23 November 2016 - Mt Isa to Julia Creek

It was to be a relaxed drive of 260 km today, from Mt Isa to Julia Creek, and it was.  The only downside was the temperature reached 38 degrees and it was like entering a blast furnace whenever we left the car.

50km out of Mt Isa we passed the turnoff to the now abandoned Mary Kathleen uranium mine.  The town of Mary Kathleen has been both abandoned and dismantled.  A local told us that apart from a large hole in the ground with beautiful turquoise coloured water in it, there is not much to see there, so we passed by.

The road was very good particularly when we were driving through the Mt Godkin Ranges, east of Mt Isa.  We must have done nearly 100km winding our way through the ranges.  The countryside looks "old".  The many, many hills were rocky, the rocks were dark brown and the trees were a dull dark green and relatively small.  The hills were not very high so the road both meandered and undulated its way through them.  The view was different around every corner.  This was an enjoyable part of the drive.

231116 Mt Godkin Range, east of Mt Isa

231116 More Mt Godkin Range

As we came towards the end of the range, a new town appeared, for anthills. 

231116 Anthills near Cloncurry.  One guess as to the
 colour of the soil.

Cloncurry lies adjacent to the Cloncurry River. Cattle grazing is the significant industry in the region, and a large sale yard is located in the town.  It is also the place where John Flynn enacted his flying doctor concept.  The first ever flight took place in May 1928.  The discovery of uranium at Mary Kathleen swelled the population but now its population is around 2000 people, and the closure of the mine did not help.

231116 Cloncurry's main street

231116 Downstream of the Cloncurry River from
the Ernest Henry Bridge

231116 Upstream of the Cloncurry River from the Ernest 
Henry Bridge.  No water evident beyond the bridge

231117 John Flynn Place, Cloncurry

231116 John Flynn, an explanation

We had morning tea at a delightful spot outside Cloncurry, Chinaman Creek Recreation Reserve.  Boy, was it hot there.

231116 Chinaman Creek Recreation Park at Cloncurry

231116 Chinaman Creek Recreation Park at Cloncurry

After the range the landscape changed to flat, plains with very little growth from grass or trees.  It was obvious there has been much less rain here than was had further south. Almost all the creeks we passed were dry.  We arrived at Julia Creek, our overnight stop, in the early afternoon.

231116 After Cloncurry, the range gave way to plains

231116 50km further on and more plains

Julia Creek's main industries are farming, especially beef and sheep, and mining, which is mainly centred on the BHP Billiton mine at nearby Cannington.  The town is a major centre for cattle sales and stock trucking, with a large sale yard and associated facilities. Prior to the expansion of the railway to the larger towns of Cloncurry and Mt Isa, the town was also a major transport hub for freight and passengers. 

231116 Main street in Julia Creek

231116 Julia Creek Cattle Yards.  There were five other
road trains there as well

Trivia for today

Julia Creek is also home to the Julia Creek Dunnart which is now endangered because of feral animals, wild cats, dogs & foxes. A Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi) is about the size of a large mouse, but that’s where the similarity ends. The dunnart is a nocturnal, insect eating, marsupial with sharp dog-like teeth and a pointy snout.  They're, lean, mean and rarely seen.

231116 A Julia Creek dunnart