Mt Isa Again

13/9/2018 Thursday It was another noisy night by a highway and one of the motor homes in the rest area ran its generator all night.  RL seemed to have slept alright but RA had been unsettled.  They got out of bed at 7:00am to an already warm 20*C with the promise of a hot day.  By 8:40am, R & R had breakfasted and packed down and were on their way to Cloncurry 70kms west on the Flinders Highway.  The country side was much as it had been; open cattle country with grasses and corridors of taller greener vegetation along creek lines.  The road and rail were about 160m.  Gradually the road was more undulating and then hillier to 190m.  The hills, some of which had rocks and boulders strewn on them or up the sides, were up to 230m and the soil was a lovely rich red.  R & R had already been to Cloncurry on their travels so they were familiar with the layout of the town.  At 9:30pm, RL parked outside Vinnies and RA, finding it closed, checked its opening times.  RA rang to book their spot at a caravan park in Mt Isa for the coming Sunday and Monday nights to fit with Mass and the service of the camper and the Ute.  From there, they found a shady spot near Woolworths to park the Ute before doing a little grocery shopping.  R & R had a couple of days to fill and had been trying to ring the owners of Maronan Station to request permission to fossick on their garnet field but had been unsuccessful, so they decided to check in at the information centre to ask if they had any idea about how to fill a couple of days considering that R & R had previously seen most of the points of interest and slept at four of the nearest free camping sites.  RA mentioned the fossicking idea and the lady assured her that it was not necessary to contact the owner.  RA was uneasy about that, but they settled on the idea and paid $12 for the fossicking permit which lasted a month (not that the rest of the month would be worth it to them).  RL filled the tanks with water and, just before noon, headed back along Flinders Highway 12kms to the Landsborough Highway and then RL turned south about 48kms.  On the way, they listened to the last part of the “Knitting” CD.  About 5kms before the Fullarton River, R & R saw a handsome camel behind a fence shortly before making the righthand turn into the Maronan Station.  At 12:35pm, RL shifted into 4WD and they followed the well signed track using their mud map which was well drawn, for 20kms, to the designated fossicking area and campground surrounded by a cluster of small hills and rocks.  Along the route they saw five camels.  About half way to the garnet site R & R came upon the station owner and his family and workers who were mustering cattle and taking them to the stock yards.  RL stopped and turned the motor off.  It was a great opportunity to see a massive herd of about 800 adult cattle along with more than 100 younger ones, a few stragglers and about 20 bulls (give or take a few) and witness them being led and pushed by 3 quad bikes and 2 motor bikes.  The cattle mooed and bellowed as the dust rose from below their hooves and around the turning wheels of the bikes.  Fortunately, the owner stopped by after the herd had passed and chatted a while so R & R were comfortable that he knew they were on the property.  He told R & R that he had the chopper out for about five hours helping round them up at the cost of about $320/hour plus fuel.  RA had to open a couple of gates and they passed by a few windmills and over a dry creek where the beautiful gum trees grew tall and the grasses were greener.  The road was flat, a little corrugated in some places and quite sandy in others but RL was able to traverse most of it just under 30km/hr covering the 20kms including the stop in less than an hour.  It was 1:45pm when they arrived so R & R had lunch before setting up the camper.  It was dry and hot and the few trees were not sufficient to provide much shelter.  After setting up, it was agreed to rest and then have quite time, like reading and writing, before even attempting to go clambering over rocks looking for garnets that R & R did not even know where to look or what to look for.  There was not another single soul for possibly 15-20kms and not even the chance of seeing cattle as they had all been moved.  It really was quite a strange feeling.  At 5:00pm with the day cooling a little, R & R had drink of water and an apple and put their shoes on before looking around outside and fossicking with their trowels and pick.  RA washed a few bits of rock as she went but neither she nor RL came up with anything that could remotely resemble garnet.  After about an hour and a half, they decided to call it quits and maybe try again in the cool of the morning.  RA made dinner and then they both read.  RL got out another cowdy and RA flipped through a couple of magazines so they would be ready to put in the swap piles at the caravan park on Sunday evening.  It was very still, and quiet and warm … not at all like the other places they had slept … not even bird sound or movement! 

