SATURDAY 15 APRIL     MT ISA

A phoned from Adels. She reported to us that L got through yesterday and that he said the O’Shaughnessy was alright to get through. I told her we would probably try to come up tomorrow.

We were just filling in time here, and the park was costing us money, so the sooner we could go, the better. Plus, it was rather boring.

We went to a sale that was on at K Mart. 15% off everything. I bought some undies and a new electric frypan. For a while, I had thought that the thermostat on the old one was not working properly. There were big queues in K Mart.

Bought the Saturday Australian paper.

Posted a birthday card to daughter.

From most parts of the town, the mine infrastructure is visible. Mining lead, zinc, copper and silver here dates from the 1920’s and was the reason the town began. The mining has left an unfortunate legacy in the form of lead pollution, and elevated lead levels in the blood of some children that is of concern.

The mine dominates the Mt Isa outlook (Google)

I gave the old frypan to the caravan park, thinking they might be able to use it in the campers’ kitchen.

We did some packing up preparation for leaving.

FRIDAY 14 APRIL     MT ISA

It was Good Friday.

Again, we did little of note.

I did wander about the perimeter of the park and a bit beyond, taking quite a few photos, because I liked the contrast of the bright, lush green grass with the dark grey skies of today.

Occasionally, there would be a shaft of sunlight through a break in the cloud, which created interesting effects.

It was rare for us to see this country when it was wet and green.

I used the prawns to create a prawn salad – very nice it was, too.

THURSDAY 13 APRIL     MT ISA

Again, we spent a quiet day around camp.

It was so humid out, and the skies looked quite stormy, but it did not rain.

We did take a short drive, though, to go around to the seafood supply shop. There, bought ourselves some prawns to be a Good Friday treat.

Refuelled Truck – $1.23cpl. Had only done 184kms since last time, but at least it was now full and ready to go – somewhere?

WEDNESDAY 12 APRIL     MT ISA

Did little today. I mostly read and John spent his time on the computer.

Phoned Adels. The news was no better, though the rain there had stopped, after days on end of it. M said the O’Shaughnessy River was on the rise. Bad news that, because it was one of the streams to be forded if we went the most direct way from here. She reckoned that, when we could get in, it would be via Burke and Wills Roadhouse. That would mean we would have to back track from here to Cloncurry.

We clearly were not going to be at Adels in time for Easter. But then, neither were any guests!

TUESDAY 11 APRIL     MT ISA

Yesterday, M at Adels, had asked if I could collect some curtains they had ordered. So we went to the curtain shop and collected these.

While in the main part of town, went to Harvey World Travel and had a chat with the other co-owners of Adels, who we knew from past trips. Picked up two boxes of books from them, for Adels. We were given a microphone for the computer there, to deliver.

L was scheduled to take a tour group to Adels on Friday and still hoped to get through. He would only have the Troopy, not a bigger vehicle.

I joined the Mt Isa Library and took out some novels to read. The humidity here was too high to really consider doing much else except hole up in the van, with the air con on. In any case, on previous trips we had seem what we wanted to of the town.

I had a haircut – cost $20.

Foot still painful to walk on.

Wet Season in Mt Isa

MONDAY 10 APRIL     MT ISA

Today was a bad day!

My heel was much more sore today. It clearly had not liked the bowls yesterday. So I limped around the place.

I had the first chance, since we left home, to do our washing. Unfortunately, some workmen broke a water pipe – while our clothes were in the machine. Some clothes got stained by gunk coming through the pipes, and then the machine malfunctioned, so I had to thoroughly rinse everything by hand.

To say I was annoyed was an understatement! In the intense humidity, slaving away in a confined laundry was not pleasant.

John went off to the dentist. Filling completed. It cost just over $200. But it had not deterred him from  still using dental floss!

After he came back, we went to the supermarket and stocked up on food – and cash money. We did not know when the roads would be declared open, so now that the tooth was fixed, we could leave here as soon as that happened. So we needed to keep up supplies, ready for a quick departure.

The Outback at Isa Centre, which makes a major feature of the Riversleigh fossil finds. (from Google)

 I managed to catch up with the Woolworths lady who had filled my Pungalina orders last year. Thanked her for the great job done.

John repaired the mechanism of the glass stove top cover, that attached  it to the bench. It was loose and had been affected by the corrugations of recent years.

Today was very humid. There was a big cloud build up in the afternoon, but no actual rain.

I phoned Adels. The roads were still closed – outlook uncertain.

SUNDAY 9 APRIL     MT ISA

Although the skies were grey and threatening, there was no rain today. But it was hot and humid.

On the outskirts of Mt Isa

We had a quiet morning. There were no shops open, of course.

John went out to suss out the bowls scene, and came back having booked us in to play social bowls in the afternoon, so an early lunch was needed.

The bowls were on grass rinks, which were really water logged and heavy. It was not fun. Just hot and sweaty and hard work.

I really had not wanted to play, because my sore heel was getting better and I did not want to stir it up again, but John was insistent.