Day 22 Mount Isa to Terry Smith Lookout Free camp ( via Cloncurry)

 We are heading east again taking in Cloncurry and then north towards Normanton. First Stop of the day was the decommissioned Mary Kathleen Uranium mine. Its about 55 k from Mount Isa and the old township is a very popular free camp. We had been told the road from the camp to the mine itself was pretty rough so we unhitched the van at the camp and headed the rest of the way on pour own, 

Its about 6km and then we walked the rest of the way in. This fellow told us it was really rough and you need high clearance and all terrain tyres . What a load of rubbish - it was just a plain old gravel track with a few rocks but it was a good walk. 

The open cut mine is very impressive with beautiful blue water in it - pity the whole thing is still radioactive. Definitely worth the walk. 

Looks very inviting

Continued onto Cloncurry for fuel and drooped into the Visitor Info centre which is made up of all the buildings that were moved from Mary Kathleen when it was closed down. There is always reference  to Burke and Wills as well as John Flynn wherever you go . Cloncurry also likes to claim links to Qantas and the RFDS as the first flights came from here. 

Our stop for the night was rest area called Terry Smith Lookout . It turns out that Terry was the postman who did the northern run from Cloncurry for 41 years . 1950-1991 and it was named after him for his dedicated service. Quite a popular stopping spot as there was 6  others stopped in the same area. 

Lots of quails around