dangerous to work
00:38Woah, freaking hell
00:59Well, let's hope we have a good day underground mate
01:05Yes
01:06We gotta be getting close to that good ground
01:09In Outback, New South Wales
01:11The Bushmen, Rod Manning and Les Walsh
01:14Are closing in on a group of 9 inch drill holes
01:17They believe hold Opal
01:20The story is that when it was drilled 20 years ago
01:23Really nice colour come out of this grouping
01:26If our measurements are right
01:28We should be about 3 foot away from the rich ground
01:37Ho, ho, ho
01:38I've just hit a 9 inch Les
01:40That should be the start of the good ground just there
01:43Hang on a minute, that don't look right
01:45Nah, that's more than a 9 inch
01:47That's a drive in there
01:48Can't be a drive in there
01:51Holy
01:53Les, it is a drive
01:55We should be nowhere near our bloody
01:57Nah, absolutely nowhere near our boundary
01:59Rod and Les have just discovered a horizontal shaft
02:03Known as a drive
02:04Illegally cutting through their claim
02:08They've come right in
02:11On that friggin' scene
02:16Ah, f*** this
02:19Ah, f***
02:24The Bushmen have lived for years off the grid
02:27With little money in survival mode
02:31Last winter season was a shocker
02:33The summer season was a disaster for us
02:35We were broken down
02:38Yeah, I was thinking about
02:39Oh yeah, it won't be long
02:40I'll be able to get myself another good car
02:42I don't know how far down the track that is now
02:45So far, Rod and Les have made $31,000 of their season target
02:50Hunting black opal
02:53With the money we got
02:54We've pretty much paid all our debts
02:56We pretty much come back to square now
02:59With ongoing diesel, food costs and machine repairs
03:03The Bushmen have to find more opal
03:07Power keeps going out
03:09Lately it's been going on and off
03:11Lately it's been going on and off
03:13Probably five, six times a day
03:15Rod's wife Amanda is also close to breaking point
03:19I'm stuck here in the middle of nowhere
03:21With no power
03:25The generator that Les gave us
03:27It's old, it needs work
03:29It's really affecting the power
03:31I promise
03:32As soon as we hit some opal
03:34I'll get a new generator
03:35I want to hold you to that
03:38For us
03:39Our answer to just about everything is opal
03:43Hey, look at this
03:44They've got a bloody digger parked here
03:48They've come right through on our seam, Les
03:50Yeah
03:51Right through to the back of where we're stuck
03:54They've taken it all
03:55Ah, someone's paying for this, Les
03:58This is bullshit, mate
04:01Today it's going to be a bit of a busy day
04:03We'll be heading straight underground with the machine
04:05And doing a bit of work, moving some dirt
04:08Clearing our way through
04:10In White Cliffs
04:11Rookies The Young Guns are battling to expand their new opal claim
04:15With an expensive hired mini loader
04:17A Kanga
04:21We've really stepped it up
04:23Getting the Kanga right at the top
04:25We've got a lot of work to do
04:27We've got a lot of work to do
04:29Kanga
04:30But at the same time
04:31It just means we need to find opal even more now
04:35200 bucks a day has really taken it out of us
04:38We're not finding the quantity of opal that we need to run it
04:44The Young Guns are digging out an old mine attached to their camp
04:48Bought with their last savings
04:51But to reach the opal level they hope is buried deep within the mine walls
04:55Which means clearing tonnes of dangerously unstable rock
04:59I reckon we'll dig pretty late today
05:07Jesus Christ
05:08JC?
05:09Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm here
05:11What the hell is that?
05:12Holy...
05:16All this area here is old diggings
05:18I don't think this part's been touched in over 12 years
05:21So all that dry dirt
05:23No doubt it can just make cave-ins like that happen
05:30All in their early 20s
05:32Team leader Jamin, JC and Noah
05:34Have had a tough start to their first mining season together
05:38Hunting crystal opal worth up to $25,000 a gram
05:42When I got the boys out here
05:44I did have this idea in my head that we'd kind of come out here
05:47Move a bit of dirt and get rich at the end of the day
05:50You can't just stop and just set up all our equipment in one area
05:53And then just move as soon as you find another little interesting hole to look down
05:56It's not about that, it's about checking our other options
05:59It's been a little bit of a wake-up check I guess for me
06:02Just to come out here and see how much work has to go into running this team
06:06Running the young guns
06:07The rookie miners live in a sparse camp with no running water
06:11I just want a morning coffee, are you kidding me?
06:15The biggest decision I've ever made in my life is probably coming out here
06:19Everything's a bit harder than normal
06:22You have to grow up a lot because you're completely self-sufficient
06:26Where we are in terms of finding opal at the moment
06:28It's not really the millions or the fortune that Jamin promised us in the beginning
06:34We're not pulling out heaps of colour at the moment
06:40We just had a cave-in
06:41What?
