Cloncurry to Mt Isa

Cloncurry to Mt Isa

It was 11 degrees in the morning – so different to Normanton!

It was only 118kms from Cloncurry to Mt Isa – a very scenic trip. ''Up hills & down dales’ double lanes of bitumen all the way – Barkly Highway. There were great outcrops of incredible coloured strata (vertical & horizontal!) rocks a lot of the way as well as the red/brown ranges.

Not much live wildlife – lots of road kill again. We passed the site of Mary Kathleen where the uranium mine was before the 1970’s. I remember we (Sandy Burns, Denise Pollock & Viv Blandford – from Lake Cargelligo Central School) did a tour to central Australia in 1970.

We stayed at the Top Tourist Caravan Park in Mt Isa – sign said there were no powered sites but we had quite a lot around us. A dirt bowl, on the banks of the creek/river – lots of water. Lake Moondarra is just out of town.

I have been trying to have my hair cut for last 10 days – either no hairdresser in town or one (young, English girl) in Cloncurry could not fit me in until ‘next week’ – not a sign of a person in sight! I asked about an appointment in one shop & was told it was $68 for a cut & blow-wave!!!!!

We went up to the lookout & Information Centre – very informative & have everything from Fossil & Gem ‘Museum/Display” to café to everything else!

We did a tour of the Underground Hospital. It had been built during WW2 in case the Japanese invaded. It was originally built as a air raid shelter but decided a hospital would be imperative.

There was NO PAPERWORK about it anywhere. It was incredibly well thought out, planned & excavated & stocked with EVERYTHING a hospital would need. At the ned of the war the doors were closed & no one knew it was there until the land started to subside in 1970’s & surveyors were sent to have a look. They decided it was too dangerous & sealed it up again until discovered in 1990’s. A group from local community took on restoring it – replaced lots of supports etc but they left everything as it had been in 1940’s. Wonderful!

There was a VERY full free camp by the Leichhardt River near Lake Mary Kathleen.

 We could see the 65 foot, red & white striped chimney of the Mt Isa (silver, lead, zinc & copper) from quite a way out. The town is virtually built alongside it. It’s been there since the late 1920’s.