Mt Isa

This will be our third night in Mt Isa.  We had a good drive from Winton arriving in town mid afternoon Friday. The chimneys of the 3 mines dominate the skyline in this town. This town is reminiscent of Alice Springs, but being a mining town it is a little rough around the edges.  They have funny shopping hours here - Sunday the town closes ALL DAY!!!  A couple of servos open and of course the pubs, but nothing else.  The town is ringed by the typical spinifex covered red hills, they are really beautiful - the sky so blue, the trees so green. Then because the town is in drought, there is the dust.  Oh and the weather is beautiful, eat your hearts out guys it is about 30+ here each day and it has not even got cold at night.  Think I will stay!!
On Saturday we 'did' Mt Isa.  First stop was the Hard Times Mine.  It is a purpose built tourist mine, absolutely fascinating.  It is only about 60' below ground but to all intents and purposes it is a real mine.  There is about 1.5 k's of tunnels with real machinery that you either get to operate of see being operated.  Our tour guide was a retired miner who used to work in the big mine here.  He said he worked on level 19 of 29 levels, the depth of the mine was 2 miles and there was over 1000 k's of roadways.
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and recommend it to anyone coming to The Isa.  (That means you Eric and Ann).
After the tour we visited the Underground Hospital.  This was built during WW2 as they were worried that the Japs might bomb the town.  It was never actually used and after the war was closed down, covered up and forgotten about.  In the late 70's while investigating land subsidence at the proper hospital next door, the underground hospital was rediscovered.  Eventually a group of locals got together and renovated  the hospital.  Most of the hospital was still there, beds, operating equipment, medical supplies - so to visit the underground hospital is something of a time warp and well worth a visit.
We later went back to the Hard Times Mine complex and visited the Riversleigh Fossil display, again an extremely well done exhibition where they not only have fossils but from the fossils found at Riversleigh have managed to recreate animals which roamed this country 20+M years ago.
Today (Sunday) we took a drive out to Lake Moondarra which is a man made lake and the towns water supply.  It is a great spot for the locals to do a bit of boating and fishing.
Tomorrow morning we head out of here and will cross over into the NT for a one nighter at Three
Ways, unless we can get further. Then we will head up towards Daley Waters, hop on to the Buchanan Highway and head off towards Timber Creek, then on to Kununurra for a few days.  So there may not be a post for about 3 days.
And now tonight we are going to celebrate Mikes BIG birthday in the Buff.
Till next time..