14/9/2018 Friday RA did not sleep well, possibly from the warmth, the stillness and the absolute silence.  Only one bird heralded the morning as R & R woke and got out of bed at 6:30am.  They breakfasted and packed up, agreeing that it would be more pleasant to have the camper ready to leave than to have to pack it down when it was hotter.  Shortly after 8:00am, R & R took their tools and scrambled over and round rocks and boulders to the top to take a look out over the other side of the ridge.  Then they began a process of climbing down a few steps and scratching a little in the dirt before moving down a few more paces and scratching again.  RL’s wrist was tired by the time they had returned to the Ute an hour later and they had not seen anything that might be a garnet.  Interestingly, the grasses smelled sweet as R & R poked and dug around them.  The most interesting thing about it all was that there was kangaroo dropping everywhere while R & R had not even seen one.  As they drove away, there were several kangaroos grazing or standing curiously with their paws over their bellies, watching the Ute as it passed.  When R & R had driven in, the afternoon before they had seen a utility parked some 50m from the road and all was quiet so they assumed it to be abandoned.  As they drove out, there was a second utility and at least three people in hi vis gear so it might have been about surveying, mining or fencing.  Again, the five camels were spotted but this time at least 10kms from where they were 24 hours before.  They had not left Maronan Station before the phone went ting.  While at the dig site, surrounded by hills and ridges, there was nothing.  Once out on the highway, R & R stopped at a truck bay for 15 minutes, checked the phone, went to the loo and dumped their day’s rubbish.  As all the journeys they would be doing for the next few days would be short, R & R agreed not to start a new audio book.  RL drove 60kms back into Cloncurry and stopped shortly after 11:00am at the op shop which they knew would be open.  RL put water in the jerry can behind his seat so that he would have a little supply in case he had a chance to clean some of the Ute.  As there was absolutely no shade in the main street for long vehicles, R & R drove just out of town to Chinaman’s Dam which they knew to be a pretty spot with some shade.  There they had coffee and a biscuit and rang their daughter, H, for an update on the family.  RL left a message for his sister, E.  R & R read with great interest a sign warning of LICE in the dam’s water; warning that swimming was not advised and listing the best possible ways of preventing infection:  Cover yourself with oil or lotion before swimming Avoid areas where there is weed in the water Towel dry immediately Rinse body thoroughly as soon as possible.  So, a swim there was off the cards.  By 1:00pm, RL was driving 52kms west on Barkly Highway to Clem Walton Park and Corella Dam where they contemplated staying overnight.  As they drove, RL was directed by two police vehicles to stop and park on the side of the road so they knew that there was a pretty large load coming.  The truck literally drove down the middle of the road and took up every square inch between the guide posts.  The road was hilly with overtaking lanes and, at one point. there was a pile of rocks that looked like a baby frog having a piggy back on its mothers back but there was nowhere to stop to take another look or photograph. RA thought that the country side was not nearly as pretty as she had noted last time.  Maybe because it lacked the wow factor from the time they had been through for the first time.  Maybe, it was because that was nearly two months ago and everything was more bare, drier.  Maybe because the heat and the light in the middle of the day are so harsh as opposed to the kinder light of the mornings and evenings. Or maybe, RA was just tired.  They ate lunch under a tree and walked round looking for a suitable spot but nowhere was there a cool shady place to sit out through the heat of the day.  It was then, they agreed to drive a further 10kms to Fountain Springs rest area.  After 3:00pm, R & R had parked the Ute and camper, but it still being 30*C, they had coffee and read a draft post in the shelter of the nearest undercover picnic table.  One way and another R & R had managed to chat three times with their daughter, S, to encourage her through a tricky day.  After 4:00pm, R & R walked around the area and set up the camper.  R & R read a while before ringing their son, S and preparing dinner.  It was still warm … RA just flipped through some magazines while RL read a little.