06:42Bloody hell man, look at that
06:44It still looks like there's a lot right around the top there
06:47Obviously that's not the size of the actual shaft
06:49Alright, well let's get down there and just clear it out
06:51And maybe take off some of this
06:54It's always been my responsibility bringing the boys out here to this different life
06:58I need to send them home safely
07:01But as Jamin clears away the landslide
07:03Another threat begins to build from the Kanga exhaust
07:08It's smoky in here
07:12Deadly carbon monoxide
07:18Some of the best opal in the ridge come out of this area
07:22Back in the day?
07:23In the day
07:24I think it's just a go
07:25I don't know, there's something about it
07:27You know, it's a gut feeling that's fine, but how safe is it?
07:29Well I won't really know until I get in and have a look
07:32In Lightning Ridge, outback New South Wales
07:35Gavin McFarlane, wife Connie and 16-year-old daughter Teagan
07:39Are heading to one of the richest but most dangerous mining fields in the region
07:44I was told that the neighbouring claim, they've got $25 million out of it
07:49We're here?
07:50We're here
07:51We're ready to go?
07:52Let's go
07:53I'm as keen as to get in there and have a go
07:55So we've got this one, the one next door and the one here
07:59So there is a catch, they're surrounded by condemned claims
08:04The mines close to Gavin's claims were shut down 10 years ago by authorities
08:08After massive construction
08:10The claims were shut down 10 years ago by authorities
08:13After massive cave-ins
08:15They never left anything structural there to help hold the ground up
08:18And it collapsed
08:19If it doesn't look safe, I'll be up straight away, I won't even hesitate
08:22Just keep on talking to me so I can hear your voice and I'll be happy, alright?
08:25Alright
08:26She knows about that
08:27And her concerns are that that could potentially happen in this claim as well
08:33We're going down
08:36Don't be too long
08:37No
08:39What?
08:41It's just a bit of movement, nothing I've seen worse
08:44Rightio
08:47When all else fails, burn the splitting block
08:50Seven years ago, Gavin escaped the life of a software engineer
08:54700 kilometres away on the coast to mine for opal
08:58Forever always wanted to come and visit Lightning Ridge
09:01When you see opal in the raw and in the rough as that absolutely beautiful gem
09:06I just fell in love
09:07I think the treasure hunter in me was ignited
09:12I'm a city girl born and bred from the eastern suburbs of Sydney
09:15Yes, it's quirky, but it's great
09:17It's a community that I'd like Teagan to grow up in
09:20Everyone's out here, helps each other when anyone's in need and stuff like that
09:23And I thought, you know, that's so much nicer than being in the city
09:26Welcome underground, my darling
09:28It's fun, like, learning new things and, like, being with my dad
09:33Having fun being down mine holes when I'm allowed to be down them
09:37Why go shopping when you can literally find your own piece of jewellery and make it all yourself?
09:43But the path to opal riches is a constant struggle
09:47We live completely off grid, all our power comes from solar
09:50I have to truck our water in from in town
09:55This is my room
09:57I don't think you can call it a roof, it's kind of just sitting there
10:01Sometimes at night, some of the stuff just falls through
10:04We've got gaps and breezes in places
10:06It's all money to seal it all up
10:10So in winter, we freeze to death, and in summer, we overheat
10:14And your house will be good, eh, chicken?
10:16Yeah
10:18It'll be so good, like, a bigger and better house
10:21And just, like, more of our own space
10:23Because we're all, like, piled in at one place
10:26I just want to make it a home, I want to make it comfortable for us
10:29To rebuild their family home, the McFarlands have set a modest season target of $20,000
10:36They're pinning their hopes on famed Lightning Ridge black opal
10:40I'm driven to go to work to provide for my family
10:43Enough's enough
10:44The means is to find some opal and get some money
10:50But Connie's fearful the previous miners left Gavin's new claim because it was too dangerous
10:56They still can get caught in mine collapses and all of that sort of stuff
11:00So someone has to worry about it
11:02Because Gav's not worrying about it
11:04Teagan's a teenager, she don't see it
11:07I'm worried about it
11:10If we let that fear take over us, we wouldn't even get in the ladders and go underground
11:17I'm at the roof now
11:18Okay
11:19Now I can't see you anymore, so make sure you keep on talking
11:21I'm here
11:22Alright
11:24They've left a fair bit of gear here
11:26Have they?
11:27Gloves, bits and pieces, cords
11:31They've just left in a hurry
11:33I think what's happened is that they've had side fall-ins
11:38And it's scared them out
11:40Don't panic, there could be a bit of roof separation towards that other hole there
11:46Are you alright?
