# Outback Opal Hunters

Outback Opal Hunters is an Australian factual television show which follows opal miners across various sites in the Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. The series is produced by Prospero Productions and began on the Discovery Channel on 8 February 2018. The series has been a ratings success and has been broadcast in over 100 countries including the United Kingdom and United States.
The eighth season concluded on 12 May 2022.

## Premise

The series follows opal miners in various locations of Australia as they strive to reach their individually set season target (measured in Australian dollars).

## Production

In August 2017 it was announced Discovery had commissioned Outback Opal Hunters, a factual series from Prospero Productions which follows opal miners across New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD) and Coober Pedy, South Australia (SA). The eight episode first season premiered on 8 February 2018. In September 2018 it was announced the series had been renewed for a 13 episode second season which would expand into Western Australia (WA). The second season which was filmed in Lightning Ridge (NSW), Opalton (QLD), Coober Pedy (SA) and Laverton (WA) premiered on 31 January 2019. The third season consisting of eight episodes was filmed across Lightning Ridge (NSW), Opalton (QLD), Laverton (WA), White Cliffs (NSW), Sheepyard (NSW) and Mintabie (SA). The season premiered on 17 October 2019. Season four which consisted of 12 episodes premiered on 6 February 2020. The fifth season premiered on 8 October 2020. In December 2020 it was initially reported as part of Foxtel's 2021 Upfronts the series would return for its sixth season on 11 February 2021. However, the season in fact premiered a week earlier on 4 February 2021. The seventh season premiered on 7 October 2021. The 12 episode eighth season premiered on 24 February 2022.

## Cast

| Name | Nickname | Location | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons |
| Name | Nickname | Location | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Justin Lang | The Rookies | Coober Pedy, SA | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Daniel Becker | The Rookies | Coober Pedy, SA | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Kelly Tishler | The Opal Queen | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Guest | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Mark Tishler | The Opal Queen | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Dwayne Hanrahan | The Opal Queen | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Aaron Grotjahn | Various | Opalton, QLD | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Ron Selig | Various | Opalton, QLD | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Col Duff | Various | Opalton, QLD | Main | Main | Main | Main | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Greg Geran | Various | Opalton, QLD | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Stoney Cain | The Geran Gang | Opalton, QLD | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Margie Geran | The Geran Gang | Opalton, QLD | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Peter Cooke | Various | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Mick Cooke | Various | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Sam Westra | Various | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Adam Piromanski, Cassidy Ricketts, Peter Piromanski, and Vikki Piromanski | The Fire Crew | Western Australia | Does not appear | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Rod Manning and Les Walsh | The Bushmen | Sheepyard, NSW | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Carl Grice and Mary McMillan | The Brits | White Cliffs, NSW | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Jaymin Sullivan, Noah McDonough and James ‘JC’ Caruana | The Young Guns | White Cliffs, NSW | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Rodney Pearse | The Tunnel Rats | Mintabie, SA (seasons 3-4) Grawin, NSW (season 6) | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Bayden Pearse | The Tunnel Rats | Mintabie, SA (seasons 3-4) Grawin, NSW (season 6) | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Does not appear | Main | Main | Does not appear |
| Elisa Grobe | The Tunnel Rats | Mintabie, SA (seasons 3-4) Grawin, NSW (season 6) | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Does not appear | Main | Main | Does not appear |
| Gavan McFarlan, Connie McFarlan and Teagan McFarlan | — | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Chris Cheal | The Cheals | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Oscar Cheal | The Cheals | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Farren Lamb | The Cheals | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Does not appear | Main | Main |
| Rory Cheal | The Cheals | Lightning Ridge, NSW | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Paul Coon | The Blacklighters | Coober Pedy, SA | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Mark I’Anson | The Blacklighters | Coober Pedy, SA | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| John Nassar | The Blacklighters | Coober Pedy, SA | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Xavier Montgomery | The Blacklighters | Coober Pedy, SA | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main |
| Greg Scully, Scott Stevens | The Bishop | Coober Pedy, SA | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main |
| Isaac Andreou | Opal Whisperers | Yowah, QLD | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main |
| Sofia Andreou | Opal Whisperers | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main |
| Chris Daff | Opal Whisperers | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Micky Taranto, Joe Taranto, Jack Taranto, Viviane Taranto, and Natasha Owen | The Tarantos | Opalton, QLD | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main |
| Joe Kalmar, Angel Dempsey, and Juan Vasco | The Misfits | Andamooka, SA | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main |
| Leif Tanzer, Colin 'Cozza' Kathagen and Matthew 'Matt' Kathagen | The Mooka Boys | Andamooka, SA | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main |
* ↑ For seasons one and two, Col Duff, Aaron Grotjahn and Greg Geran were featured as a team called Col's Crew. After Duff departed the team, the crew was referred to as the Boulder Boys.
* ↑ Col Duff initially starred in the first two seasons of the series as part of Col's Crew. He then appeared independently for seasons three and four, was absent from season five, and then returned in season six as part of The Geran Gang.
* ↑ Greg Geran initially starred in the first two seasons of the series as part of Col's Crew. In season six Geran returned to the series in a team called The Geran Gang.
* ↑ For seasons one and two the team was nicknamed The Cooke Brothers. Following the departure of Mick Cooke in season two, the team was later nicknamed The Bros for seasons three and four before dropping the nickname in season five.

