Cloncurry

TUESDAY, 14 JUNE 2016

Looking towards the mine

Thank goodness for a longline shirt!

Chinaman Creek Dam

Rainbow bee-eater

Paperbarks

Road bridge and town

Similar to John Flynn's vehicle

Cloister Wall

Our first day in Cloncurry and the weather has been hot – no need for the heater early this morning!  As tourists to this surprisingly small town, we first visited the Information Centre at the Mary Kathleen Museum.  This museum is dedicated to the now non-existent town of Mary Kathleen and the uranium mine, which was the reason for it being built.  The displays and memorabilia of MK were interesting, as was the section on the Burke and Wills Expedition, which passed through this area.  After leaving the building, we joined 3,671,294 large ants and walked up the nearly as many steps to the lookout.  The view to the mine, as well as the hills to the east, was worth the effort.

We then drove through town to Chinaman Creek Dam – Cloncurry’s water supply.  Such a beautiful area so close to the town, and so peaceful.  A rainbow bee-eater even sat on a branch only a metre away from us.  However, the sign warning of lice in the water (this is where our drinking water is coming from???) was a bit startling.  As was the discovery that “someone” had been wandering around all morning with a wardrobe malfunction, keeping his bibs and bobs cool!  We had a quick stop at the Rotary Lookout (every town has one!) before heading to the supermarket – our first Woolworths since leaving home.

This afternoon, we visited the John Flynn Place and discovered that the Royal Flying Doctor Service commenced in Cloncurry and this museum was dedicated to the work of John Flynn and his associates in the RFDS and the Australian Inland Mission.  We really enjoyed this visit, especially the audio-visuals, and found time to reflect in the quiet courtyard garden.

In case anyone is interested, there are more flies than ants in Cloncurry.