Lake Moondarra - Mount Isa

This is one of the most beautiful spots in Mount Isa and the Lake and Dam are over 400 sq miles and

it has at least 2 islands in it. It has a lovely recreational area which has bouys to stop boats from coming too near to the edge so that children can swim in it and there are fishing spots, covered table areas and BBQ's. We had a great time and stayed all day.

Lake Moondarra foreshore

another view of the foreshore

Looking across to one of the islands

covered picnic areas

Stephen weighing up fishing options

View from the lookout at the Dam wall

View from lookout showing two of the islands

another view from the lookout

Mount Isa

We travelled to Mt Isa to stay with friends for a few days and what a lovely time we had. Alison didn't let me cook one main meal while we were there and she made some beautiful food for us. Unfortunately we only had one complete day with Russell as he had to work. He works four on four off for the mine company.Still we enjoyed our time there and visited some unusual places as you will be able to see from the photos.

Inside the visitor information centre

The visitor Information centre

The underground hospital - next to the main hospital

This was an escape hatch in case the tunnels were blocked

A cupboard still full of crockery for use in the underground hospital

Beds in the tunnels

One of the old patients - no only kidding

A human skeleton used for training purposes

A tent house - Solid roof and frame the rest was canvas

View from the lookout towards Mount Isa

Another view from the lookout

Cloncurry

We left Richmond and headed towards Julia Creek, we were intending to stay there but decided to press on to Cloncurry. We stayed at the Discovery Holiday park, large drive through sites , clean amenities and lots of purposely built units for the miners. It had rained the night before and they had a thunder storm so the first night was quite cool but the next day made up for this. We are staying here for three days and then travelling to Mt Isa.

The Caravan Park entrance

Another shot of the entrance

 We visited the John Flynn memorial centre which has all the historyof the Royal Flying Doctor Service and exhibitions of the early radios and an art gallery

Me listening to an actual broadcast from a station asking for help from the Flying Doctor Service

The next day we visited the visitor information centre which houses a small outside museum

  of old farm equipment

An old Ambulance

Traction engine

Steam engine

The view looking towards Cloncurry from the lookout

Cloncurry Dam

Another view of the Dam

Richmond

We left Hughenden on Wednesday and headed to Richmond where we stayed for three nights.

The campsite was next to lake Fred Tritton and this had a lovely walking path around it and a water play area for children. Richmond itself is very small and a lot of stores have closed down but Kronosaurus Corner is well worth going to see.This is a place where you can go to relax and do nothing.

Sunset at Sunset Lookout Hughenden

Almost last shot of the sun going down

Last shot

 We are not professional photographers but these images of the sun going down aren't bad for a small digital camera.

Richmond Caravan Park entrance

Bush Tucker gardens on the walkway to the Lake

Play area for children on the side of the Lake

Lake Fred Tritton

Kronosaurus Korner

Fossil display

Fossil Display

Fossil Display

Fossil Display

A living fossil (Me)

Wednesday 26th September

Today is for relaxing - hence all the catch up posts. We did some shopping and my brother rang from England to say he was now a Grandad. His son Carl and his girlfriend had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl over 8lbs and they have named her Olivia - he is over the moon and rightly so.

Just before lunch we decided to visit the six Mt Walker Lookouts so here are the pictures.

Raey Lookout

Jardine Valley Lookout

Mount Etna Lookout

Sunset Lookout

Ironbark Lookout

Hughenden Lookout

As you can see from these pictures the area is very dry and I am sure that it would look dramatically different in the wet

Porcupine Gorge

Porcupine Gorge is a gealogical formation not unlike the Grand Canyon in America, and is approximately 60-70 kilometres from Hughenden. We visited a couple of places on the way as  per the visitor fact sheet and one of these was Eagle Hawk Gorge Lookout.

Unusual tree at the top of the lookout

Eagle Hawk Gorge

This is just to show that I climbed the hill to the top of the gorge lookout

We then proceeded to Porcupine Gorge Lookout which just takes your breath away, don't know if the photos will do it justice.

We then went to Porcupine National park Campground and walking track down to the bottom of the Gorge.It says in the brochures that the Gorge walk is 2.4klms - what it doesn't say is that it is straight down and then you have to climb back up.  the walk down seemed like 7klms and I was tired out by then, and extremely hot ( it was 38 degrees that day). Stephen did his best to placate me as I kept winging about not being able to get back up (he is so patient). He had to take his felt cowboy hat off and dunk it in the water to keep my head cool (worked a treat). the Gorge bottom is beautiful and has pools that you can swim in so Stephen had a dip. Then it was time to go back up. Oh my what a time I had I thought I was going to die, kept having to stop and take a breather, eventually we ran out of water so Stephen found me a shady place to rest while he ran back up to the car to get more water and lemonade for a sugar fix for me. The trip down took 30 minutes but the trip up took one and a half hours. Never again. We think it was the heat that caught me unawares as I have been doing ok with the walking and climbing.

A small pool at the bottom of the gorge

Pyramid Porcupine Groge

Stephen swimming in a pool at the base of the Pyramid