Mark swung back onto the machinery that had come so close to ending his life.

The Mooka Boys enter the coming season diminished by the absence of their chief mechanic, Leif Tanzer. Adding to their troubles, thieves targeting opals have plundered the Bushmen’s claim.

The excavator stalled, and Mark, ever resourceful, devised a solution that proved surprisingly expensive. Meanwhile, Lee and Roger’s aging, temperamental engine stubbornly refused to turn over.

For the opal enthusiasts, a journey to Diggers Gully proved rewarding. The Cheals, however, appear to be experiencing a less fortunate outcome with their investment in the Turners Rush claim.

The already precarious situation of Slim Pickings worsens when an unforeseen injury suddenly removes a key member, shocking Roger. Meanwhile, at their desolate claim, the Misfits splinter, each pursuing their own destructive path.

Hardship seemed to follow the Bushmen; Rod and Les, in their eagerness to assist Sam with her new claim, nearly dismantled her hoisting equipment.

"Opal" Joe Kalmar delivered a sharp rebuke to the Misfits, expressing his displeasure at their meager opal yield. Meanwhile, the Cheals’ large prospecting drill was rendered useless, bogged down by thick mud.

Deep within their subterranean mine, the Bushmen encountered a formidable presence. The Opal Lovers sought assistance from a pair of amiable travelers on the road.