EXPERIENCE WHITE CLIFFS

Wonderful, Wacky White Cliffs NSW

 

In the middle of nowhere in far west NSW, resting on the arid plains like an alien spacecraft, lies the tiny, frontier town of White Cliffs, population of just 150.

 

The quirky, opal mining township of White Cliffs is located in outback NSW, 1025km from Sydney and 781km north-east of Adelaide – far enough away to offer the raw allure of an outback road trip but close enough for easy access, with a sealed road all the way!

 

White Cliffs is like nothing else in Australia. The remote desert hamlet flaunts its raw, raffish charm and colourful characters in abundance. The stark, lunar-like landscape is dotted with thousands of disused opal diggings made by treasure hunters seeking their fortune ever since opals were discovered here in 1884.

 

Australia's oldest commercial opal field, White Cliffs is one of the only places in the world where white opal is found. It is also famous for its rare ‘pineapple’ opals with distinctive spiky shapes.

 

Today, wacky, wonderful White Cliffs is still full of character and an intriguing, colourful history, with many houses built underground to escape the searing heat of summer. Visiting this unique and fascinating outpost is a real experience you won’t forget in a hurry.

 

And to make your experience even more special, a must-do is a stay in our very own White Cliffs Underground Motel, which is part of our Out of the Ordinary Outback property portfolio in far west NSW. Nestled amongst the far horizons, rolling sand dunes, rugged spaces and big skies that backdrop White Cliffs, our Underground Motel is one of only three ‘dugout’ motels in Australia but is the largest – in fact the biggest in the world - with 48 underground rooms. Our unusual motel attracts guests from around the world who enjoy a constant temperature of 22 degrees as well as a licensed restaurant, café, and bar.

 

If you’ve come this far, you need to stay two nights to really delve under the surface – literally – to see what makes White Cliffs so intriguingly and organically special. With that in mind, Out of the Ordinary Outback has released a new, three-day package that not only offers the chance to sleep underground for two nights but also an in-depth, immersive encounter with this rare gem of a town – a wild, cowboy-like settlement that defies convention and seemingly runs by its own laws and regulations!

Book our New ‘Experience White Cliffs’ Package

 

Our exciting, new ‘Experience White Cliffs’ package includes two nights’ underground accommodation, a bar drink on arrival, continental breakfast each day, an opal mine tour with a local opal hunter, a tour of a local underground house, a tour of White Cliffs with a local expert and plenty of free time to explore on your own– all saving you around $160 per couple. 

 

Package for 2 nights, for 2 people includes:
 

• Accommodation in your own cave motel room 

• 2 mornings of daily Continental Breakfast

• Underground Opal Mine tour at Red EARTH OPALS 

• Town tour on a local tour bus with local guide Rob 

• Drink on arrival to enjoy at Sunset 
   

$455 SOLO OF $545 TWIN SHARE   $90 extra per person 

 

Your suggested itinerary

 

Day 1

 

Arrive and check into the Underground Motel from 2 pm and enjoy a free complimentary welcome drink to take with you to our viewing platform or to enjoy at the bar to unwind from your journey.  Browse through the museum inside the Underground Motel and follow the maze of underground corridors that define our rare motel. Enjoy a wondrous sunset on top of our underground motel and marvel at more stars than you’ve ever seen before.

 

For dinner, you can dine at our motel or a local eatery, with the White Cliffs Hotel a great pub for a hearty meal and a chat with some local characters. And when it’s time to hit the hay, head to your cave room for a restful night’s sleep.

 

Day 2

 

Grab a coffee and watch the sunrise over the rugged expanse of the NSW outback and maybe take a morning amble before a buffet continental breakfast at the Underground Motel.

 

OPTIONAL:

If Rob the local tour guide is available, you will meet him at reception at 9am. If he is unavailable, we will refund you this portion of the tour. Unfortunately, we cannot always confirm this tour due to events. If this tour is unavailable, our lovely staff will provide you with some other options to see and do while you're here in White Cliffs.
 

About the tour: Colourful White Cliffs local, Rob, will take you on a special, guided mini-bus tour of White Cliffs and the opal fields which resemble a moonscape dotted with craters. Learn about the town’s fascinating history and character and how the resourceful locals live underground and cope in the remote location. See Australia’s first solar power station and meet some fun locals along the way! (2.5hr tour)

 

Noon: Enjoy lunch at your own leisure with a choice of local eateries. The White Cliffs Hotel and the Corner Store offer great lunch options. 

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3pm: After a good look around, head to Red Earth Mine where you will meet Graeme, a genuine, local opal hunter who will take you on a tour of his working, underground opal mine. Walk down through multiple levels of old and new diggings and learn about the hunt for these rainbow gems. The tour includes demonstrations of mining equipment and info on how and where to fossick for these gems yourself. 

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5pm: Head back to the Underground Motel for a sunset bevy and relax before dinner. You can dine in town at your own leisure or pre-purchase a two-course dinner at the motel. Watch the stars again from our earthy rooftop and enjoy another restful night’s sleep in your underground cave room, where the temperature stays a perfect 22 degrees all year round.

 

Day 3

 

Enjoy the magic of the outback waking up or sleeping in before your buffet continental breakfast at the motel. Then check out, say farewell to White Cliffs and continue your outback journey.  

 

Out of the Ordinary Outback also owns other accommodation and caravan/camping properties throughout Far West NSW in Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Cobar and Ivanhoe. For more, visit www.outoftheordinaryourback.com.au OR call 1300 679 688.

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How to book

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Call our groups team on 0448 381 097 or email groups@ootoo.com.au and provide the team with your preferred dates of arrival, and they will do the rest. You just need to get to White Cliffs, and everything will be booked and organised on your arrival. 

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