Mt Isa is a very interesting town. Modern history tells us about the discovery of a wealth of minerals by John Campbell Miles in 1923 and the development of Mt Isa Mines. Mary Kathleen, another mining town about 60km west of Mt Isa, was a closed town and when the mine closed, Mary Kathleen was dismantled.
Now, all that is left is a site that nature is reclaiming, but Mt Isa has developed into a thriving community beyond just mining. The town itself takes up as much land as Switzerland, and boasts of a 180km long main street!
Ancient history shows life in the area through the Riversleigh Fossil Centre, which is a four hours drive from the town. If you have a hankering to see flesh eating kangaroos, giant carnivorous emus, 2m tall wombats and marsupial lions, then you need to make time to visit the centre.
The Kalkadoon Tribal Centre and Cultural Keeping Place show the rich indigenous history and includes information on the rock art sites.
You can tour the mines with the Hard Hat Mine Tours. Perhaps one of the most interesting tours takes in the underground Hospital which was built in case of attack in WWII, but never needed. It lay closed up for over 50 years and has been restored to its original condition.
Staying in Mt Isa is easy, Sunset Top Tourist Park is a delight with cabins, sites, a great camp kitchen and a cooling pool. Plenty of trees to give plenty of shade, and when they say “No Rig Too Big” they really do mean it. When we were there we saw the biggest rig we have ever seen, a 12.5m fifth wheeler pulled by a Kenworth truck. The owners of this one hide a Toyota Yaris inside for everyday use while the Kenworth stays attached and Sunset had a site big enough for it all.
When you get to The Isa, it is worth staying for a while and enjoying everything that the area has to offer, and Sunset is the place to stop.
Sunset Top Tourist Park
14 Sunset Drive, Mount Isa QLD
GPS: South 20° 42.36 East 139° 30.0
Phone: (07) 4743 7668
Free Call: 1800 786 738
Email: ask@sunsettop.com.au
Website: www.sunsettop.com.au
Images: Alison Huth
