Day 53: Tue 14 Jul 26

Day 53: Tue 14 Jul 26 - Mt Isa

July 14, 2026

Tue 14 Jul 26 - Mt Isa

10 to 25 Deg, clear with a light breeze.

First activity for the day was a 0945 tour of the Mt Isa Underground Hospital. After the bombing of Darwin, including the Darwin hospital, in 1942, there was a real concern that Mt Isa might also be bombed. Four timbered tunnels in the shape of an E were built by local miners into the side of the hill behind the hospital. The completed hospital included separate male, female and children’s wards plus a surgical theatre, delivery room and dedicated maternity ward – all fully stocked with linen and medical equipment. An air raid never eventuated, and the shelter became a temporary dormitory for nurses and a store room for hospital equipment before eventually closing in the 1960s. Read more about here: History of the Mt Isa Underground Hospital, it's quite interesting. Olli was even allowed to join us underground on the tour - he was exceptionally well behaved. Afterwards, we ventured into town for coffee, then returned to the van. Noel stayed behind for the afternoon catching up on some cleaning, while I set off again shortly after at 1230 for an underground Hard Times Mine Tour. I (with 23 others) descended into the mine and learned about the history of mining, the wide range of equipment used, and the hard work of miners. We spent a great 3+ hours with Steve our guide. He was very knowledgeable having worked many years in the mines and also having constructed the Hard Time Mine for tourists to get an understanding of how the mines worked. Afterwards, I returned to the van, had a cuppa, then had a short walk along a nearby trail to the top of a hill with some lovely views, but still too early to catch the sunset. We had planned to drive out to Moondarra Lake this evening for the sunset, but both feeling a bit jaded after a big day, we'll look to do that tomorrow.