11:47What was that? Dad, come on
11:49Can you hear him? Can you see him?
11:51No
11:53No
11:59See?
12:01It's all gone
12:02A whole lot, it's all gone
12:06With their hopes of survival resting in one mine
12:09The Bushmen have discovered the rich seam opal they're chasing is gone
12:15Yeah, that'd be quite a few dollars I would say that come out of there
12:19They don't cross boundaries for nothing, do they?
12:21Well that's right, only if they're really on it and it's good
12:25Now they've crossed the boundary by about 5 or 6 metres probably
12:28And that's where our pocket is, just behind there
12:31Can you imagine what they've got here out of all this?
12:34Ah, well we can't do much about it now they've taken it
12:37Pig's arse
12:38I haven't gone through all this bullshit
12:41It's for some other shit to get me money
12:43They can get me, I'm going to see them
12:51Rod and Les are heading to the makeshift camp of John Sheepers
12:55Cheers, Les
12:56He's recently started mining the claim next door to Bondi
12:59And is Rod's primary suspect
13:01If you want to be able to hold them up, I can tell you what, I'm furious
13:07Don't do anything stupid
13:09Yeah, you prick
13:11You want to cross the boundary and dig my claim, you
13:15Trot your frame out and see how good you are
13:18I don't know what you're talking about, mate
13:20Have you dug my friggin' claim, mate?
13:22No
13:23Yes, mate
13:24Oh, he lost the plot just about
13:26I thought he was going to kill him
13:28Settle down there Rodney
13:29Settle down?
13:31Mate, I didn't dig any drive in your claim
13:33Yeah, it doesn't look fresh anyway
13:35I know we get hot up the collar quick but
13:38Yeah, it doesn't look like a
13:39What do you mean?
13:41The drive doesn't look like a fresh drive
13:44I haven't dug a drive there, mate
13:47I reacted before I actually thought about it
13:51And if I wasn't so wild and had a look at the drive
13:55I would have realised it was an old drive
13:57Yeah, it wasn't me, mate, honestly
13:59That drive was there before I got there
14:01I've only just started
14:03Where that dig is, I'm only starting digging there now
14:06I'll take your word for now
14:08But it's only for now
14:09I'm going to go and have a look
14:10Yeah, I understand
14:12Oh, Jesus
14:14I think I frigging engaged the mouth
14:16Before I engaged the brain, Les
14:18Yes
14:20It turned out he wasn't at fault at all
14:22It was the people he bought the claim off
14:24The old neighbour crossed the boundary
14:27And came in on the seam that we were looking for
14:30He's taken it all out
14:33We'll go and have a cup of tea
14:35There you go
14:36Do you want a nip in it?
14:37That should be alright
14:39Do you want a nip in it?
14:40That should be alright, mate
14:42That'll fire me up worse
14:44I mean, after all that bloody effort
14:46All that frigging trouble to get over there
14:49And it's just coming good
14:50And you're just getting good opal and bang
14:52Then you find out someone beat you to it
14:56With no money, part of Bondi gutted
14:59And the opal taken
15:01The Bushmen are back at rock bottom
15:10I don't feel like it's too...
15:12I'm breathing in the best of air right now
15:14In Whitecliffs, the young guns
15:16Are battling to dig a new drive
15:18In search of an opal level
15:20In a tight, unventilated chamber
15:24Oi
15:27What's up?
15:29What's up?
15:30Turn that thing off
15:31Yeah
15:33These fumes are getting too far
15:35It's getting too far
15:37These fumes are getting too full on
15:39Vital for shifting dirt
15:41Their hired mini loader
15:43Is belching out deadly smoke
15:45Well, we're getting a little bit further underground now
15:48Like, before it was alright
15:49Because we still had, you know, all this space here
15:51But what do you reckon?
15:52Now that we stopped, I don't feel good
15:54I reckon we need to get out of here
15:56Prolonged exposure to diesel fumes
15:58And poisonous carbon monoxide
16:00Can result in organ failure
16:02And be fatal
16:04Started to feel pretty sick down there
16:06That's a bit concerning
16:07So, right now, we're pretty stuck for things
16:09We're not quite sure what we're going to do
16:11I think we're going to need to get
16:13An extraction fan, a heap of ducting
16:15If we get it shipped out, can we afford to let the kanga
16:17Just be sitting there for five days?
