Day 13 - Mt Isa to Boulia via Diamantina Developmental Road

We were unimpressed with Mt Isa and were quite shocked at how close the mines are to the 'CBD'.

At least the price of diesel was much improved from our last stop - back down to $1.57 ltr and we were able to do some grocery shopping for mostly fresh fruit and veg at a local supermarket.

We were told by some locals that you can set your watch by the regular underground explosions at the mine - 8am and 8pm but we did not hear or feel them where we were staying.

We left with a new tyre fitted - heading south towards Boulia - home of the legendary MIn Min lights.

As we travelled south on the Diamintina Developmental Road the landscape changed and has now become very flat plains and forever blue skies as far as the eye can see.
Of course there is lots of roadkill and we are seeing many of the beautiful wedge tail eagles as they are often feeding on the remains on the roads.

We passed a fair bit of traffic (heading north into Mt Isa) so the journey involved lots of slowing and pulling off to the side - as the tarred highway as this road was described to us actually is only tarred in a single land down the middle of the road.

About halfway we were very disappointed to find we had another flat tyre - this time the opposite back tyre to the previous one. We again had to change the tyre - this time in the middle of nowhere.

This happened just 10 km out of the tiny village of Dajarra.
We stopped at the roadhouse at Dajarra as the sign advertise "Tyre Repairs" and we still had another 148 km to get to Boulia.

The girl at the roadhouse advise that the "guy that fixes tyres has gone to Europe and his replacement went to Mt Isa and no idea when he will return".

As we drove past the Dajarra Hotel we noticed a truck parked out the front with "Bobs Tyres - Boulia" on the side. So thats how we met Bob - as he was on one of his twice weekly runs to Mt Isa and stopped for lunch at the Dajarra Hotel on the return leg.

We talked to Bob about our tyre problem and then ended up following him to Boulia.
By this time it was 4.30pm so we dropped the tyre off at Bobs place and went looking for a campsite for the night.

We decided on the only place around - Boulia Caravan and Campground on the Burke River.

It was such a lovely spot that we decided over a wine and a gorgeous sunset over the river that we would stay on a second night here.

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