After quite a chill-out, some relaxing, a lot of doing not very much and more kicking back than I think is normal… it comes time to leave Mt Isa.

Last night we drove up to the city lookout and ate chips. Talia and Ben also took me out to the lake, 15km or so from the centre. It’s nice out there. Very peaceful. There’s good fishing, too, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Aside from the expensive and sporadically-operating “mining experience” tourist trap, I think I’ve done everything here.

I checked my options for getting to Cairns where my $1-a-day campervan awaits. Flying can be written off on the basis that at short notice you’re looking at $500 or so. The bus was my next option. They depart each morning, take 12 hours to Townsville and that leg costs around $150. If you connect with the Cairns bus there, expect to arrive up north at around 1am and parting with an extra $80.

I’ve opted for the train. It takes 21 hours, roughly, but a seat costs $123. Sleepers of various classes are also available, but I’m not fussy. It also saves me money in accommodation and beer as I’ll be in transit overnight. As a bonus, it also means I arrive in Townsville in the mid-morning which gives me more time to explore the place.

If you decide to book a train trip, especially out of Mt Isa, the only place to get tickets from it one of the travel agents. However, the procedure is to ring Queensland Rail direct who then give you a booking number which you then take to the agency who then give you the ticket… and charge you $30 for the privilege.

However, this rigmarol can be avoided by simply paying by credit card over the phone direct to QR. They can email you a ticket or even just give you the reference number and your train seat number. Turn up on the train, quote your reference and name and the guard should have you listed. In the worst case, he can ring and confirm that you’ve paid in full. Quick, easy and around 20% cheaper!

The number (within Oz) for Queensland Rail is 132232. I dealt with Sandy who was incredibly helpful, answering my battery of questions and being a great help.

On Sunday I’ll hitch up to Cairns – it’s only a 4-hour drive so that should be easy enough. Then on Monday, I begin a 3-day drive to Darwin. I have the van for 5 days in total, but I want to get to Darwin while Katie’s off work. I am visiting her, after all!

As mentioned below, my flight to Japan is also booked. I’ve got one flight (JetStar) from Darwin to Cairns which was around $200, and another from there to Tokyo Narita which was $384. Being a budget flight, though, things like food and the entertainment centre are extra. I’m not bothering. $30 for airline grub seemed overpriced and the Air Asia X flight I caught from KL to Perth didn’t have any films that interested me anyway.

Dates: Darwin to Cairns at a stupidly early time on Wednesday 8th, then a lunchtime departure for Tokyo arriving at 6pm local time.

Then the fun begins. I am partly chomping at the bit, partly freaked about dropping myself into the Land of the Rising Sun with very little preparation.

Cheese!

I was woken at 8:20am by Talia ringing me and telling me to get downstairs. I gathered some basics and met her and Ben in the car park. The plan for the day was to grab a McDonalds, then pack some snacks and drive out of town for some beer, swimming and picnic.

This we did. And, lo, it was fun! For those who say “why are you going to Mount Isa – there’s nothing there”, this is one of the reasons for going. It’s surrounded in all directions by very beautiful, unspoiled nothing.

Lisa chills out

Two other people happened to walk past where we were splashing in the entire five hours we were out there. Fish nibbled at our toes, people fell off inflated inner tubes and the sun turned us a lovely shade of crimson. My back’s going to tingle tomorrow once the sunburn sets in but I know I’ll end up with a great tan afterwards.

Sometimes the simple plans are the best, and it was a great afternoon out. The scenery where we were was lovely. Tall, barkless trees with some noisy birds hopping amongst them. I spotted an eagle (or some kind of bird of prey) and a host of dragonflies. The water was clean and cool, but not freezing. And the sky had that beautiful unpolluted blue colour you just don’t seem to find anywhere in England any more.

The water's lovely

As I type, I’m back in “my” room having had a freshen up. I’ve got an hour to kill before I meet up with everyone for dinner and then we can figure out what to do tomorrow – apart from figure out how the heck I’m going to get to Cairns on the cheap.

Yeah, it was a pricey flight to get out here but to catch up with nice people and see somewhere new… I’m thinking it was worth it.

I ate well on the flight over. As Qantas isn’t a budget airline, pretty much all flights have a free meal and i was actually given two as they had spare on board. Only a chicken salad sandwich, but they were good enough. I spent the flight reading and doing the crossword in the in-flight magazine.

Talia, her boyfriend and one of their friends met me at the dinky airport in Mount Isa. Like Launceston and Kathmandu, the luggage was just dragged on trollies into a free-for-all area. No fancy-dan conveyor belts here!

Our first stop was, of course, a bar. Tonight was the regular trivia competition which we managed to not come last in. We were joined by a couple of other people, had a laugh then moved on to the Irish bar where we played pool for a dollar a game until they kicked us out at midnight.

The only place left open was “The Club”, actually a strip joint. We had no other choice if we wanted to continue drinking so I ponied up the $15 entry (ow – it’s only $5 if you’re a nurse!) and paid over the odds for bottles of fizzy water.

Now, I’d not booked anywhere to stay. My original plans had been to crash with Talia, but as she got herself all boyfriended-up this became a bit awkward. There is one hostel in town and I’d not been able to sort anything out with it so decided to wing it. And I’m glad I did.

One of Talia’s friends had a key for a spare dorm in the accommodation near where she lives. I’m not saying exactly where in case someone gets in trouble! Essentially, someone moved out recently and there’s nobody to replace them for some time. So – free room!

Happily boozed up, I passed out in my cheap bed.