20:42.6S 139:30.01E

 

Mount Isa

 

 

Good to be camping again.  There is a pool here but it’s so turbid, we haven’t swum much. A tragic little cameo has been going on around the pool, with mum, daughter (13ish) and ?dad all fooling around in the pool, initially having fun.  But i said “I bet he’s not her dad”, because what the couple really wanted to kernoodle (not sure how you spell that) and there was clearly a rivalry thing going on for mum’s attention, so the girl was sulking. We did chat to them later, I was right, mum and daughter are here for a holiday, with new partner who lives here.  There’s a couple more families who seem to live here, and like to talk to their children in very loud voices, so it’s not been very peaceful!

 

But it has been interesting.  The mine is what Mt Isa is about.  They used to take visitors down the mine but there was an accident so it was stopped, but the mining company thoughtfully built a new pithead, lift and mine, just for tourists!  We thought it would be cheesy, but it was very, very good, huge machinery inside, loads of explanation.  They dig out copper, silver and lead and crush and smelt them at Mt Isa.  The lead is sent to England for further processing