White Cliffs

White Cliffs is a historic opal mining town in Central Darling Shire, far west New South Wales, about 93 kilometres north of Wilcannia. Established after opal was discovered in 1890, it was Australia's first commercial opal field. The town is notable for its underground dwellings, dug into hillsides to escape extreme heat, its white opal fields, pioneering solar power station, and remote outback landscape that attracts visitors interested in mining heritage and desert scenery.

Visitors can expect a small, remote outback town set among low white hills and extensive opal fields pitted with mine shafts. Many residences, a motel and other buildings are underground dugouts carved into the hillside to stay cool. Visitors can explore opal showrooms, take guided tours of underground mines and homes, view the White Cliffs Solar Power Station, fossick for opal on designated fields, and experience a quiet desert environment with wide horizons and dark night skies.