MT ISA TO JULIA CREEK

Mt Isa exists only because of the mines,  the reason for the town's beginnings in 1923 and remaining the dominant feature of the landscape. They employ 7,000 of the 23,000 population so it has a big economic impact as well.  We did a surface tour of the mines and smelter (without getting out of the bus)- it was much more interesting than I expected.  They mine copper underground currently, but within a few years all the existing infrastructure will disappear, being taken apart for scrap, and they will commence digging a great big super-pit, an open cut mine that extends for five kilometres to a depth of 800 metres.

       250 tonne trucks all driven by women.
There is already an open-cut mining lead, zinc and silver, which will continue operating. Apparently the prevailing wind blows away from the town, so no lead is blown onto the town.  Wonder why they have TV ads reminding mums to wash kiddie's hands frequently and to wet wipe floors and benches often- put out by the Lead Alliance.  We found the air rather polluted although not as badly as you'd think.

There's a good shopping centre and a lovely lake which forms the local water supply.  

               Lake Moondarra, near Mt Isa

We also toured the Underground Hospital, a WWII relic- after the bombing of Darwin, the locals thought Mt Isa would be the next target (mines producing metal for ammo) and if the hospital was hit, what would they do?  So they went underground- digging equipment provided by the mines, but voluntary labour did the work.  Thankfully never needed.

          Underground hospital, Mt Isa.

This morning we've moved on to Julia Creek, where we are staying in a lovely freebie near the waterholes which in the wet season are the creek. We're about to ride our bikes into the attractive little town, about a kilometre away. Tomorrow we'll go to Richmond, then Hughenden, before turning south to Winton and Longreach, where Chris has organised to have the car serviced.  We'll be at Longreach until Sunday week at least.  From now on we should be in biggish towns, hence mobile coverage most of the time.