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Mount Isa popular among the local people as “the Isa”, is the biggest town in the interior of northern Queensland with approximately 24700 inhabitants. It is more like a company city, in which most inhabitants are employed by or dependent on the “Mount Isa Mines”, but it is a real oasis in the hot and inhospitable outback of the area. Here in 1923 a prospector named James Campbell Miles discovered rich ledge of lead and silver on the western Cloncurry field. The first tented encampment of the early miners soon developed into prosperous industrial, commercial and administrative centre – Mount Isa. Nowadays silver, lead, zinc and copper are worked in deep mines. The ore is carried by rail to Townsville, from where most of this ore is being exported. The town is notable for its considerable extent - its administrative area occupies an area of around 45000 square kilometers and stretches eastward from the boundary of the Northern Territory for some two hundred km.
Lake Moondarra, which is a man-made lake, situated fifteen kilometers north of the town, and the larger Lake Julius - one hundred km north, are both great places for excursions and various water sports. Also visitors are able to tour both - surface and underground mines.
Riversleigh - Australian Fossil Mammal Sites Riversleigh
The Australian Fossil Mammal Site at Riversleigh is an attraction worth visiting and is included in the World Heritage List of Unesco. The site features a varied array of fossils within a region of three hundred ha.
The town of Mount Isa can be reached by air, rail, overland bus or car (good asphalted road). The wet season, which is from December to March can be unpleasant, although there is much less rain than the farther northern parts. The Barkly Highway goes west from Mount Isa by way of Camooweal and through the Northern Territory, with the outback stretching away, to Tennant Creek. The Diamantina Developmental Road goes in a large arc through the Channel Country to Boulia, from which the Kennedy Developmental Road continues to Winton.
Please for Flights, Car-rental and other transportation bookings refer to the general Australia Transportation Reservations page.
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