Greetings from Mount Isa,

I left Blackall at 6am, heading north to Barcaldine, where I filled up the petrol tank just after 7am. Then west to Longreach, and north-west to Winton, where I had morning coffee (orange juice, actually) around 10am, and topped up the tank (so I wouldn’t need to stop again before Cloncurry). Just on the outskirts of Winton, an oncoming Toyota Landcruiser threw up a stone, which took a big chip out of my windscreen, and left a 5-pointed star crack about an inch across. I arrived in Cloncurry at 1:30pm, and had a late lunch. Then west again, along the Barkly Highway to Mount Isa, where I arrived around 3pm. The reserve petrol light had been on for the last 30km, so I filled up the tank again (I had 5l left) before proceeding to the motel. Today’s “mileage” was 853km.

There was a dramatic change in scenery around Cloncurry, from the flat, drab, dry plains that I’ve been traversing for the last few days, to rugged, rocky, red hills and mesas, dotted with sandy coloured clumps of spinifex, interspersed with the green leaves and white trunks of a few trees. It started to rain lightly just outside Cloncurry, and the petrichor was pleasing to the nostrils.

I went for a walk around town, and when I saw a Drive-in Bottle Shop, I thought I’d grab a 6-pack of “Jimmy” Boag’s Premium Lager. Unfortunately (for me), they take the term “drive-in” literally here; I was told that I had to have a car parked on the premises before they could serve me (which I subsequently did). Apart from that, with a giant smokestack looming over the city, I felt somewhat “at home”.

I’m heading east towards Townsville tomorrow. I’ll  be overnighting in Charters Towers, so as not to make too long a day of it (like today).

Cheers,
Julian