Visiting Mount Isa, North-west Queensland

G'day

We're at Mount Isa until tomorrow (11 July 06) when we fly out to Brisbane.

We left Alice Springs on 6 July and drove to Tennant Creek where we left our 4WD with a friend and caught a late night bus to Mount Isa. The trip wasn't too bad as the bus was almost empty and we managed to get some sleep. Nice to sit back while someone else drives along what is an essentially boring road across the border.

Since arriving at Mount Isa we have attended a Rotary Change-Over Dinner with our friends Michael and Gayle Dougall, Robin and Michael have been on an underground tour of the Hard Times Mine tourist attraction, and we spent a delightful few hours driving to Lake Julius (dam) where we had a picnic lunch, took some photos and returned home.
The weather is a bit warmer than at Alice Springs and the days are beautiful and pleasantly warm. There have been some changes since we lived here between 1984 and 1988. However, we know the tour guide at the mine ... his wife taught with me at Mount Isa TAFE and we are meeting this evening for coffee, cake and a chat.

A photo of Lake Julius shows how it is possible to capture water, even in the dryest parts of our continent. There really is no shortage of water ... there is a shortage of infrastructure to capture and process it. If only we had a dam like Lake Julius at Alice Springs.

Best wishes

Robin for
Robin and Christina

Chris and Robin at Play - 1Jul 06

Here we are at play attending a friend's 40th on Territory Day. We had to go as something commencing with "P" so Christina was a purple witch and I was a parcel and tried to post myself to Jennifer Lopez.

There were some very interesting costumes at the party that included a pimp, prostitute, pilot, policemen, parachutist, professors, professional, parcel, purple witch, Pink, procrastinator, and a few others I can't recall.

Best wishes, Robin

Our Summer in the Cold

G'day

Why anyone would leave a Northern Hemisphere summer and travel south to the cold of Alice Springs is anyone's guess. At least that occurred to me when I sat in front of our gas heater, blanket wrapped around shoulders and legs reading the Centralian Advocate that told me Central Australia was having its coldest winter for 30 years. I think I already knew that!

What also occurred to me is that while we have been away for 12 months having an Arabian experience, nothing has changed here; the same people serve in the shops, our friends are still working at the same places, and apart from the odd construction here and there, nothing has changed.
Life goes on despite our absence. Winter in Central Australia is always cold, but beautiful. I've always appreciated the short winter change from the hot, unrelenting summers of 48 degree weather. In particular, the winter sky is stark, clean, crisp blue without a hint of pollution and the night sky outstanding. The photo herein shows the day sky over The Gap and was taken from hills behind our house.

We have some house maintenance chores to do and a few more friends to visit before we head off to Mount Isa in early July. .

Hope all is well at your end.

Best wishes.

Robin
for Robin and Christina