Walgett likes to describe itself as 'The Gateway to the Opal Fields' because it is an ideal place to stay before heading off to the huge opal mining settlement of Lightning Ridge (76 km away) and the smaller opal fields at Grawin, Glengarry and the Sheepyard Opal Fields, all of which are located north-west of Walgett.
In reality it is also just a really nice place to stay where the people are friendly and the sense of 'Outback' is cleverly merged with the facilities and amenities of a larger town.
The town is located by the Namoi River near its junction with the Barwon River in northern NSW, 696 km north-west of Sydney and is the centre for the surrounding rural area which is based around the production of wool, beef cattle, fat lambs, sheep studs and wheat. Its attractive riverside location also makes it an ideal spot for fishing: Murray cod and yellowbelly being the predominant catches.
If you are interested in bird watching then a trip out to Narran Lake, 96 km west of the town, is well worth the effort. It is one of Australia's largest natural inland lakes.
