I would say the ridge has changed a lot since the old days. Your best chance of fossicking well noodling for opals is white cliffs which is more towards W.A but if you're interested in gems I would say Rubyvale in Queensland is a good start. Although you can always drive about 4 hours east to...
Welcome, Bella if you're interested in sapphires Wee Jasper is a good place near you about a 1 and a half west of north-west on Canberra. If you're looking to get into to prospecting/fossicking a good book is a decent way to start.