A day at The Isa

 Awake before dawn , we turned & went back to sleep till 8am . An excellent sleep with very little noise . 

 We decided to have a day out of the ute , so got the bikes down and went for a ride instead. We went down to the main road through town and headed back east to the lookout - we walked the bikes up the hill and rested at the top , taking in the 360 degree views . 

Mt Isa is built beside 3 mines that dominate the landscape , the city seems to take 2nd place hiding in the valley below . They mine Lead , Silver , Zinc & Copper .

 It is the largest place you drive into when going into Queensland from Northern Territory , so there is quite a bit of traffic flow through town . 

 We went down to Outback at Isa - at the visitor info centre , and had a look around - we will come back to here later to check it out properly - there is a mine tour , a fossil exhibition and an art exhibition .

Mining memorial - 75 years of mining in Mt Isa

 We had lunch outside and headed down the street to get some essentials, before making our way back to the park .

 We thought it would be nice to have a swim in the pool , but the water temperature kept us out of the water . Some salsa & beer would have to substitute for the swim .

 Time for some research on places to go and things to do & see , as we will be heading into the Northern Territory in the next week or so . 

 Some early warning for you , internet will be a bit marginal in the next week or two , so blog reports might be a bit hit & miss , but we will catch up !!

Up the mountains

 After a late night , we didn't surface till 8am . After breakfast we packed up and hitched up , before saying our goodbyes to Arthur & Alison who were also on their way - they were off to Winton as part of their trip home . We all enjoyed our evening , it was great to catch up with them .
 The water watch in the ute was playing up again , so I rang the guys at AJ Auto's for some advice - before long we were talking to the manufacturer , who is sending a new sensor unit to us .
 We headed off about 10am , finally !! As we got out of town the landscape started to hit us , there were hills , as we drove further there were more hills , then mountains . Every time we came over a rise in the road , the vista in front of us changed , you looked to the side and you could see mountains in the distance , they seemed to overlap each other into the distance - we're not talking high mountains , but mountains all the same . The rocks were all different colours - orange , cream , dark brown & red . This was one of the best drives we've done - the scenery was totally unexpected ( we really didn't know what to expect ) .

 The road took us past Mary Kathleen , now a deserted uranium mine - the township was packed up and moved away when the mine was shut down . The scenery here was also amazing - steep rocky hills /mountains , without a lot of vegetation .

 The country we were driving through was generally uphill , but undulating with sweeping bends & turns . Two power lines followed us most of the way , going up & over the hills or through the gaps between them . The valleys seemed to close up a little with the hills starting to close in , the closer we got to Mt Isa .

 Before much longer , we found our first views of Mt Isa .

 The first things we saw , were the chimney stacks , then the stockpiles of ore . We weren't aware of how much this dominates Mt Isa - when you drive in , its like you've driven into a mine site , and all of a sudden there is a town spreading out in front of the mine .

 We drove around to the Top Tourist Park , to find they were full - they had one powered site for one night only , the non powered sites were all full as well - we rang another park that is situated on the Leichhardt River , and that could accommodate us . We have a site with river frontage !! Pity someone told the river not to show up , it is a dry river bed with much grass & trees growing in it . So our water views are only available when doing the washing up or showering !!!

 Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.k06UNIsUQg1c&usp=sharing

Surprise Meeting

 After a great nights sleep , we get up at 8am - sleep in Yeah !!
  We got organised , and headed down to the info centre - it just happened to be market day as well . We parked and wandered in , then a couple caught our eye , it just happened to be some of our friends - Arthur & Alison Hollins , previously from Moss Vale , but now in Crookwell , they are escaping winter as well . They had just come into town from west of here to empty tanks and fill up with water, before continuing back south . We told them where we were , and they would stay there as well , so we could catch up later in the day .
 We all went into the centre and got a map of town , and other stuff , before heading off in separate directions for the day .
 There is a lookout on the western side of town that gives you 360 degree views of Cloncurry and surrounding area . There are a lot of flat topped hills around in the distance , with low rocky outcrops closer to town .

 Next it was on to Chinamans Creek Dam - only a few kilometres away . It was down about 2m from full height , but still a great sight in the dry area we were now in .

 From here we drove down to the spillway and across it and went for a drive around the rocky hill in the photo . There was a track all the way round , with a couple of sections requiring 4wd , which we breezed through , Of course !!! 

 There was wattle trees around the place that had tiny flower spikes and very narrow , pointy leaves .

 The rocky hill we were driving around was interesting , with so much dark rock littering the lower hills around it .

 We came back to the spillway and watched the whistling kites for a while . They seemed to be just circling around , not doing too much of anything , then they started to feed on little fish in the murky waters .

 They swooped from great height and hit the water with their talons , picking up small fish about 30mm long , before flying back upwards , then eating it as they flew around - as can be seen in the last photo above !! It was an amazing display that we watch for about 30 mins . 

 It was getting warm in the sun , so we headed back to the ute for a drink and to go back and get some lunch . Before that though , we headed toward the tip - yes the rubbish tip - we noticed yesterday on the way in to town a ridge of dark rock with a section of white rock on the southern end - it looked strange . 

