Mount Isa is a thriving city located in the north west of outback Queensland, about 1830 kilometres from Brisbane (the state capital) and 880 kilometres from Townsville on the Queensland coast. Mount Isa has a population of approximately 24,000, and is a major service centre for north west Queensland.
Mount Isa has an excellent climate, averaging 9.5 hours of sunshine per day and only 50 rain days per year. Like most of northern Australia, the region has two distinct seasons – the "wet" season from November to March and the "dry" season from April to October. Summers are hot, with average maximums in the high 30s and minimums in the low 20s (degrees Celsius). In winter average daytime temperatures are in the mid-20s and nights average a comfortable 12 degrees.
Mount Isa's history began in 1923 when a lone prospector camped by the banks of the Leichhardt River sampled a nearby rock outcrop and discovered it was heavily mineralised. It was soon established that the area contained one of the world's richest bodies of copper, silver, lead and zinc, and mining started soon afterwards. 80 years later, Mount Isa's mines are is still among Australia's largest producers of copper ore. The early miners faced many hardships, including scarcity of water, high summer temperatures, high transport costs and scarcity of essential items. Despite the initial hardships, Mount Isa has grown into a thriving and diverse city that has now attracted people from all around the world.
A rich selection of attractions and activities are available in Mount Isa and surrounding regions, including the World Heritage listed Riversleigh Fossil area and the magnificent Lawn Hill Gorge. Other attractions include fossicking for minerals and gems, camel racing, the picturesque Lake Moondarra and barramundi fishing.
Mount Isa is easily accessible by all modes of transport, including private vehicles, air, rail and coach. The major highway into the city and to the Northern Territory border is sealed, and several car and four wheel drive vehicle hire companies operate in the city. Qantas Airlines currently operates daily services to Brisbane, while MACAIR operates daily services to Brisbane, Townsville, and Cairns. Queensland Rail operates a twice-weekly passenger service to Townsville. Coach services operate to Brisbane and Townsville on a daily, and to Tennant Creek five times weekly, with connections to Alice Springs and Darwin. Aircraft and helicopter charter services are also available.