What if Jurassic Park had Australian Dinosaurs? →

All of the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park are female....and from the Northern Hemisphere. What if they were from the Southern Hemisphere instead?

We have some pretty awesome dinosaurs in the Souther Hemisphere, and to prove the point I've taken it upon myself to re-cast the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park with their Australian counterparts!

(This video was made without consulting palaeontologists, so if anything is incorrect in this video, I take full responsibility.)

"The Myth of the Black Opal" Ballet, 1961, Lightning Ridge Historical Society →

One of the last things you would expect to be inspired by the opal fields of Lightning Ridge is a ballet, and yet...

Three Amazing Doctors @ Angledool & Lightning Ridge →

In the Wild West of Australia in the late 1800s, three doctors performed miracles at Lightning Ridge!

Top 10 Australian Flags You've Never Seen →

Here are 10 Australian flags that don't get the attention they deserve!

Albury Pioneer Cemetery - Sinkholes, Riots & Superstitions →

The Albury Pioneer Cemetery has a lot of small but fascinating stories to tell.

Bush Fruits - Lemon, Orange, Passionfruit, Apricot - Bush Botany @ Lightning Ridge NSW →

Some bush fruits are named (unofficially) after supermarket fruits, despite having no botanical similarity -- join Warwick Schofield as we investigate the Wild Lemon, Wild Orange, Bush Passionfruit and Wild Apricot...

This video was made with Warwick Schofield, with support from Margaret Schofield and Kay Wotherspoon.

Plornishmaroontigoonter - Charles Dickens' Youngest Son - Moree NSW →

We stop by to visit the grave of Charles Dickens' youngest son, Edward "Plorn" Dickens, who moved to Australia in 1868 because.....reasons.

Lightning Ridge: Spectre of the Black Opal - Curiosity Mine Book Club →

Lightning Ridge: Spectre of the Black Opal is an e-book by Roy Lester Pond about supernatural and extraterrestrial surprises on the opal fields of New South Wales!

Syntropic Garden Update 2024 - The Hungry Spirit @ Lightning Ridge →

This is a follow up to: -

A Literal Oasis - Syntropic Agroforestry @ Lightning Ridge, NSW, Australia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llazeATdn7s

Why is there a Dam? Syntropic Garden Q&A with Rebel & Thiago @ Lightning Ridge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFVq99kyJzI

I caught up with Rebel at The Hungry Spirit in Lightning Ridge for an update on what's new, what's changed, what's struggled and what's thrived in the syntropic system in 2024.

Special thanks to Rebel Black from The Hungry Spirit at Lightning Ridge.

Opalised Mollusc Fossils - Not Actually Boring! Australian Opal Centre @ Lightning Ridge →

Bivalve molluscs are one of the most common types of opalised fossil at Lightning Ridge, but just because they're common it does NOT mean they're boring!

Special thanks to Sherri Donaldson and Jenni Brammall at the Australian Opal Centre!

Off-Grid Living @ Lightning Ridge - A Century of Miner's Camp Innovations →

A lot has changed in 100 years, but the human need for basic services and comfort remains the same! In this video, we compare the oldest surviving miner's camp (1916) with a modern up-to-date off-grid dwelling!

Special thanks to Rebel, Peter and Roy from The Ridge Castle and Barbara from the Lightning Ridge Historical Society and Australian Opal Centre!

The Opal Dinosaur - Curiosity Mine Book Club →

The Opal Dinosaur is a book by Yvonne Mes for readers aged 5-9, illustrated by Sylvia Morris and featuring dinosaurs identified from opalised fossils at Lightning Ridge!

Special thanks to CSIRO Publishing and the Australian Opal Centre!

A Fruit of Many Names: Emu Apple (Gruwi, Colane) - Bush Botany @ Lightning Ridge →

This fruiting tree has many names and many interesting characteristics -- join Warwick Schofield as we investigate the Emu Apple, Gruwi, Colane, Sour Plum...

This video was made with Warwick Schofield, with support from Margaret Schofield.

Building the Australian Opal Centre - Walls! And a HUGE donation! @ Lightning Ridge →

The Australian Opal Centre building is progressing at an incredible pace! Check out the newly constructed walls and learn about the other projects happening in the background at the AOC as the building is constructed on the historic Three Mile opal field.

Special thanks to Jenni Brammall, the Australian Opal Centre, BARPA, Darcstudio, Vicki Bokros, Graeme Anderson and everyone who has contributed to the Australian Opal Centre!

"The Well Supported Church" - Anglican Church items at the Lightning Ridge Historical Society →

Barbara from the Lightning Ridge Historical Society shows us some items from the Society's collection relating to Anglican churches within the Lightning Ridge area.

Special thanks to Barbara Moritz from the Lightning Ridge Historical Society.

Sending an Earth Rock to Mars - Perseverance 2020 Rover

Not everyone can say they've sent something to Mars! Dr. Patrice Rey and his team hand-selected a piece of Australian rock from the Pilbara to send to Mars as part of the Perseverance 2020 mission!

This video was made with the help, assistance and patience of Dr. Patrice Rey at the University of Sydney.

Trees That Defend Themselves - Spiky Bushes: Bush Botany @ Lightning Ridge →

A grouping of tree species found on the Lightning Ridge opal fields that defend themselves with spikes!

This video was made with Warwick Schofield, with support from Margaret Schofield and Kay Wotherspoon.

Sydney's Railway of the Dead - Rookwood Necropolis Railway History →

Sydney is home to the largest cemetery in the Southern Hemisphere, and once upon a time it had its own dedicated railway line...

Thanks to Sharath from Building Beautifully, Ross Jackson, Shaun Galman, the Lightning Ridge Historical Society.

Opalised Fossil Letter from 1916 - Lightning Ridge Opal Fossil History →

An opalised fossil was discovered at Lightning Ridge in 1916, here's a letter from the Australian Museum to the London Museum asking for advice with a mysterious twist!

Thanks to Lost Lightning Ridge, the Lightning Ridge Historical Society and the Australian Opal Centre, Jenni Brammall, Dr. Elizabeth Smith, Leisa Carney, People Need Goals.

Opal on Mars - Why Outback Australia looks like the Red Planet →

The Australian Outback is famous for being red and desolate, but it shares a lot more in common with the Mars than you might think -- including opal!

This video was made with the help, assistance and patience of Dr. Patrice Rey at the University of Sydney. Special thanks to Shaun Galman for access to a working opal mine!