 After lunch we headed out again to the airport , where the Qantas Hangar is still in use - Cloncurry was the destination for the first flight from Longreach . We would have had a look , except it was barricaded off  for extensions & other building work . Back in to town and the Heritage Walk - we drove it as it was getting warm . There are some nice buildings here , now it is predominantly a trucking town , with lots of depots , and many more trucks & trailers . We went down to the Chinese Cemetery for a look , but there wasn't much there either . 

 We filled up with fuel at $1.355 at an unmanned station , then went east of town for a look , then back to the park so I could wash the dust off the ute - and there was plenty of it !!! 

 Before long it was time for a beer or 3 and catch up with Arthur & Alison , that stretched on well after the sun went down - we finally had some tea at 9pm .

 Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kuXAAaGvrQhI&usp=sharing

Shopping Day 27/6/15

 Awake to the sounds of road trains today , then birds , then others packing up again . Last night it was feral cats fighting - there must be quite a few around as we saw one out in the middle of nowhere yesterday . 

  Anyway , we were up at sunup - 7am , we had to pack up and head down the road to Cloncurry - we needed to shop otherwise tea may be interesting tonight .

 Lyn hitched up , and we were off - must have made it at least 5klms before the water watch started to beep at us ( the water watch is in the ute and detects water in the fuel before it's too late ) . We pulled over and popped the bonnet , followed all the directions , draining the fuel bowl and put it back together , before pumping fuel back through the system to remove air locks in the fuel line . Starting up again it started to beep again , so we drained it again , all the while thinking about what to do ( go back to Burke & Wills & wait hours for road service , or continue on to Cloncurry ???? ) We started up again and turned around , it beeped a couple of times , then stopped , so we turned back around and headed for Cloncurry , there was plenty of passing caravans & road trains today - someone must have opened the gate & let them out , it was the most traffic we have seen in weeks .

   The drive otherwise was uneventful - Lyn was quite happy about that , as was I !!! 

 The vegetation changed as we drove , there was green grass beside the road - they must have had some rain down here last week , even the barren flat areas had a slight green tinge to them .

 As we got further , mountain ranges started to appear in the distance , and as we got closer to Cloncurry , the rocky outcrops appeared to be darker rocks , nearer Cloncurry tip there was a ridge of quartz or marble - we're not sure , but may find out tomorrow . Today we were setting up ,washing clothes , having some lunch , chatting to Emma and then shopping before a beer & salsa !!

Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kBCMl3KWo58A&usp=sharing

A walk & a drive

Awake before the birds again , still dark , but someones decided to pack up & get going early , banging and clattering and having no respect for anyone else !! 

 We too had to pack up and get moving . We decided yesterday to do one of the walks at Lawn Hill NP - Jindarri Falls and Duwadarri Lookout - they were both on a loop track , so that was it .

 Packed up and out the gate at 9am ( something about packing up and leaving at 9 - we seem to do that a lot ) , and off to the NP . The parking area was already pretty full , but we got a spot and wandered off down the track . The track was 3.8klms , and would take us up onto the plateau above the gorge , with views of Indarri Falls & the upper gorge , then later , views over the camp area & workers cottages . 

 It was easy going to start with , only some slight uphills , on a gravelly dusty well marked track . Then there was a slight uphill section that took us to the top of the plateau , which opened up to a rocky , barren area , with stunted trees & tufts of grass , and the odd flowering bush .

  We followed the signs , and reached Jindarri Falls lookout , would have been good to have the agility of a mountain goat to get through some parts of the track . Indarri Falls separates the lower and upper gorge sections , it is only about 1.5 m high and made of Tufa Limestone . We carried the kayak between the 2 areas yesterday . The views from 50m above were pretty good - with the colours assaulting your eyes - there was the green of the water , Cabbage & Pandanus Palms , the red of the rocks , the cream colour of the grass and the stunning blue sky !!!!

 Continuing on , we climbed up & down several times . There were even a few lizards running around the place , birds were chirping happily and flitting between the trees & grass.

  There are a few places up on the plateau that could bring you unstuck if you weren’t watching where you were going , with a lot of steep drops down into the gorge - up to about 60m .

 The last uphill section started to take us up to the Duwadarri Lookout , as we approached the lower lookout , two people were coming down , so we stopped and waited . They saw Lyns hat and asked about it ( it was an old hang gliding cap ) , I explained , it turns out he comes from Victoria and is also a hang glider pilot - flew in the 70’s and then took it back up in 2008 , and knows John Greenwood ( who I used to fly with ) and a few other people I have flown with in the past . Small world !! After about half an hour we dragged ourselves away and up to the top lookout . It is about 70m above the camping area and staff cottages . 

 The mountain goat agility again would have been good for the descent from up here , with sloping rock steps , some of which weren’t as wide as your foot , and sloped downwards , which moved your centre of gravity forward making you feel like you are about to tumble forwards !! We made it without any injuries - happy about that !!! If you fell here the rocks would rip you apart rather quickly!!! On the walk we have seen several sections of sandstone that were obviously the bottom of a river or creek or beach at some stage of their history , with the ripples clearly visible and preserved for everyone to see . 

