Out and about in Camooweal, Queensland, Australia ( August 2015)

Colleague and friend Yvonne and I set off to explore Camooweal on our days off.

Camooweal is 188kms NW of Mt Isa, Queensland 

 

Another 12kms from Camooweal is the Northern Territory border

The countryside was very dry and windswept

Road trains were parked up and we enjoyed the photo opportunity

These trucks were loaded with cattle

We stopped at the Drovers camp where there was a museum and enjoyed looking at the old rustic artefacts.

The bird life at the billabong was prolific and there were dozens of people caravanning/ camping on the rivers edge

Brolgas

 Pelicans and a shag grooming

On the way home we spotted a wedge tail eagle and had to stop to take pictures

We put bets on the first person to see a camel....We saw the excrement and.....

The footprints.....

But these feet were from a camel Yvonne took pictures of at the Boulia races a few weeks previously

The road trains were busy hauling freight

Thanks Yvonne for a great day out!

Australia..Mt Isa and nearby sights..Trips to Lake Moondarra, Heywood granite mine, Mary Kathleen and the Fountain springs trail ( May to September 2015)

There are some wonderful sights around the Mt Isa area and during this midwifery contract (from mid May to early September) I have been very fortunate to have been taken by friends and colleagues to these places.
Theses 2 photos are taken from the lookout above the town looking towards the mine. The striped chimney is the copper smelter and the large one is lead

Road trains come through the town regularly

This photo is taken from the staff accomodation block

There is a closed down granite mine 15 mins drive out of Mt Isa with some stunning scenery of Bolders and slabs of Granite. I enjoyed a visit here with friends Mala and Patrick and Kay

Kay, Mala and me (Cathy)

Pat and Mala

Lake Lake Moondarra is an artificial lake on the Leichhardt River 16 km downstream from the town of Mount Isa. It provides water to the city and the adjacent Mount Isa Mines (MIM) mining lease.

It is a great spot to go for some peace and tranquility. I have been here several times with and enjoyed a trip with Jan who is a very keen photographer. I had just bought a new camera and was eager to get some photos of the birdlife and plants

Yes there are crocs in Lake Moondara

 

Another trip was to Mary Kathleen 55km from Mt Isa . There was a thriving township with a population between 1200-2000 residents where Uranium was mined. It was closed in 1984 due to political contraversy and the homes were auctioned off and within one week it became a ghost town. All that remains is the concrete foundations of buildings

This is what it looked like when the town was occupied

It is a very popular camping ground now just off the main highway between Cloncurry and Mt Isa

Mala is standing where the changing sheds were for the swimming pool. Pat and Mitchell are walking over the filled in pool

The picture below is how it used to be

Open pit Uranium mine

Copper leeching from the rocks

After exploring here we drove on to Fountain springs passing the old mining towns of Bulonga and Ballara

Old foundations of the railway

The hills were rich in  minerals

The colours were spectacular

Fountain Springs  This is a beautiful spot in the Fountain ranges where the ravine is cut. 
In the rainy season a 12m waterfall cascades over the top

Patrick and Mitchell tasting the spring water

Mala supplied a great lunch

Stockyards and windmill

Getting lost.. We had planned to come out the other side of the station on the other side of Mt Isa near Duchess but there were so many dirt roads without names that we got lost and came to a dead end. We  then decided we should follow our tracks back the way we came..

It was a great day out with super company and spectacular scenery. Thankyou Pat and Mala