Mount Isa [1] is a mining city in the north-west of the Australian state of Queensland, situated some 900 km west of Townsville and some 1900 km north-west of the capital Brisbane. Population 22,000. Geology is the key drawcard to Mount Isa, best represented in the World Heritage Riversleigh Fossil Field located near the city (250 km! - "near" for Queensland....).

Mount Isa Mines at dusk

Understand

Mount Isa is the birthplace of two Australian sporting greats: Greg Norman (golf) and Pat Rafter (tennis).

Mount Isa City municipality covers an area of over 43,310 square kilometres, making it geographically the second largest city in the world to Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia.

Get in

By train

Mount Isa is served by The Inlander passenger train [2] which travels overnight to / from Townsville (via Charters Towers) twice weekly (977 km). The air-conditioned train offers twinette, roomette, triple bunk and coach accomondation, and has a club car for movies and food.

Get around

See

Outback at Isa - Hard Times Mines Mount Isa

• Riversleigh Fossils Centre, ph: +61 (0)7 4749 1555 or 1300 659 660, (email:mailto:riversleigh@mountisa.qld.gov.au , fax: +61 (0)7 4743 6296,)[3] Conveniently displaying the results of excavation at the World Heritage site

Do

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Mount Isa offers a range of accommodation options to suit everyone's budget.

Budget

• Travellers Haven (The Haven) [4], ph: +61 (0)7 4743 0313, fax: +61 (0)7 4743 4007, (email:mailto:thehaven@bigpond.net.au). The Haven offers free pick-up and drop-off from the bus and train station, comfortable beds, cooking and laundry facilities, cool air conditioning, swimming pool and fast Internet. Prices start from $22.00.

Get out