## Episodes
### Series overview

Series overview :
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | 8 February 2018 (2018-02-08) | 29 March 2018 (2018-03-29) |
| 2 | 13 | 13 | 21 January 2019 (2019-01-21) | 25 April 2019 (2019-04-25) |
| 3 | 8 | 8 | 17 October 2019 (2019-10-17) | 5 December 2019 (2019-12-05) |
| 4 | 12 | 12 | 6 February 2020 (2020-02-06) | 23 April 2020 (2020-04-23) |
| 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 October 2020 (2020-10-08) | 26 November 2020 (2020-11-26) |
| 6 | 12 | 12 | 4 February 2021 (2021-02-04) | 22 April 2021 (2021-04-22) |
| 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 October 2021 (2021-10-07) | 25 November 2021 (2021-11-25) |
| 8 | 12 | 12 | 24 February 2022 (2022-02-24) | 12 May 2022 (2022-05-12) |

### Season 1 (2018)

Outback Opal Hunters season one episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Australia viewers |
| 1 | 1 | "Opal Fever" | 8 February 2018 (2018-02-08) | 71,000 |
| 2 | 2 | "The Sky is Falling" | 15 February 2018 (2018-02-15) | 73,000 |
| 3 | 3 | "The Legend Returns" | 22 February 2018 (2018-02-22) | 69,000 |
| 4 | 4 | "Attack of the Cacti" | 1 March 2018 (2018-03-01) | 75,000 |
| 5 | 5 | "Brother vs. Brother" | 8 March 2018 (2018-03-08) | 71,000 |
| 6 | 6 | "Rookies are the Bomb" | 15 March 2018 (2018-03-15) | 53,000 |
| 7 | 7 | "Cave-Ins and Explosions" | 22 March 2018 (2018-03-22) | 41,000 |
| 8 | 8 | "Aerial Opal Shopping" | 29 March 2018 (2018-03-29) | 43,000 |

### Season 2 (2019)

Outback Opal Hunters season two episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Australia viewers |
| 9 | 1 | "Rookie Mistakes" | 31 January 2019 (2019-01-31) | 37,000 |
| 10 | 2 | "Wild Wild West" | 7 February 2019 (2019-02-07) | 38,000 |
| 11 | 3 | "Going Under" | 14 February 2019 (2019-02-14) | 41,000 |
| 12 | 4 | "Risky Business" | 21 February 2019 (2019-02-21) | 60,000 |
| 13 | 5 | "Hot Hot Hot" | 28 February 2019 (2019-02-28) | 52,000 |
| 14 | 6 | "Machine Mayhem" | 7 March 2019 (2019-03-07) | 54,000 |
| 15 | 7 | "Against All Odds" | 14 March 2019 (2019-03-14) | N/A |
| 16 | 8 | "Blue Fire Opal or Bust" | 21 March 2019 (2019-03-21) | 47,000 |
| 17 | 9 | "Race Against Time" | 28 March 2019 (2019-03-28) | 35,000 |
| 18 | 10 | "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures" | 4 April 2019 (2019-04-04) | 45,000 |
| 19 | 11 | "Battling Back" | 11 April 2019 (2019-04-11) | 44,000 |
| 20 | 12 | "Make or Break" | 18 April 2019 (2019-04-18) | 38,000 |
| 21 | 13 | "Last Chance (fk u forbesy)" | 25 April 2019 (2019-04-25) | 50,000 |

### Season 3 (2019)

Outback Opal Hunters season three episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Australia viewers |
| 22 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 17 October 2019 (2019-10-17) | 63,000 |
| 23 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 24 October 2019 (2019-10-24) | 67,000 |
| 24 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 31 October 2019 (2019-10-31) | 60,000 |
| 25 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 7 November 2019 (2019-11-07) | 62,000 |
| 26 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 14 November 2019 (2019-11-14) | 62,000 |
| 27 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 21 November 2019 (2019-11-21) | 59,000 |
| 28 | 7 | "Episode 7" | 28 November 2019 (2019-11-28) | 68,000 |
| 29 | 8 | "Episode 8" | 5 December 2019 (2019-12-05) | 59,000 |

### Season 4 (2020)

Outback Opal Hunters season four episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Australia viewers |
| 30 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 6 February 2020 (2020-02-06) | 45,000 |
| 31 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 13 February 2020 (2020-02-13) | 56,000 |
| 32 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 20 February 2020 (2020-02-20) | 66,000 |
| 33 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 27 February 2020 (2020-02-27) | 71,000 |
| 34 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 5 March 2020 (2020-03-05) | 55,000 |
| 35 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 12 March 2020 (2020-03-12) | 52,000 |
| 36 | 7 | "Episode 7" | 19 March 2020 (2020-03-19) | 49,000 |
| 37 | 8 | "Episode 8" | 26 March 2020 (2020-03-26) | 60,000 |
| 38 | 9 | "Episode 9" | 2 April 2020 (2020-04-02) | 62,000 |
| 39 | 10 | "Episode 10" | 9 April 2020 (2020-04-09) | 75,000 |
| 40 | 11 | "Episode 11" | 16 April 2020 (2020-04-16) | 99,000 |
| 41 | 12 | "Episode 12" | 23 April 2020 (2020-04-23) | 95,000 |

