Charters Towers was a very popular town.  The caravan parks were full, so they parked us up on the front lawn of one of them and then we moved inside the next day.  After a bit of sight seeing we then started towards the Undarra Lava Tubes.  What an interesting and amazing place.  How they were ever discovered is beyond me.  Out in the middle of nowhere, there is suddenly this massive tunnel under the ground.  When you walk over the top of them you have no idea they are even there.

We are now heading towards the Atherton Tablelands.  We are spending a few days in Ravenshoe at the steam train museum.  Awesome campground for caravaners.  We are doing some tourist drives around the area and just enjoying the cooler weather and the scenery.  It is amazing how in the space of one day you can go from the vast dry nothingness to lush green rainforest.  Looking forward to spending lots more time in this beautiful part of the country.

Main Street, Charters Towers

Donkey Kong?????

Looking in to the lava tube

Looking out of the lava tube

Beautiful countryside, Millaa Millaa

Millaa Millaa Falls

Beatrice River

The mountain in the clouds.

Millstream Falls, Ravenshoe

We spent a few days in the bustling town of Mt Isa.  It was a bit bizarre driving into town - huge mines on one side of the road, houses and businesses on the other.  Very surreal.  Nice little town though.

We left the hustle and bustle and started heading towards Charters Towers.  Lovely free camps along the way.  Julia Creek had a beautiful free camp right on the edge of the creek.  It was pretty full, but just as we pulled up someone was leaving, yep, scored a beaut waterfront site!!!  Spent a few nights there relaxing and catching the odd red claw.  Richmond and Hughenden also had good free camps.  Some of the smaller towns are starting to get the message - give us somewhere to park, other than a big 4, and we will stay a while and spend some money.  Lots of caravans about at the moment so you have to be off the road pretty early to get a good spot.

One place we stayed at was Mary Kathleen - an old mining town, now abandoned.  When the mine closed the whole town was auctioned off and all the buildings and houses were demolished.  All the old building slabs are still there, as are the streets, although they are getting pretty overgrown.  Really strange parking up on a house slab, driving to the 'shopping centre' (all slabs) and just driving around the neighborhood.  We went out to the old mine site, which was a bit hard to find as there were no signs indicating where anything was.  Still, very cool place.

Corella Dam was also a lovely free spot - we lucked out and got one of the last water front sites.  Wayne put the boat in for a run and got some more red claw.

We are now heading to Charters Towers for a few days of civilization and then heading up to the Atherton Tablelands.

Mt Isa Dam

Mt Isa

Mary Kathleen uranium mine

'shops' at Mary Kathleen

Corella Dam

Awesome free camp, Julia Creek

Just another sunset, Julia Creek