Mount Isa, Queensland

Mt Isa is one of Australia’s best known mining and outback cities. It is located in the far north west of Queensland and is connected to the coast and the Northern Territory via sealed highways in both directions. This is a remote destination and the distances are vast and Mt Isa is a major staging point for travelers taking a motorhome or campervan trip around Australia. Mt Isa is also on the domestic airline circuit with an airport with regular flights from the coast and southern capitals. The surrounding countryside is arid but spectacular with a real outback ambience that gives the tourist the true feeling of what the outback is all about.

Mt Isa is home to some of the largest mines in the country. The city area lies on top of some of the many drives and stopes of an underground mine that has developed over many decades and all tourists should take the opportunity to take a tour into the mines to help them understand what the life of a miner is all about. This region is famous for its deposits of lead, zinc, silver, gold and uranium and provides work for thousands of people living in the region. The city itself is like a day in the old west with plenty of hotels and interesting shops and places to see. Mt Isa is the jumping off point for many tourists visiting the Gulf of Carpentaria and also sensational natural attractions like Lawn Hill National Park.

Mt Isa is the commercial center for a huge part of northern Australia. Vast areas of mining, agricultural and tourist infrastructure all relate back to Mt Isa for their supplies and transport infrastructure. Rail services are linked from here to the coastal port of Townsville. Major highways like the Flinders Highway and the Landsborough Highway link towns to the east like Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Hughendon, Winton and Longreach. The Barkley Highway to the west services Camoweal and on into the Northern Territory and places like Tennant Creek.

Mount Isa is one of those places that you always want to visit but don’t because it is so far off the beaten track. Well make the effort because there really is a lot to see and do and you will have an experience that is totally different to the one that you have experienced if you only stick to the coastal resorts.