16:20It's costing us, like, a grand
16:22Just for it to sit there for five days
16:24We could go find another spot to dig, I mean
16:26Yeah, we could have a look
16:27We're just going to have to scout around the field a little bit
16:29And see what's out there
16:30And then, of course, we're going to have to peg a claim as well
16:32Which is going to cost, you know, another 200 or something
16:34I can't believe we did that
16:35We can't afford to let it sit there
16:40It's basically going to be me and JC
16:42Going to jump in the car, have a look at the west field
16:44Some newer area over there
16:46I know there's a lot of open cutting been happening
16:48To see if we can find somewhere
16:50We can use the kanga above ground
16:52And start gouging some walls
16:56Oh, yep
16:57Oh, yeah, let's have a look down here
16:59There, the whole thing's not pegged
17:01Should I just drive in there, Gary?
17:02Eh, might as well
17:03Looks kind of...
17:04Nah, you should be able to get this
17:06I'll try and get back out first
17:20Set, go
17:23I can't get any footholds
17:32Where are you?
17:33I just heard something drop
17:35Yeah, I'm fine
17:36Yeah, it's a...
17:37Yep
17:38Something's just fallen
17:40In Lightning Ridge, Gavin McFarlane is down a dangerous road
17:44He's been hit by a car
17:45He's been hit by a car
17:46He's been hit by a car
17:47He's been hit by a car
17:48He's been hit by a car
17:49He's been hit by a car
17:50He's been hit by a car
17:51McFarlane is down a dangerous newly acquired mine
17:54He's assessing whether it's safe enough to work
17:56As wife Connie and daughter Teagan watch on
17:59It's fine for you
18:00You know what's going on
18:01We don't
18:03The earth's always moving
18:05It's a fright
18:06It certainly scares you
18:07Brings your hairs up the back of your neck
18:09I'm going in now
18:11With their family home in urgent need of repairs
18:14Gavin has to find a new opal-bearing mine
18:17To pay for the house overhaul
18:19He has his sights set on a shaft at Potch Point
18:22A rich but dangerous opal field
18:25There's been a major fall in where the big money was got
18:29That could potentially happen in this claim as well
18:32Wow
18:33Wow what?
18:34Nice slide
18:36Nice slide?
18:37Mmm
18:38What do you mean? There's been a cave-in slide or what?
18:40No, no, no, no
18:41Ground slide
18:42Oh, okay
18:43Good signs
18:44Slides or faults occur when rock separates
18:48And silica washed down into the cracks by water
18:51Forms opal over millions of years
18:54You're confident that it's safe?
18:56My gut feels that if it's worked correctly
18:59And all the safety procedures are followed
19:02You know, I won't have a problem
19:07I've got to do this
19:08Yeah, I know you've got to do this
19:10This one I've got to do
19:11I see it as a lot of risk
19:13It's a gamble I think all opal miners take
19:15The run could be right in here
19:17We've missed it all together
19:18Ah, perfect
19:19Left there for us
19:20Us, exactly
19:21It's our turn
19:22This is the one?
19:23This is the one
19:24Okay
19:25I'll give Peter a ring, see what he's doing
19:27Okay
19:28I'll see if I can get him up for you today
19:30Peter Driscoll, he's been in the area 30 odd years more
19:34He knows all the fields like the back of his hand
19:37To have a partner that especially
19:40Who understands what can happen
19:42And what, you know, what to look for and all that
19:44Is extremely important
19:46As long as you've got props in there
19:47It's as safe as hell, mate
19:49The first four rules of mining are
19:51One, two, three, four, all safety
19:56With no crane
19:57Gavin's employed fellow lightning-rich opal hunters
20:00Pete Cook and Sam Westra
20:02To get his machinery
20:03Including a second-hand one-ton digger
20:06Down the shaft
20:07We've got to try and get it down without catching on the wall
20:10Or snagging on the collar
20:12I need millimetre directions
20:15But anyway, we'll see how we go
20:23The six-metre shaft is only 90 centimetres wide
20:29Righto, can you come down?
20:31Down a bit
20:32Down a bit
20:34Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
20:36Whoa, whoa!
20:37Hang on
20:38No, look, it's got me in a pickle
20:40Arm?
20:41Yes, please
20:43We're going to have to put the legs on out here
20:46Righto, hold him there, brother
20:50Can you just hold him from swinging, Pete?
20:51I'll pin him
20:52With the digger hanging by 14 millimetre cables
20:56Gavin must crawl underneath the one-ton machine
20:59To attach the legs and arm
21:01And hope the crane holds
21:03This is part of the job, I hope
21:05Just getting underneath with this pin
21:08The pin itself
21:09I've been on it with a mate's digger
21:11And it's taken hours
21:12We had to get sledgehammers
21:14And all sorts of wonderful things in
21:16Pete's crane has already cost $150
21:20With the day almost gone
21:22Gavin needs to complete the job
21:24I can finish this off now
21:26That's it, that's wonderful
21:28Whoo!
21:29Yes!
21:35Success!