 Another place to put on the list to visit would be Riversleigh - 50klms down the road from here , where there are thousands of fossils of a lot of our fauna & flora that doesn’t exist anymore . We will be back here for sure !!

  The sandstone up here on the plateau is very layered and has many fine lines showing each layer & the different patterns that it made - we aren’t geologists by any measure , but we have learnt heaps while being away !!

  We reached the bottom & walked along the creek back to the carpark and had some lunch before jumping back in the ute and driving back to Burke & Wills Roadhouse to the RV - a round trip of 506 klms since leaving here on Wednesday . Good news , the fuel economy was much better for this side trip :- 13.5 litres per 100klms - yes we weren’t towing , but showed us it must have been a bad batch of diesel fuel from Normanton !!! 

 We got back about 3:30 PM and unpacked and tidied up before sitting & having a well earnt beer , cheese & bickies !!! Now to try & stay awake , as we relax in the recliners . The sun was setting as we had tea , with the sky golden yellow merging into the darker blue of night fall - a perfect way to end this short side trip !!!!

 Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.k0x_Zpm1EH6c&usp=sharing

Paddling in Lawn Hill Creek 25/6/15

Awake before the birds this morning - what !! they had a sleep in !! The suns not up until nearly 7am at the moment . There was a breeze blowing most of the night - when we heard it !! 

 We spent part of the evening beside someone’s fire that they left behind , gazing at the stars and satellites for a couple of hours before going to bed . It was nice to be sitting there , still in shorts & tee shirts . 

 Back to today , we headed in to Lawn Hill National Park , with the sole goal of paddling in the gorge !!! The road in was corrugated like most of the road around here , but the views were stunning with the morning sun hitting the Constance Range - it has some very hard sandstone rock that sticks out due to the softer sandstone rock layers around it eroding .

 It was only 14 degrees when we arrived , so we unloaded and put on a spray jacket to paddle in . We negotiated some steps to get into the water , then jumped in the kayak , an awesome sight unfolded in front of us . The gorge was red rocks , the water green & crystal clear , the sky an awesome blue and the water temperature was warm !!

 The gorge turned and twisted around , we saw turtles and dozens of fish , there was also another canoe following us , but they couldn’t keep up with us - so didn’t spoil our view . The gorge is lined with tall Cabbage Palms and Pandanus Palms along the edge at water level , there were lots of people out walking , we could hear them talking as we silently paddled past - too many palms to see us .

 Before long we had reached a low waterfall - only about one & a half metres tall - but water was flowing in half a dozen different places . This is caused by Tufa - a limestone rock that blocks different layers in the creek , then there’s the effect of calcium rich water , it builds up layer upon layer - about 2.5cm per year . 

 There is an area to pull the kayak out and go up to the next layer and keep going - it was a 40m carry , before setting off again in the next section . More palm lined creek , quite wide in places and quite deep - the deepest section is 27m , but the average is 6m . 

It’s hard to take it all in , you are in the middle of Savannah Grassland / nearly desert and here is this oasis of green , red & blue .

Finally reaching another set of rapids , we got out to see if you can go any further , but there weren’t too many tracks , so we hopped back in an paddled back . That was easy , due to the wind blowing behind us all the way back , we had a headwind on the way up , and the gorge concentrated that wind in places , making it harder to paddle . People in hire canoes were struggling as we headed back . 

  We saw our first freshwater crocodile today - only about 1m long - basking on a branch , till we got too close , then quietly slipping into the water .

 Back to the carry spot , over the track and back in again paddling away - a girl said to her dad - Look how fast they go - he probably hates us now , he had one of the hire canoes and did all the paddling up .

 Before long we were back at the start , and went down as far as we could go before turning back to the steps where we started . The exhilaration from this paddle will last quite a while - we were thinking about some of our other paddles , but this is up there with the best !!!!

 We dried everything and loaded back up , before having some lunch and deciding our next move. 

Back to Adels Grove , and a walk up lookout hill to check the rumour about mobile service - apparently , if you walk up the hill , at a certain point you will get Optus service , but if you want Telstra , you have to go to the top of the hill !!!  Fancy that Optus finally beats Telstra !!! We got to the section where a lot of bored people decided to stack rocks , and lo and behold phone service !!!!! We checked emails & messages , before walking up to the lookout for a 360 degree view of the mountains surrounding us . Lawn Hill Creek stood out in the valley below - with the palms and paperbarks nice and green . The surrounding countryside is barren , and lookout hill is mainly rock .

 We headed back down to the Grove and took the Nature Walk back , it tracks down beside the creek . You get some beautiful views of the creek & can see where the wet season washes a lot of debris down . Trees and logs were jammed up in several places , where we were walking would have been about 7m under water !!! 

 We made it back to the tent in time for a beer & some salsa . Lyn has been busy rekindling the fire from last night , so we can do it all again . All in all , an awesome day !!

Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kt3BYCkWV600&usp=sharing