4th to 10th October 1999 (Week 40)

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This week was again a pretty busy week. We started it by driving from Normanton thru Cloncurry onto Mt. Isa. On the way we found one or two pretty Australian statements of Life, the purple Pub in Normanton and the Gulflander Train. This Train once intended to become a part of a Train System covering all of Australia, leads an isolated existence between Normanton and Croydon. In Mt. Isa booked an underground tour through the Mt. Isa Mine. There they take you to real underground working areas to show how the Ore is won and what the procedures and involved equipments look like to get up to the ground where it is processed and smeltered. Refining then Takes place in Townsville for Copper or for Lead and Silver near London in the UK. Sadly it is not allowed to take any cameras underground. On the next day we then booked an overground tour thru Mt. Isa, the Mine and as well to the Mt. Isa Mine Visitor Center and Museum. Mt. Isa Mines is operating since 1924 when it first started to win lead. Basically now a days copper, lead, silver and zinc are mined here. The orebodies underground are found on an area of 5km length, 1.2 km width and 2.4 km depth. Within this area today roadways and drills of up to 950km in length and about 133 km railways can be found. Once Mt. Isa was worlds biggest lead Mine, the lead ore is now almost completely mined. Today more ore lead is brought from the nearby Hilton mine then from the Mt. Isa Mine itself. It was a very interesting excursion, even my wife did agree on this one. Usually she's not so keen on technology or museums.

Leaving Mt. Isa, we visited lake Moondarra which is the water resource and a recreation area to the population of Mt. Isa. From there, we drove via Camooweal to Barkly Homestead, and on towards Cape Crawford. Here we visited the Lost City Rock Formations at Carrabirini.

The Next Day we drove via Nathan River Station to Roper Bar to our destination Mataranka. About 400m of Gravel Road through a very scenic and ever changing Landscape, and about 130 km of Bitumen (Teer). We camped at Mataranka Homestead and went for a swim in the hot springs there. Actually not really hot springs, more a huge underground water reservoir that is replenished during the yearly monsoon. The underground reservoir fills the pools with unbelievable 16'000 liters per minute with a temperature of 34.5 degrees celsius all year round. The next day we explored the Elsey National park of which these pools are now part of. These waters are fed into the Roper River. Along this River a number of walking Tracks lead from one Visitor area to another one and as well to the Mataranka Falls. During our visit it was 38 degrees celsius and very humid. So we refrained from taking the long walks.
Normanton Railway Station, home of the Gulflander The Gulflander Granny's better watch out around here. Another native Australian Bottle Tree On the road to Cloncurry
On the road to Cloncurry On the road to Cloncurry On the road to Cloncurry Mt. Isa Mine viewed from the Lookout Elevator transporting 46 People. The largest transports 184 People at 65km/h
The Mine from one of the employees parking lot Anode Copper produced in Mt. Isa Forms where the liquid lead is poured into. Weighs 2 tons. Loader transporting the Ore underground. The Mine at Sunset viewed from the Lookout
Lake Moondarra outside of Mt. Isa Waterpump on the Way to Camooweal The Buffaroo in Camooweal The Border to the Northern Territory Looser in the Battle against cars or trucks
Warning sign about Bushfires Landscape near Barkly's Homestead Sunset at Barkly's Homestead Traversing the Barkly Tablelands Endless Roads
What stil is growing in the Heat of the Dry Season Termite Mound Termite Mound Native Kapok Tree Flower of the native Kapok
Carrabirini Lost City Carrabirini Lost City Carrabirini Lost City Finding our Way Carrabirini Lost City
Red Gum on the way to Roper Bar White Gum broken apart after prescribed Bushfire Landscape near Nathan River Station Closing the Gate at Nathan River Station, we don't want our Steaks running of Another one in the collection of Australian Roads. The Roper Highway
The Limmen Bight River The ruins of the St. Vidgeon Station The Lomarieum Lagoon at St. Vidgeon Mataranka Pool. 16'000 l of Water flow here from the underground reservoir per minute Water from the Pool is fed into the Waterhouse River
The Roper River at Mulurark (Elsey N.P.) The Roper River at Wabalarr (Elsey N.P.)
Normanton Railway Station, home of the Gulflander
The Gulflander
 
Granny's better watch out around here.
Another native Australian Bottle Tree
 
On the road to Cloncurry
On the road to Cloncurry
 
On the road to Cloncurry
On the road to Cloncurry
 
Mt. Isa Mine viewed from the Lookout
Elevator transporting 46 People. The largest transports 184 People at 65km/h
 
The Mine from one of the employees parking lot
Anode Copper produced in Mt. Isa
 
Forms where the liquid lead is poured into. Weighs 2 tons.
Loader transporting the Ore underground.
 
The Mine at Sunset viewed from the Lookout
Lake Moondarra outside of Mt. Isa
 
Waterpump on the Way to Camooweal
The Buffaroo in Camooweal
 
The Border to the Northern Territory
Looser in the Battle against cars or trucks
 
Warning sign about Bushfires
Landscape near Barkly's Homestead
 
Sunset at Barkly's Homestead
Traversing the Barkly Tablelands
 
Endless Roads
What stil is growing in the Heat of the Dry Season
 
Termite Mound
Termite Mound
 
Native Kapok Tree
Flower of the native Kapok
 
Carrabirini Lost City
Carrabirini Lost City
 
Carrabirini Lost City
Finding our Way
 
Carrabirini Lost City
Red Gum on the way to Roper Bar
 
White Gum broken apart after prescribed Bushfire
Landscape near Nathan River Station
 
Closing the Gate at Nathan River Station, we don't want our Steaks running of
Another one in the collection of Australian Roads. The Roper Highway
 
The Limmen Bight River
The ruins of the St. Vidgeon Station
 
The Lomarieum Lagoon at St. Vidgeon
Mataranka Pool. 16'000 l of Water flow here from the underground reservoir per minute
 
Water from the Pool is fed into the Waterhouse River
The Roper River at Mulurark (Elsey N.P.)
 
The Roper River at Wabalarr (Elsey N.P.)
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Last Updated : 10th of October 1999


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