Life Begins At.....
Issue link: http://ebook.aprs.com.au/i/47118
a k o c L Longreach to Mount Isa Blackall to Longreach Driving west to Longreach will only take 3.5 hours, so on your journey, take a few breaks to marvel at the great Australian outback. Longreach is situated on the Tropic of Capricorn, and in early 2010, it battled its worst locust plague in three decades. The skies were blackened by clouds of insects, but this year, the only bugs you'll encounter will be squashed on the front bumper of your car. Longreach is perhaps best known as one of the founding centres for Qantas. You can visit the airline's original hangars, which are heritage listed and still in use at Longreach Airport. At the Qantas Founders Outback Museum, there are displays of decommissioned aircraft, which are fascinating for any aviation buff. From here, if you have time to travel east, the inland road from Emerald to Rockhampton will give you an on- site encounter of large mining towns. Approximately 26 kilometres north of Rockhampton, are the Capricorn Caves. There are guided cave tours, but you can also cave independently. You can get your teeth into some crocodile meat at the Koorona Crocodile Farm, just 10 kilometres north of 'Rocky'. 64 THE RETIREE SUMMER But let's get back on track. From Longreach, it will take approximately seven hours drive on the Landsborough highway to reach Mount Isa, a semi-arid, mineral-rich mining town. Over many years, the town has experienced several mining booms and fluctuations in population, but it remains a significant town with plenty of historical, cultural and natural experiences on offer. In 2008, the town attracted its fair share of controversy when Mayor John Molony claimed that "not so attractive" women ought to live there, based on an incorrect gender statistic that suggested there were five men for each woman living in the town. Mount Isa is intersected by the Leichhardt River – there is the 'mineside' and the 'townside'. Further north, the artificial Lake Moondarra rests by the river, which provides the town's drinking water and is also a popular area for watersports, relaxation and birdwatching. During World War II, Mount Isa was a potential enemy target, and thousands of American soldiers were stationed there. Many of the local miners at the time were discouraged to stay. An interesting historical building to visit is the WWII-era Mount Isa Underground Hospital, one of the town's most popular attractions. Built following the attacks on Darwin, the air-raid shelter, which was excavated by miners on weekends, housed 40 beds, an operating theatre and even a delivery room. Weekly drills were held, but as Mount Isa was never attacked, the underground hospital was never used. Another big event is the Isa Rodeo, not only one of Queensland's biggest events, it's the largest event of its type in the Southern Hemisphere! The inaugural rodeo was held in 1959 by the Rotary Club, on a mission to put Mount Isa on the map. At the time it was a pretty pie-in-the-sky venture given that the Rotary Club had no stock, no venue and a budget of only 500 pounds in prize money. These days, the Isa Rodeo – still hosted by the Rotary Club – attracts some of the best Australian and overseas competitors vying for prize money in excess of $200,000. It's now a two-week event featuring festivities including a ball, horse races, art exhibitions and live entertainment. Recently, the event has moved to the new multi-million dollar Buchanan Park complex with its own purpose- built arena, based on the great rodeo arenas of the United States. So successful is the Isa Rodeo, that accommodation in the town is fully booked out weeks in advance. Not just uniquely Mount Isa, the School of the Air is an iconic Australian institution, which was established in 1960 and is based in Mount Isa. A visit to the centre provides a fascinating insight into the challenges of Australians in remote areas and the innovative ways in which distances are conquered. Currently, qualified teachers provide an over-the-radio education to 280 students living in an area from the Northern Territory border to Richmond and down to Birdsville. n o ll g n g n o L t r r g L L e o a e r a o c a c a e s I n h g r h c t e l B t h M a c a t o h c o o B a k M t l a ll t M h c t I t c k a o s a s a l l t L s a I I e a o o t r o L Ln g L og M n o n r ge n o g n ra o r g e a c t L a r e c h h a e h B c s c a B l l a a I h c a c e t t h c k k r o a ll a l g M t l n M o t t o o s t o o t M L L L I o o h s t n n g a c a I r g I a s e r a e t e L a c a r o L h c M g n B h l n g o a o B o r n L t c l k e g h a a ll c a r c t k c e a o a l h a e L l c t r o t n o oh g g t n r e L M o o a o n t L a c h g M I I s B r c s t a e l a a c