Way back in 1990 when I did a round-Australia trip with my family I was really upset that I couldn't go with Dad on the underground mine tour because I was too young. One day I thought, I'll go back to Mt Isa and I can go down hundreds of metres underground to see the mine. Sadly, they no longer do the mine tours and they've build a little dummy mine 25m underground in town next to the tourist office. Dammit!
We did the tour anyway and it was actually ok. You get a pretty good feel for what it's like and rather than seeing the latest equipment, you see a range of older gear (obviously outdated stuff no longer useful) which gives a good sense of how hard it was in the past (not that it's a fun job now).
Popped into a fishing shop to pick up some yabbie pots and we were lucky enough to meet the local fish stocking society president who was more than happy to take half an hour of his time (he didn't work in the shop) to tell us all about yabbies, barra and various other fishing tips. Absolute legend!
Trucked west out of the Isa and fairly soon we crossed into the Northern Territory! Getting a lot flatter and more remote-feeling by the minute. Spent the night at the Barkly Roadhouse and we served by yet another English girl of the same generous proportions as the one in Longreach. We're starting to develop a theory that these young ladies travel out to the middle of nowhere in search of "love" with truckies and bushmen who are perhaps less picky in their selection of lady friends.
