Winton photos are first. Still cannot get my printing to wrap around the photos.
MT. ISA-WINTON
Mt. Isa was a blessing to experience because it was the biggest town we had been in since leaving the Atherton Tablelands. I managed to get a haircut and shop at “Woollies”. Thought we were only going to stay a few days, but along with having the truck serviced and ordering new brake drums for the rig, it took longer. It was Wed. 7th Oct. and were told to expect the drums by Sat. but, to no avail. And still did not arrive till the following Tues. We did manage to get a good look around the district. Of course this is a mining community with a population of 22,000. It’s main financial base is the huge Mt. Isa Mine, the world’s largest single producer of copper, silver, lead and zinc. We were camped up in the Copper City Caravan Park and we had neighbours who also had a mechanical problem and took them 1 week just to get spark plugs for her jeep. Michele, her daughter Emily and their lovely lab. Shadow, kept us company also for a few days. They were moving to make a new home in Brisbane from Darwin. Thankyou, Michele and Emily it was a pleasure to meet you and we’re sure to keep in touch. Mt. Isa is also home to the biggest Irish Club in the world. Decided to check it out one night for dinner and was picked up by their courtesy bus. Last return bus for the evening is 12 midnight. Although we were home well and truly before that. The club is just amazing, most beautiful decor and so many different areas to meet all needs. Well worth a visit. Another really well appointed club in Mt. Isa is The Buffs Club who also provide a courtesy bus. Lake Moondarra is only a short distance from town and where the locals go to relax and picnic with boating and water sports. We took a picnic lunch just to check it out. What a beautiful spot. A truly oasis in the desert. After the new brake drums fitted we headed off on Wed. 14th Oct. at 6.00am. Stopped at a rest area the other side of Cloncurry for breakfast before 8.00am. then onto Winton via the Landsborough Highway, total distance 460klms for the day. Because we had a few stops we found the travelling quite comfortable.
The North Gregory Hotel in Winton has an area out the back for travellers where we stopped over for 2 nights. This is a free service, and as it was a little dusty around the van and quite hot, we patronised their hotel for dinner. Showers and toilets are available also for the travellers for those needing them. Winton’s population is 900 and the birthplace of “Waltzing Matilda” and our national airline, "Qantas". “The Waltzing Matilda Centre” is the only museum in the world dedicated to a song. We were so amazed at this place that it took us more than 3hrs to take it all in. Also, this is the first place that we were able to get a really good coffee, other than making our own. It has been put together really, really well. If you are interested in dinosaurs this is the place where you will find a lot of answers. Winton is one of Australia’s most concentrated areas of dinosaur finds, with Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways, the site of the world’s only recorded evidence of a dinosaur stampede. The Corfield and Fitzmaurice Building in town houses displays from the Australian Age of Dinosaurs fossil collection. Just behind the North Gregory Hotel is Arno’s Wall, over 10m long & 2m high in which everything can be found, including the kitchen sink.
MT. ISA-WINTONMt. Isa was a blessing to experience because it was the biggest town we had been in since leaving the Atherton Tablelands. I managed to get a haircut and shop at “Woollies”. Thought we were only going to stay a few days, but along with having the truck serviced and ordering new brake drums for the rig, it took longer. It was Wed. 7th Oct. and were told to expect the drums by Sat. but, to no avail. And still did not arrive till the following Tues. We did manage to get a good look around the district. Of course this is a mining community with a population of 22,000. It’s main financial base is the huge Mt. Isa Mine, the world’s largest single producer of copper, silver, lead and zinc. We were camped up in the Copper City Caravan Park and we had neighbours who also had a mechanical problem and took them 1 week just to get spark plugs for her jeep. Michele, her daughter Emily and their lovely lab. Shadow, kept us company also for a few days. They were moving to make a new home in Brisbane from Darwin. Thankyou, Michele and Emily it was a pleasure to meet you and we’re sure to keep in touch. Mt. Isa is also home to the biggest Irish Club in the world. Decided to check it out one night for dinner and was picked up by their courtesy bus. Last return bus for the evening is 12 midnight. Although we were home well and truly before that. The club is just amazing, most beautiful decor and so many different areas to meet all needs. Well worth a visit. Another really well appointed club in Mt. Isa is The Buffs Club who also provide a courtesy bus. Lake Moondarra is only a short distance from town and where the locals go to relax and picnic with boating and water sports. We took a picnic lunch just to check it out. What a beautiful spot. A truly oasis in the desert. After the new brake drums fitted we headed off on Wed. 14th Oct. at 6.00am. Stopped at a rest area the other side of Cloncurry for breakfast before 8.00am. then onto Winton via the Landsborough Highway, total distance 460klms for the day. Because we had a few stops we found the travelling quite comfortable.
The North Gregory Hotel in Winton has an area out the back for travellers where we stopped over for 2 nights. This is a free service, and as it was a little dusty around the van and quite hot, we patronised their hotel for dinner. Showers and toilets are available also for the travellers for those needing them. Winton’s population is 900 and the birthplace of “Waltzing Matilda” and our national airline, "Qantas". “The Waltzing Matilda Centre” is the only museum in the world dedicated to a song. We were so amazed at this place that it took us more than 3hrs to take it all in. Also, this is the first place that we were able to get a really good coffee, other than making our own. It has been put together really, really well. If you are interested in dinosaurs this is the place where you will find a lot of answers. Winton is one of Australia’s most concentrated areas of dinosaur finds, with Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways, the site of the world’s only recorded evidence of a dinosaur stampede. The Corfield and Fitzmaurice Building in town houses displays from the Australian Age of Dinosaurs fossil collection. Just behind the North Gregory Hotel is Arno’s Wall, over 10m long & 2m high in which everything can be found, including the kitchen sink.
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