15/9/2018 Saturday RA slept a little better.  It was 15*C when R & R got out of bed at 7:00am and it promised to be another warm day well into the thirties.  R & R contemplated shifting back to Clem Walton Park or forward to Mary Kathleen rest area, even contemplated taking the old Ballara mining trail tour which looked totally awesome but RA was just not up for anything.  So, after breakfast, RA tidied up and RL started a cleaning job, only on the drivers and passenger’s section of the front of the Ute to fill in some time as it would be a long day for him to fill if he wasn’t going anywhere.  Between 10-11:00am R & R sat under cover and left a message for S, RL’s brother.  They lay on the concrete benches and enjoyed being flat on their backs with cool breeze blowing over them.  RL finished the last of the washing of the floor, at RA’s feet because it was the messiest part from her coffee making spills.  RA worked on her ipad a while.  Again, shortly before noon, R & R took umbrage under cover, reading, drinking coffee and having a biscuit and chatting with S as RL managed to get hold of him.  For quite a while R & R chatted with a single lady who was travelling with her poodle before they all parted for lunch.  After lunch R & R just lay on the benches again in the cool of the shelter with the breeze blowing through and cat napped a while.  It was surprisingly comfortable.  For the next couple of hours R & R read and had coffee and some fruit.  RA finally finished the book she had been reading “And Then Came the Rain” by Joyce Berendes and she was not disappointed.  RA always enjoys finishing a book as it is such a struggle to get time and she is such a slow reader.  About 4:30pm, a little cooler, RL went back to the front of the Ute to cover it all with Armoral polish and RA tried unsuccessfully, a second time, to publish the current post.  Earlier she had tried using the dongle and when it hadn’t worked, she assumed it had run out of credit, but it seemed no better being hot spotted to the phone, even though reception was pretty good with several bars.  RL had finished working on the Ute and come into the camper shortly before 6:00pm, so R & R had a cup before preparing dinner.  After dinner, they pawed over maps to calculate distances from Mt Isa to Alice Springs and checked fuel watch for a clue to highest and lowest prices along the way; all in an attempt to see how far RL could get with a full tank and 3 x 20lt jerry cans if he refuelled at Mt Isa.  That done, they both settled into reading and writing.  It was still warm at 26*C.  R & R were temporarily interrupted by a strong breeze that blew up.  They went outside to tie the camper stabilizer ropes down just in case.  RA looked up at the tree branches that had provided them with comfort during the day and wondered … if at night, they may be a threat.

16/9/2018 Sunday The wind did blow wildly and with gusts in between complete lulls all night but no branches broke over the camper.  R & R woke at 6:30am to 14*C and the wind still blowing about 24km/hr from the south.  R & R had thought to go to 6:00pm Mass in Mt Isa in the evening but, it was achievable, if they got into gear, to make it to 9:00am morning Mass.  So, they wasted no time in breakfasting, and packing down.  Shortly after 8:00am, RL was pulling out of the Fountain Springs camp area and heading 60km west on the Barkley Highway.  RA had been a bit harsh in her description of the scenery before.  It was true that in the gentler light of the morning, the hills and their rocks were pretty awesome.  The breeze blew the branches and leaves strongly and everywhere there was a grey pink haze, though not a cloud in the sky.  RA suspected that the haze was from the strong wind causing dust to be airborne as she could smell and taste it.  There were cattle behind fences and mining operations continued on both sides of the highway.  Red earth lay beneath the spinifex, smaller shrubs and taller eucalypts which grew in between the rocks and anthills.  Sometimes each individual ball of spinifex on the hillsides could be seen surrounded by red earth.  The fluffy white-tailed bush R & R had seen weeks ago was still prolific and still in full bloom.  Cut-a-ways on the side of the hills near the roads were rich red soil or rocks that glistened black, ochre, red or orange. R & R were just in time for Mass which was full of families and children with one group, that looked like family, playing the organ, clarinet and singing.  After R & R enjoyed a cup of coffee and a snack before returning to the Ute and driving to the northern edge of town to the caravan park.  