Gunpowder

Destination: Gunpowder

Closest town: Mount Isa

How to get there:  Head out on the road to Camooweal from Mount Isa and turn right 44 km along.

What to see: Red dirt track. Signs indicate that you are to report to mine site office so entering for a sticky beak is out of the question.

Kirsty and I took off on Saturday afternoon in search of Gunpowder.  We headed towards Camooweal and took the turn off 44km out of Mount Isa.  Before long the bitumen gave way to red dust.  Gunpowder mine is reopening later this year as Capricorn Copper.  Things are ramping up with some vehicles travelling back and forth. 

If you are looking for the Gunpowder track, as mentioned in Cloncurry Trails book, the turn off is before the creek crossing which is before the airstrip.

That track will be another day! 

 

 

Underground Hospital Mount Isa

Destination: Mount Isa Underground Hospital Museum and Tent House

Closest town: Mount Isa

How to get there:  The museum is behind the hospital in Joan St.

What to see: Underground hospital built by mining volunteers in preparation fro WWII.  A Tent House that was the original married housing for the Mount Isa Mines.  

The highlight of this museum is Maureen & Bob Copeland.  They lived in a Tent House when they married in early 1950s.  Their stories are a wonderful insight into what life was like and how people lived.  You can read the story of their marriage in the book "Whispers through the Spinifex: Memories in the making".  This book has many short stories about Mount Isa over the years.

Another highlight was visiting with Mum and Dad as mum shared her knowledge of hospital life and which equipment she had used and both of them talked about life growing up in cottages without electricity etc.  

 
 

Bulonga & Ballara

Rosebud Dam
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Destination: Ballara & Bulonga

Closest town: Half way between Mount Isa and Cloncurry

How to get there:  From Mount Isa drive about 60km and just past the big rest stop take a right.  There is a sign marking the start of the Ballara Mining Heritage Trail.

Difficulty:  Easy dirt road.  We went in dry and it was passable by 2WD but I was in the hilux.  We didn't drive all the way to Bulonga because we were travelling alone and the road was washed out.  We walked 600m or so to the old mine site from the town.

What to see: Old mine shaft and footings from old smelter, bits of old tin, glass and broken china where people once lived.

Mum, Dad and I took a drive and followed the Ballara Mining Heritage Trail.  It was a perfect day and the roads were in great condition.  Only down side we were just one car so didn't want to attempt anything that could risk the need for a rescue.  A perfect half day trip.

Ballara railway platform
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