### Season 5 (2020)

Outback Opal Hunters season five episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Australia viewers |
| 42 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 8 October 2020 (2020-10-08) | 58,000 |
| 43 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 15 October 2020 (2020-10-15) | 54,000 |
| 44 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 22 October 2020 (2020-10-22) | 58,000 |
| 45 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 29 October 2020 (2020-10-29) | 55,000 |
| 46 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 5 November 2020 (2020-11-05) | 50,000 |
| 47 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 12 November 2020 (2020-11-12) | 71,000 |
| 48 | 7 | "Episode 7" | 19 November 2020 (2020-11-19) | 73,000 |
| 49 | 8 | "Episode 8" | 26 November 2020 (2020-11-26) | 69,000 |

### Season 6 (2021)

Outback Opal Hunters season six episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Australia viewers |
| 50 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 4 February 2021 (2021-02-04) | 75,000 |
| 51 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 11 February 2021 (2021-02-11) | 56,000 |
| 52 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 18 February 2021 (2021-02-18) | 73,000 |
| 53 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 25 February 2021 (2021-02-25) | 60,000 |
| 54 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 4 March 2021 (2021-03-04) | 65,000 |
| 55 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 11 March 2021 (2021-03-11) | 59,000 |
| 56 | 7 | "Episode 7" | 18 March 2021 (2021-03-18) | 69,000 |
| 57 | 8 | "Episode 8" | 25 March 2021 (2021-03-25) | 59,000 |
| 58 | 9 | "Episode 9" | 1 April 2021 (2021-04-01) | 62,000 |
| 59 | 10 | "Episode 10" | 8 April 2021 (2021-04-08) | 55,000 |
| 60 | 11 | "Episode 11" | 15 April 2021 (2021-04-15) | 55,000 |
| 61 | 12 | "Episode 12" | 22 April 2021 (2021-04-22) | 71,000 |

### Season 7 (2021)

Outback Opal Hunters season seven episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Australia viewers |
| 62 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 7 October 2021 (2021-10-07) | 60,000 |
| 63 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 14 October 2021 (2021-10-14) | 69,000 |
| 64 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 21 October 2021 (2021-10-21) | 54,000 |
| 65 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 28 October 2021 (2021-10-28) | 62,000 |
| 66 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 4 November 2021 (2021-11-04) | 53,000 |
| 67 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 11 November 2021 (2021-11-11) | 55,000 |
| 68 | 7 | "Episode 7" | 18 November 2021 (2021-11-18) | 50,000 |
| 69 | 8 | "Episode 8" | 25 November 2021 (2021-11-25) | 45,000 |

### Season 8 (2022)

Outback Opal Hunters season eight episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Australia viewers |
| 70 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 24 February 2022 (2022-02-24) | 46,000 |
| 71 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 3 March 2022 (2022-03-03) | 27,000 |
| 72 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 10 March 2022 (2022-03-10) | N/A |
| 73 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 17 March 2022 (2022-03-17) | 31,000 |
| 74 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 24 March 2022 (2022-03-24) | 38,000 |
| 75 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 31 March 2022 (2022-03-31) | 44,000 |
| 76 | 7 | "Episode 7" | 7 April 2022 (2022-04-07) | 39,000 |
| 77 | 8 | "Episode 8" | 14 April 2022 (2022-04-14) | 44,000 |
| 78 | 9 | "Episode 9" | 21 April 2022 (2022-04-21) | 43,000 |
| 79 | 10 | "Episode 10" | 28 April 2022 (2022-04-28) | 38,000 |
| 80 | 11 | "Episode 11" | 5 May 2022 (2022-05-05) | 36,000 |
| 81 | 12 | "Episode 12" | 12 May 2022 (2022-05-12) | 60,000 |

## Broadcast

As of May 2020 the series has been broadcast in over 100 countries, including in the United Kingdom on Quest, and in the United States on Discovery Channel.

## Reception
### Ratings

The series has been a domestic and international ratings success. Executive producer Darren Chau, speaking with Mediaweek in May 2020 said, "Aussie Gold Hunters has been the #1 factual series on Foxtel for the last three successive years. Outback Opal Hunters is right behind it." Additionally he said in the United Kingdom "Outback Opal Hunters is top five on Quest", and in the United States it airs on the Discovery Channel where it premiered in November 2019 "so successful they immediately rolled into season two" and it airs "on the channel's biggest night of the week".

### Accolades

The series was nominated for Best Documentary Series at the Screen Producers Australia Awards in 2018.