Brisbane to Darwin road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
Brisbane to Darwin drive: Cloncurry and Mount Isa
Moving on north towards Cloncurry, there are a couple of famous pubs. The Blue Heeler in Kynuna, on the Diamantia River, plus McKinlay’s Walkabout Creek Hotel are good slices of stereotypical Australia.
Things to do in Cloncurry include the John Flynn Place Museum, devoted to the founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and fossil-fancying Cloncurry Unearthed.
Cloncurry accommodation options include the personality-packed Gidgee Inn and the solidly decent Leichhardt Hotel Motel.
On the way from Cloncurry to Mount Isa, decent stops include the Burke and Wills Memorial, the Corella Dam swimming hole and the eerie ghost town at Mary Kathleen.
7 great Mount Isa experiences you really ought to know about
- Hard Times underground mine tour – led by a miner.
- Riversleigh Fossil Discovery Centre tickets – with optional laboratory tour.
- Combo ticket for Isa Experience Heritage Display, Outback Park and Rodeo Hall of Fame.
- Small group scenic flight – flying over the vast mines.
- Lake Moondarra sunset tour – with drinks and food platter.
- Pay a visit to the bizarre World War II era Underground Hospital.
- Mary Kathleen abandoned mine and ghost town tour.
Mount Isa, the last proper-sized town in Queensland has several attractions. These include the Riversleigh Fossil Centre, the 4.2km walking track up Telstra Hill, and underground tours at the Hard Times Mine.
Mount Isa activity options include the two hour best-of Mount Isa tour, outback scenic flights, a sunset tour to Lake Moondarra and a fascinating visit to the abandoned Mary Kathleen uranium mine.
For Mount Isa accommodation, try the peppy four star Copper City Motel, the centrally-located Icon on Isa and the roadtripper-friendly Discovery Parks Argylla.
Click through to the next section: Barkly Highway to Tennant Creek.