Here we are back at the Isa.

This is our fifth & final stay in Mt Isa. This will see us all Isa'd out.
We spent a night in a roadside free camp about 80k North of Cloncurry on the way here. It was a stunning full moon night with no town lights for a gazillion miles in any direction.
The night was one of those very special gifts.
Tomorrow we cross into the Northern Territory & plan to get to Barkly Homestead by tomorrow night.

                                        Normanton on the way South from Karumba.

                                                                        As above.

                                                                       As above.

                                        Full zoom on a long & boring road. I just love this stuff.

                                                                             Lunch stop.

                                                                       As above.

                         We know we are a long way West when there are this many ant heaps.

                                                                                  As above.

                                  Burke & Wills road house, a very long way from anywhere.

               

First stop on arrival in Cloncurry, the hospital to get the 1 month X-ray of Yvonnes foot.

This was the result, held up against the caravan light. As I have said many times in the past, there is never a trip without a drama or two.

 Heading into the rugged country that is so spectacular between Cloncurry & Mount Isa.
This rock is called "Two humping Turtles" Not quite visible from this angle, a little one on top of a big one.

                                                                          As above.

                                            Moon set over Mt Isa, early morning, pre sunrise.

                                                                       As above.

 Our 2 caravans, centre, against the fence from an adjacent hilltop. Just before sunrise.

                                                                  Pano, as above.

                                           Pano, looking the other way toward the town.

                                                                              Early signs of rust.

                              The rising sun hits a nearby hillside with a beautiful golden glow.

                                                     Later in the morning, walking with Yvonne.

                                                                      Mount Isa camp.

                                                                    Lake Moondarra, Mt Isa.

                                                                         Pano, as above.

                                                     Picnic area below the dam wall.

                                                                                    Pano, as above.

                                                      Yvonne on the dam wall.

                                                           Some kind of stripy fish in the dam.

                                                                             Dam pano.

                                                     A guest came to our picnic lunch.

                                                                            As above.

                          In the end he found his own lunch, this giant green & red bug.

                                                            He then waved goodbye.

                                                                       My wife.

This excellent cycle way, beside the road, ran 14 Klms all the way to the dam

Many days later

Once more no phone, internet, phone, wifi or TV.
We must be in Australia !!
So I am composing off line.
Today we went down inside some lava tubes, climbed a volcano crater, had a nap & an ice cream.
Just another hard day on the road.
Tonight they have organised a camp sing along, so I will probably finally be discovered.
The next time you hear from me will be on X-Factor when I will take out first prize.

................3 Days later....................... We are in Normanton after a couple of days at Karumba, which we enjoyed very much this time around. Perfect weather, warm days & cool nights.
We are heading south once more towards Mt Isa. Yvonne has an appointment with the doctor for an X-ray at the Cloncurry hospital tomorrow, so we will see how the broken foot is healing. She handled a walk & a 16 klm bike ride at Karumba yesterday & pulled up quite well.

                                                            On the long road once again.

 On our morning walk, came across these very soft , but very tough fungus, which actually burst its way through the road surface. There was quite a few of them.

                                                 Some rocks on the way to the lava tubes.

                                                           A 'pretty face wallababy'

                                                     Info I may actually read one day.

                                                      Heading down into a lava tube.

                            This is a lava arch, rather than a tube. It seems much larger in reality.

                                                                 The entrance to another tube.

                                                                      Deep inside a tube.

 Heading out, it seems bright, but that is only the camera flash. It is quite dark inside.

                                                                                Us.

                                                       Heading into another big hole.

                                                                       As above.

                                                                             As above.

                                                                          As above.

                                                                    As above.

                                               A rock wallababy with a joey, on the way out.

                                                              The common area at Undara.

                                                   Rail coaches used for eating & accommodation.

                                               Help yourself, free tea & coffee kitchen.

                                                              Where we went next.

                                                               On the rim of the crater.

                                                                            As above.

                                                                      As above.

                                                                            Undara camp.

                                                         Pano, Undara caravan park.

                        Mount surprise siding for the Gulflander & the Savanahlander.

                                                                            As above.

 The narrow bridge coming into Georgetown. We had lunch in this park & a look around.

                                                             Not sure where this is. Thats Yvonne.

                                                          A miniature kingfisher on a wire.

 This Cumberland chimney from an old mine. There was a free camp here, we didn't stay.

                                             One of many, many floodways.

                     A very pleasant free camp on the way to Normanton, on the Gilbert river.

                                                                             As above.

                                                                         As above.

                                                  As above. It was a little dusty.

                                                             Pre dawn was striking.

                                                          Morning tea at Croydon.

                                                               As above. Steel kangaroo.

Very nice park with old mining stuff in it. Every town for the last couple of weeks has been a gold mining town.

                                                      Pano, water suppl;y dam at Croydon.

                                                      Croydon from a nearby hilltop.

 Black bull rest area & stop for the Gulflander. We camped here 2 years ago.

                                                                       Yep.

                               The old road bridge at Normanton, now used for fishing.

 Sunset from the pub where we had dinner on Karumba point. Looking out over the Gulf of Carpentaria.

                                         Wartime fuel storage at the Catalina flying boat base.

                                                                       Morrie at Karumba.

                                           The old flying boat jetty, now in bad disrepair.

                                                       Karumba river foreshore.

                                                            Yvonne is back on the bike.

                                        Some interestng flowers growing in the mangroves.

                                                Looking out into the Gulf.

                                                   She looks good doesn't she ?

                                                     Video, crossing the mangroves.

                                                         Another failed attempt by me.

                                                   Sunset, & Yvonne did no better.