21:36She's down
21:38Nothing to it
21:40The original owner found millions
21:42And millions of dollars with this digger
21:44So it's my turn
21:48Welcome home
21:50Find some gems
21:59The people crossing our boundary
22:01And taking our big pocket
22:03Was a major disappointment
22:06But next week we could be flush, you know
22:08The Bushmen need to get back on their feet
22:10After long-gone miners
22:12Illegally dug part of their claim
22:14Clearing it out of opal
22:17You'll have a bit of tin laying around somewhere
22:19Won't you, Les?
22:21In Les' backyard scrapyard
22:23That'll do
22:24They're looking for fencing material
22:26To clearly mark their claim's boundary
22:30All we do is opal mine
22:31So we don't find opal, we don't have any money
22:36If we find opal
22:37It means Les can have a car
22:38He can go to town when he wants to
22:42We need a lot of things
22:43New solar batteries
22:46And
22:47Commander's been asking for a new generator
22:50For a long time
22:52If we find opal
22:53It means we get all that stuff
22:55All right, they're coming down
23:06Me and Les work pretty well together
23:08Because he has his way
23:10And I have my way
23:12And we meet in the middle
23:13That's right through the hole
23:15You!
23:18We generally get through things
23:20That'll do
23:21The fence ensures
23:22New neighbouring miner, John
23:24Knows exactly where the boundary is
23:26Between claims
23:27The fella next door that I ripped into
23:30Wasn't his fault, he didn't do it
23:32The people that done it are long gone
23:35They've taken our promise away
23:37That's where it was all supposed to be
23:40You can imagine how much money
23:42Potentially they could have got out of here
23:44It's all part opal mining
23:46If you can't handle disappointment
23:48This isn't the job for you
23:54It's not the end of everything here at Bondi
23:56We'll find it again
23:58Just gotta head in another direction
24:00We now know where it isn't
24:02There's no point going any further that way
24:04So we brought the digger back out
24:06We're going to skim down this side wall
24:10This might be the seam that they came in on
24:13And we might get a little bit of colour out of this
24:22Oh, that's a big piece of black
24:24They might have left us a bit, Les
24:26Woohoo!
24:31Like, it's not even that bloody steep
24:33And I can't move the car back out
24:36In search of a new mine to dig for opal
24:39The broke young guns have bogged their car
24:42I can just smell my tyres
24:50Probably wasn't the best idea driving down here
24:53I thought it would be fine reversing back out
24:56We have so much costs already
24:58Stuff like this happens and it just wears you down
25:01Do you want to have a look?
25:03No, I want to just go back
25:08300 metres away from their camp
25:10Noah is on foot
25:12Also looking for a new opal hotspot
25:15We're always looking for a spot
25:17That hasn't already been pegged, claimed
25:19Makes it a little bit more difficult to find a spot
25:22The young gun's existing mine is off limits
25:25Until a ventilation fan arrives to remove diesel exhaust
25:29Making it safe to work
25:31So I've been walking around for a while now
25:33You know, a lot of it's just not big enough
25:36To fit the Kanga around here
25:38The Kanga is the young gun's digging workhorse
25:42It's costing them $200 a day to hire
25:46Noah needs to find an area that's shallow
25:49And easily accessible
25:51Have a look at that
25:53This looks really good
25:55It even looks like it has a nice little ramp in there
25:57It looks like they were using some sort of mini loader
25:59Or a machine to get right in here
26:02Look at all these rocks
26:05Oh wow
26:07Here, look at that, there's a really blue opal in that rock there
26:12That's all my water
26:14Wow, look at that
26:15This is a good sign, this is really good
26:17It actually looks really nice as well, it's a really nice colour
26:19Really nice blue
26:20I mean, the spot is almost perfect, I think, in my opinion
26:26Yeah, so just heading back to the camp now
26:28Going to surprise them
26:29With all this opal and this spot
26:31Hopefully they're as excited as I am about it
26:35Oh yeah, they are right here
26:36Hey, how you going?
26:39It's not good, hey
26:40Jamin's got us bloody stuck
26:43Stuck?
26:44Yeah, what do you want me to do?
26:46We need you to
26:48We need you to come and get us
26:55Yeah, I think I'm almost there, I think I can see you guys
27:00Alright, you ready?
27:01Yep
27:02On three
27:03One, two, three
27:11I don't know what we do here
27:12I think we're going to need someone else to help us push it out
27:15I'd rather pull it out with some straps or something
27:18But I think if we had at least another person
27:20We'd be able to push it straight back out
27:26I'm hot
27:27Noah's van doesn't have the power to pull the bogged vehicle out
27:33The young guns decide to wait for anyone passing by
27:42Oh, you hear that?
27:43How you going?