As it was Sunday, and in theory the managers day off, she just instructed R & R to head down the back to the non-powered section and set up, with the view to paying on Monday.  By 11:00am, R & R had set up.  It was 22*C and the wind was even stronger at 31km/hr.  Ideal for drying the washing which R & R had put promptly in the machine.  They showered and then hung the washing before having lunch and ringing RL’s brother, G, by which time the linen was ready to be replaced on the bed for their cat nap.  It was lovely resting on the bed with the breeze blowing over the top smelling the sun sweetened pillow case even if the dust was in RA’s nose causing it to behave like hay fever.  About 2:30pm, R & R surfaced from their rest, had coffee and fetched the rest of the washing off the line.  RL helped RA with a draft read and together they looked through all the recent photos as they selected some for the post and deleted others.  By 4:00pm, RL was reading and RA was publishing the post and adding the photos for the previous one which would not load the day before.  As the afternoon had cooled somewhat by 5:00pm, R & R went for a walk around the caravan park and up the hill which towers above it to the south.  S, their daughter rang to say that there had been a tremor of 5.6 near Walpole and that she had felt it in Perth.  They chatted while R & R climbed to the top. The view was spectacular but once again RA was most impressed by the rocks of which the hill was made.  Shale like shards of stone lay vertically and fell away into slices of stone underfoot in the most wonderful array of natural, earthen colours.  When they got back they chatted a while with other campers before thinking about dinner.  RL rang his sister, K, and she enquired what the noise was.  It was just RA grating carrot for dinner.  After dinner, RA wrote diary and RL read.  It had been a pleasant, without moving too far or … doing too much.

17/9/2019 Monday It was 12*C when R & R got out of bed a 6:30am having slept well.  RA’s hay fever symptoms seemed much drier and the wind was calmer than it had been with less dust and pollen in the air.  R & R had breakfast and read a while as it was too early to head down town for their grocery shopping.  Shortly before 9:00am, they paid for their two night’s stay at the park office and headed the 6kms into Mt Isa over the dry Leichhardt River and parked outside Coles.  Their intention was to be in and out, grocery shopping only, so that they would be back at the caravan park should their camper service man complete his previously booked tasks ahead of schedule.  Shortly after 10:00am, R & R were back at the caravan park and sorting out the shopping.  RL took the opportunity to clean out the fridge in the back of the Ute while RA put the rest of the groceries away.  That done they walked to the park office and had a look through the book exchange.  R & R had coffee and banana before reading and resting a while.  It was 1:00pm when they decided that lunch was a good idea and, as luck would have it, the caravan repairer turned up just as RA was preparing it.  RL was in good company chatting with him while he did the wheel bearings and made an attachment to fit the door latch to see if that would prevent it from shearing off again.  So, it was a good opportunity for RA to head to the camp kitchen and work on the computer while it charged using the kettle power point.  Normally, R & R would put it on to charge while they travelled by attaching it to the Thumper pack in the back but since they were not travelling that was not an option.  About an hour later. RA returned and the guy had only just finished looking at the bearings.  He looked at the latch problem again, and left shortly after 3:00pm, saying he would return before 5:00pm having acquired and made an aluminium plate to make it strong.  R & R read and drank coffee and ate apple while they waited.  About 4:30pm, the repairer returned with the latch but it took more than an hour for him to get it to fit nicely and lock comfortably.  And his fee … $400!  R & R were shocked, but paid up.  Oh well thought RL, his new camera would have to wait.  RA finished the book she had been reading before heading off for a shower.  RL went for his shower while RA began preparing dinner.  After dinner RL read while RA wrote some diary and then wrote some cards to pop in the post before they set off more remotely.  R & R were hopeful that the service for the Ute in the morning would go smoothly … and not cost too much.