The night before reaching Mt Isa was spent in a crowded rest area with lots of other travellers. We lit a fire and ended up with a lot of company, including a family with two kids and assorted other visitors. There were two young men sleeping in their 4x4, one Japanese and the other from Taiwan who were thankful for the oranges I gave them. They were snuggled in sleeping bags in the front seat which would have been none too comfortable! We were close enough to the road to hear the road trains roaring past at great speed but nothing keeps us awake for long.
At Mt Isa we called in to the tourist information and then booked into the Big 4 which was a green oasis with excellent facilities. We spent the day sight-seeing.. Visiting the gallery and the Outback At Isa.
Then we drove as far into the mine area as we could... Into another world of dust, holes in the ground and huge processing structures.
The town is sprawling with a lot of trees and has most amenities. We topped up our supplies, had dinner in the camp kitchen and settled down for the night. Quiet .... with the occasional roar of a passing road train in the distance.
The next morning we filled gas bottles and had a look at the very interesting Underground Hospital. In 1942 the Japanese bombed Darwin and it was feared that Mt Isa could be the next target. As a result, the hospital was completed with surgical, medical, maternity and outpatients facilities as well as operating theatres. Fortunately, it was never needed.
The museum attached to the hospital was a trip down memory lane but this mixer was something none of us had seen before. The knob on top is turned to activate the beaters.
We left the town and drove along the gravel road, with spinifex as far as we could see. There was some feral pig road kill on the road with attendant scavengers including the huge wedge-tailed eagles. We have seen a few which have feasted too well and couldn't lift off quickly enough to avoid being skittled!
No comments:
Post a Comment