27:44Hey boys, how you doing?
27:46You alright?
27:47Can you see down there?
27:50You're a bit stuck, hey?
27:52We've got our car a little bit stuck down there
27:54I think if we can just get a couple of people pushing, that'd be sweet
27:57Yeah, we'll get up to it
27:58Thanks guys
27:59Absolute champions
28:03On three
28:04One, two, three
28:07Alright, let it rock forward a bit
28:10Wow
28:12Yeah, that's it, come on
28:14Get up there
28:17That's it
28:20Come on mate
28:27Thanks a lot boys
28:28No worries
28:29Cheers mate
28:30Cheers man
28:31No worries, no worries
28:32I don't know what we would have done if you guys didn't rock up, man
28:34Well stuck
28:36With an entire day lost, the young guns need to make a decision
28:40Is Noah's find worth paying $230 for a mining lease?
28:48Where did you find the opal?
28:49Just down there
28:50There?
28:51Yes
28:52If you found opal there, that's all that matters
28:54We can definitely bring the Kanger down the ramps
28:56But if we're going to do some digging, we're going to need to peg it
29:01That's going to cost us?
29:02Yeah, $200 or so
29:05The last of their money is reserved for food and fuel
29:09The young guns gamble it all on Noah's find
29:12That about cover it?
29:13I think that'll do it
29:14This spot of yours better bloody pay off
29:26Always in the beginning is the cramp
29:28Getting in my head where I'm going to start work
29:30I think I'll start that end
29:32At notorious Potch Point, Gavin and mate Pete are setting up a new mine
29:37In a claim abandoned for 10 years
29:39Fairly under-worked
29:40Talking to some of the guys that have worked up here
29:43They've all said to me that the potential's there
29:46Millions have been made in surrounding claims
29:49But dangerous mining practices causing massive roof collapses
29:53Shut most of them down
29:55In the beginning there's a risk of it falling where the walls have dried
29:59Because the drives have been open for so many years
30:02The ultimate price anyone can pay in this game is death
30:05So we put in as much safety and precaution as we can
30:10To stop anything like that happening to us
30:12Gavin's hoping to find Opal to repair the family home
30:16For daughter Teagan and wife Connie
30:18It could mean a roof
30:20It could mean walls and more doors
30:23And a little bit more luxury out here
30:27Down the mine
30:28The first step is to reinforce weak points in the sandstone walls
30:32With pine wood struts
30:34I need to get it firm in there
30:36Where's that cheek pick?
30:37It might come in really handy
30:44Did you hear that?
30:45I did hear that actually
30:47Opal
30:48I'm not exactly mining but I'm trying to make a bit of an area
30:51So I can get this timber in
30:54I heard a little chink there before
30:58That's the noise they used to listen for in the old days
31:01Thud, thud, chink
31:03And it's like metal hitting glass
31:06Now whether it could have been just the tiniest bit of trace
31:10With the promise of Opal in the wall
31:12Gavin is keen to get on the digger
31:16You're just trying to get the digger into position
31:18So it can start work
31:20It's too close to the edge of the hole
31:22So you've got to move it back a little bit
31:23And the roof ram will go up into the roof
31:25And that holds the whole thing steady
31:31But in the small 8 metre square mine
31:34The hydraulic arm can't extend far enough out to dig
31:39It's tight
31:42I'm limited
31:43In my digger
31:46Now
31:50Gavin gouges away at the rock face
31:52Trying to give the machine some room
31:54A painstaking task
31:56That still produces a pile of dirt
31:59It's amazing how it doesn't look like very much
32:01Has come down out of that wall
32:02But we've got a pile of dirt in front of us
32:04That we've got to clean up
32:05Then we can get into that roof
32:09For the digger to be moved closer to the wall
32:12First the loose sandstone needs to be shifted
32:15Even in this dirt
32:17Valuable opal could be hidden
32:19Gavin and Pete need to get it to their agitator
32:22For the sandstone to be washed
32:25Opal can be anywhere
32:27The old saying here
32:28That you can move 10,000 tonne of dirt
32:30And it wouldn't make enough money to buy a lunch
32:32Or you can move two wheelbarrow full to be a millionaire
32:35And that's how it happens
32:46Bit more digging, mate
32:47Bit more digging
32:48We're close
32:49Smell that?
32:50Oh, that's colour
32:53In their Bondi mine
32:55The bushmen are chasing what's left of a stolen opal seam
33:01We're hoping that there's a little bit in this side wall
33:04And trying to salvage what we can out of the area that's gone
33:09With ongoing diesel, repair and living costs
33:13To survive, they need to find opal soon
33:17No, nothing there yet
33:18I just see
33:20No colour?
