Driving to Alice - again

I have discussed the drive to Alice in a previous post.  I still have though quite a few more pics from the 3000km drive.  probably this post and then one more as we have the Devils Marbles to fit in. 

These pics cover driving around Mt Isa and the Barkley Tablelands. 

Mt Isa is quite a large place compared to the other towns you drive through on the way to Alice.  It is quite a site as you enter town and can see the large smoke stacks and lots of heavy plant and equipment relating to the mining industry.

The Barkley tablelands cover a huge area and are flat and well grassed.  They run from western QLD well into the NT.  This stretch of road was sometimes a bit boring but still interesting in its vast nothingness that you don’t see in many places in the world anymore.

Driving into The Isa.  Smoke stacks in the distance.

A good view of one of the stacks, right in the centre of town on the main road.  You can go left back down to Boulia or right to Camooweal where we were going.

This bad photo through a dirty, sunny windscreen was to show ‘Mansworld’.  This is the shop in Mt Isa where you go if you are a MAN.  I dropped in and bought myself all new outfits so i would fit in.

This is a long straight road, with red dirt and some trees in the distance.

2 Brolgas flying away.  I had just spotted a pair of these massive cranes on the side of the road when we saw these 2 standing in the middle of the highway.  We slowed down and i tried to get a pic of them but only managed them flying away through the side window. 

Entering the Territory.  They don’t give you much warning, a microsleep and you miss it.

A rarely seen speed limit in Australia.  It’s quite helpful as the roads are generally quite good and there are long distances of nothing to cover.

There are kangaroos about apparently.  At least you can see them coming from about 20 kms here.

Flat and grassy

A tree, very exciting on this stretch.

There were lots of swallows and black kites flying around the road on this stretch.  Every now and then a young or genetically disadvantaged one would try to out run our car.  We found this one wedged in the radiator at a toilet stop.

Driving to Alice - again