Discovery Channel is known for its intriguing shows, and if you’re into mining shows, Outback Opal Hunters are the best show for you. Taking place in various Australian states, the show documents actual opal miners on their mining adventures. Opal Hunters was first announced to be in the making in 2017 and premiered on television a year later on February 8th, 2018.
It quickly became one of the most-watched shows on Discovery Channel Australia and was subsequently brought to US television. The popularity of this mining show led to new seasons releasing each year. The show now has a total of 9 seasons, with the latest installment airing on February 16th, 2023.
Ratings for the show have always been high, and it was so loved in the US that new seasons were ordered as soon as the first one had finished airing. Outback Opal Hunters now has viewers from all over the world since television platforms like Quest have taken it up for airing along with its YouTube uploads.
It started with the groups The Rookies, The Opal Queens, The Gerang Gang, and many others, but now it has a completely different set of groups that work on the mining projects. The series has featured locations like Queensland, New South Wales, Opalton, Laverton, White Cliffs, Mintabie, Sheepyard, and Lightning Ridge over the years.
The narrative voice is provided by Luke Hewitt, and executive producers include Darren Chau and Rob Holloway. This opal mining series continues to be the only factual TV show that films opal mining to such a large extent.
Outback Opal Hunters Season 9: The Cast
The series now has a total of around 9 groups that work in mines spread out over Australia. It now consists of The Bushmen, comprising of Rod Manning and Les Walsh. They mine in Sheepyard of New South Wales. Another group is The Brits from White Cliffs consisting of Carl Grice and Mary McMillan. These two groups, along with The Young Guns, have been on Outback Opal Hunters since season 3.
We’ll also be seeing The Cheals, Chris Cheal, Oscar Cheal, Farren Lamb and Rory Cheal from Lightning Ridge and The Blacklighters, Paul Coon, Mark I’Anson, John Nassar, and Xavier Montgomery from Coober Pedy. The Cheals first appeared in Season 4, while the Blacklighters have been around since the 5th season.
The Bishops, Greg Scully, and Scott Stevens will also be present on the show. Infamous Opal miners who are often shown on the show’s YouTube, The Opal Whisperers, will be a part of the new season as well.
They consist of Isaac Andreou, Sofia Andreou, and Chris Daff from Yowah, Queensland. The other 3 recently joined groups include The Tarantos, The Misfits, and The Mooka Boys. Tarantos comprise of Micky, Joe, Jack, and Viviane Taranto, along with Natasha Owen from Opalton.
The Misfits have a total of three members, which are Joe Kalmar, Angel Dempsey, and Juan Vasco. The Mooka Boys consist of Leif Tanzer, Colin and Matthew Kathagen. These last two groups usually mine in Andamooka. A new set of groups was seen this season. One such group is the Digi Diggers.
Outback Opal Hunters Season 9 Episode 1: Recap
The format of the show usually follows each miner as they dig in various mines and collect what they hope could be an Opal fossil. Only after taking those stones home, washing them, and finally performing a cut through the middle confirms whether their mining was a success or not.
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Opals are beautiful pieces of jewelry and can sell for thousands of dollars ranging from their cuts to their origins. A single improper cut could take off a huge value of the stone, so the cuts must be performed by someone experienced in the mining business. Most of the groups in the show have either inherited the mining locations and traditions from their parents or worked in it as a group along with others in the area.
The season’s premiere featured the newest addition to the show. The Digi Diggers were seen using newer mining machinery to do all the mining work. Meanwhile, things get harder for others who only want their efforts to be successful.
Outback Opal Hunters Season 9 Episode 2: Release Date
Outback Opal Hunters Season 9 will be aired on February 23rd, 2023. New episodes of Outback Opal Hunters are released on Thursdays, with each episode lasting around 45-50 minutes.
Outback Opal Hunters Season 9: Where To Watch?
The show aired on Discovery Channel, Australia, at 4:30 am EST. The show is also available to watch at Foxtel, Quest (UK), and Discovery+. Canadian viewers can watch the previous episodes on CTV. A few shorter episodes are uploaded on Quest’s YouTube Channel.
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