33:21No
33:23Someone's come in over the boundary and taken it
33:25It blows all your dreams apart
33:27And what you was going to do with that money
33:30You just have to pick yourself up
33:33And just keep on digging
33:36Are you ready?
33:37Yeah
33:39I'll just bust that out
33:44Stop, stop, stop
33:47Hang on, it's coming
33:48Hang on, you hold it there
33:50Oh, that's nice
33:52Told you I could smell it, didn't I?
33:54Come on, baby
33:56Come on, we need a new generator
34:00You ready?
34:01Yeah
34:05That doesn't work
34:06That doesn't work
34:07Oh, look at it
34:09That doesn't work
34:10That doesn't work
34:11Oh, look at it
34:13Blue, green
34:14Put it in the washing machine
34:18All right, mate, let's get this bit here out
34:25Beautiful back there, don't you?
34:29Some good ... there, Les
34:31Yeah, that's money
34:32That's money, mate
34:33So much of it's on black
34:34Look at that piece there, that's a nice piece there
34:36That is a good piece
34:37Beautiful greens
34:38What do you reckon?
34:39I reckon we'd have to be up around the 20, don't you?
34:42I'd reckon
34:44The disappointment of them coming through and taking most of the scene
34:48Me going over and seeing the bloke and jumping up and down like a goose
34:52All that frustration, all that anger
34:54It's all gone now because we're on colour, you know
34:57It just makes such a difference
34:59The Bushmen have found black opal
35:01It's medium quality in the rough
35:04Blue, green and purple in colour
35:07Weighing 500 grams
35:09They're hoping to get $15,000 for the package
35:15We heard this bloke was up at the dump buying
35:18I hadn't dealt with him before, he's an American fella
35:21Dealer and cutter Jim Runkle travels the world
35:25Buying opal for his high-end jewellery design business
35:28You're a bit apprehensive
35:30Obviously we want the most for them that we can get
35:33He wants the less for them that he can get
35:36Hey Jim
35:37How are you mate?
35:38Nice to meet you, Jim
35:40Do you want to have a look at that?
35:42Yeah
35:53It's not too bad
35:55I guess it all depends on what you're asking for
35:58Well, I had a good look through it
36:01I reckon a fair price of 20 grand
36:05When you don't know the buyer
36:07It's a little bit tougher
36:09Because they always argue
36:11I tell you what, I can see 15 in it
36:14I'm sure you can
36:1618.5?
36:18I tell you what, I'll go 16
36:21I tell you what, if you go 17, we've got a deal
36:25How about if I meet you in the middle?
36:2816.5
36:29You'll get more from me?
36:30I'll buy more, I'll be back in November
36:33Les?
36:35Oh yeah
36:3716.5
36:39I appreciate it
36:40I appreciate it, thanks Jim
36:42Let me get the money
36:44That's what we need now
36:48With a sale of $16,500
36:51It brings the Bushman's season total to $47,500
36:56This sale was real good
36:58We're really, really happy
37:00Yeah, we've got a couple of bucks in the pocket now
37:02Again for a while
37:04It'll just take the pressure off
37:06Not eat bloody goat for a while
37:10Be able to get the generator for Amanda
37:13Which she's pretty happy about
37:16It's not enough for Les to buy a big flash car yet
37:19But it's getting close
37:20It's been a good day
37:29Ah, you got the bucket there?
37:31Got the bucket
37:32That's good, bit of confidence
37:33Confidence, no expectations but confidence
37:37In Lightning Ridge, outback New South Wales
37:40After 24 hours, Gavin and Pete have returned to their agitator
37:45A 6,000 litre water filled drum
37:48That washes the dirt off mined rock
37:50To make any opal visible
37:52We're just going up now to reverse the algae
37:56And when it's run in reverse, all the stuff comes up
37:59Come down the shed onto the table
38:01And that's when we start going through it
38:04This is your pay day or lay day, one of the two
38:09Gavin and Pete are looking for knobby opal
38:12Formed by silica in small pebble-sized voids
38:16It's a nice pocket of knobby
38:18It'd be lovely on any new pair of jeans
38:26Ah, knobby
38:29Yes, looking good
38:31It's a nice bit of trace
38:33See there's that purple bit there, look at that
38:35That's what we like to see, that's starting to happen
38:38Cross between purple and blue
38:40It's good trace, it's in here everywhere
38:43Mate, this is a great indicator
38:46Mate, I'm beside myself
38:48That's awesome
38:49I can't wait to get back there and get the YouTube back on that digger
38:52Oh, absolutely
38:55In the first small load, Pete and Gavin have found knobby opal trace
39:01Purple-blue in colour, weighing 3 grams
39:04It has an estimated value of $200
39:07But more importantly, it reveals the massive potential of the new mine
