is among six monotreme species discovered at Lightning Ridge opal fields Scientists have discovered a bizarre creature dubbed the "echidnapus" which they believe roamed Australia in prehistoric times.

South Australia supplies 80% of the world's opals ... when in March they won a free lottery to mine a newly reopened opal field. The pair, along with about 50 other miners, were chosen at random ...

Rain in the outback South Australian town of Andamooka usually ... Leila Day, chair of the Andamooka Opal Fields Tourism Association, stumbled across an opal find after this week's downpour.