39:12For that little bit of dirt in the back of a truck
39:15That's an indicator that there is colour there
39:17So what we've got is the start, the makings, the colour happening
39:21Good one
39:22Good one, I love this
39:26It is just amazing, that first, you know, truck load
39:30That first wash, that first go through the edge
39:32And we actually found something
39:34Let's hope there's more
39:36What a lovely sound
39:37It could change everything
39:39I'm so excited
39:40Might even be able to get a wall in my bedroom
39:43There's still a million chances
39:46I'm really, really pleased that I've got this opportunity on this mine
39:50This could mean a lot of things
39:51First and foremost, family and comfort
39:53A new roof over our head, you know
39:55Gee, it'd be even nice to surprise the girls at the end of the year
39:58And say, I've planned us a holiday
39:59That would be something really amazing
40:10Hopefully there's actually opal here
40:13And I didn't just lead everyone in a bit of a wild goose chase
40:15You know, that would be disappointing to everyone, I think
40:17But we'll soon find out, I suppose
40:21The Young Guns, broke and losing $200 a day on equipment hire
40:25Have spent their last cash on a 50 by 50 square metre lease
40:30They've named Noah's Ark, after Noah's opal discovery
40:34And we need big stuff
40:36You guys keep digging, I'm going to keep doing this
40:38We need to make up for all the time we've lost and wasted
40:40Not using the Kangas, I'm not getting off it
40:43No happy boss until we get the real big stuff
40:46The opal could be in any rock that JC and Noah jackhammer from the mine face
40:53Each load has to be meticulously sifted through
41:01Holy
41:02Oi!
41:06Holy
41:08What is it?
41:09What are you freaking out about?
41:11Dude, you're not going to believe this
41:13Woah!
41:15Woah!
41:17Dude!
41:19Where would that have come from?
41:20I don't know where that's from
41:22So do I
41:23I am scouring the dirt
41:25Because Jamin's found a really nice piece
41:29And we have no idea where it's come from
41:31I think this was the last spot, so I'm just seeing and making sure
41:34That it's not still down here in this last bucket he did
41:37And we keep finding little bits
41:39So it might have all smashed off one rock, but
41:43Somehow we're riding a wall here
41:45Look at that
41:46Oh yeah?
41:49Holy
41:50Look at that!
41:51Woah!
41:53So it's
41:54Yeah, well that must be where it came from then
41:56Hey!
41:58Yeah, we were just finding bits and pieces and trying to
42:00Noah's Ark baby!
42:01Noah's Ark baby!
42:03Dude, look at that!
42:05Look at that
42:06Look at that!
42:08Yes
42:10Yeah, so we actually found a bit of something
42:12So it's already starting to pay off
42:13It's really, really cool looking
42:15It's good because I mean we're kind of already
42:17Already kind of starting to pay for the canker here
42:19Which is awesome
42:20I mean, some of the best opal we've ever found
42:23Noah's Ark
42:25Woo!
42:26Crazy!
42:28The Young Guns have crystal opal
42:30Ranging from specimen to high quality cutting pieces
42:34Featuring the full spectrum of colours
42:37There's 300 grams
42:38With an estimated value of $9,500
42:42Bringing their season total to $17,900
42:50Put a price on them all
42:51We did amazingly well
42:52It's been absolutely fantastic
42:54And it was when we really needed it the most as well
42:56So it was good to see that happen
42:58Noz was the one that took the ropes this week
43:01He pointed us in the direction of Noah's Ark
43:03It's completely paid off
43:05So you know, Noah's our big winner for this week
43:08There's just a bit of pressure there
43:10I'm really happy that it actually came up with something
43:12You know, and it wasn't just a waste of time
43:14You know, in the spot I picked
43:15Which is awesome, like really, really exciting
43:17I'm so glad
43:18It's one of our biggest hauls
43:19If not our biggest haul
43:21I'll drink to that
43:22Absolutely
43:24Well done boys
43:25I'm so keen to dig in
43:27I can't remember the last time we had a feed like this
43:35I'm so happy
43:36I'm so happy
43:37I'm so happy
43:38I'm so happy
43:39I'm so happy
43:40I'm so happy
43:41I'm so happy
43:42I'm so happy
43:43I'm so happy
43:44I'm so happy
43:45I'm so happy
43:46I'm so happy
43:47I'm so happy
43:48I'm so happy
43:49I'm so happy
43:50I'm so happy
43:51I'm so happy
43:52I'm so happy
43:53I'm so happy
43:54I'm so happy
43:55I'm so happy
43:56I'm so happy
43:57I'm so happy
43:58I'm so happy
43:59I'm so happy
44:00I'm so happy
44:01I'm so happy
44:02I'm so happy
44:03I'm so happy