outback at isa

The main reason to visit was the Hard Times Mine tour and it was fascinating.Our guide was very knowledgeable and informative and stressed how realistic the setup is, although it's a replica.We could have done without the homophobic/sexist comments though!We also enjoyed the museum, Very well done. A shame a couple of the AV displays weren;t working - especially the only on Mary Kathleen in which we were particularly interested having visited the ghost town the day prior.$59 for the HTM and Museum combo was good value, and you can spread the visit over a couple of days.

it was good, not great, but good to do. They take you underground like the miners and explain the processes. not really my thing but my man loved it!

Lots to look at and do however as it was a Sunday and off season was not able to do underground mine tour.

3 attractions in 1! Museum/gallery, Fossil centre and Hard Times Mine tour. Museum was fascinating. History displays and exhibits from early Mount Isa and the mine. The outback park was interesting with many local plants and trees. Their importance to the Aboriginals was also highlighted. The underground mine tour was also very interesting. I thought it was perhaps a bit long at 2 1/2 hours. It was also incredibly hot and humid and I felt for the Germans tourists that were on this tour.Sharon at the information centre was very helpful, ringing me to advise that the tour was not running on my preferred day but it would be running on Sunday. This meant that I could plan the remainder of my stay with some certainty. Well done to all at the attraction.

The Riversleigh Fossil Centre is part of the Outback at Isa which is based around the tourist information centre. I was the only person silly enough to be there at the time. From the dusty rainforest diorama at the entry to the faded peeling info cards this display is a dud, demonstrating a lack of care, technology and imagination. If you have kids do them a big favour and buy them a icecream instead.

A visit to the Outback at Isa is well worth it.Allow several hours due to the multitude of attractions here all in one place.This includes:the Regional arts gallery upstairs with some great art displays, photography, jewellery and pottery from a variety of local and regional artists.the Isa experience with interactive displays, articles, memorabilia, gemstones and history,the Outback park with native plants, (we saw a bower bird nest)the Riversleigh fossil centre, see the models of Diprotodon, (giant wombat like herbivore), Thyacaleo, Wakaleo (marsupial lion) and more.and the Hard times mine, where you will don on the boots, hard hat, overalls and head down the mine for a guided tour. Your tour-guide will inform give you their own unique experiences from working underground as they are all miners we were told. The tour is about 2.5 hrs.' and you will need to book this tour.the Visitor information Centre and the Wakaleos Café for lunch.One of the best days out and you can take your time here.

My husband was keen to do the Hard Times Mine tour, me not so much but I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed the tour. Our guide, Bill was a retired miner and really gave the tour a view from the inside. He was pretty funny and was able to make the tour really realistic, He could also fire up the equipment and operate it which was pretty cool.We'd recommend taking the time to do this tour, you won't be disappointed (and you can souvenir the orange onesie!!!)

It was good to have all the attractions of Mt Isa in the same place. The display of fossils from Riversleigh was very interesting.We did the underground mine tour which was informative and the guide was entertaining but the fact that it's a purpose built mine for tourists takes the shine off it a bit.

I was, initially, apprehensive about a 'recreated mine' tour. My advice is do not hesitate to take this tour!Our tour guide, Bill, was so interesting and informative that I could have spent longer. After his display of driving the machinery and showing us the way they drilled for minerals in the old days I knew that a tour in a real mine would be too noisy to hear the stories and get the answers to our questions.It was a very enjoyable afternoon and made us appreciate the history of our forbears who worked in these environments. Good value for money.

Outback at Isa has potential to be an excellent tourist attraction but lack of maintenance of exhibits has resulted in a disappointing experience. This attraction is more like a museum and relies heavily on posters, photographs and audiovisual to tell the story of Mount Isa. Due to poor lighting or total lack of lighting in some areas (where bulbs have obviously blown) it is difficult or impossible to read the narrative. Three of the main audiovisual exhibits had "Out of Order" signs on them that had obviously been there for an extended time. As these are three key exhibits to the history of the Isa we felt we had wasted our time and money visiting the display.

Can highly recommend the mine tour which is run by an ex-miner who gives you a real insight into the industry. The information centre is exceptionally good with sections about the Riversleigh fossil area, the history of the town and its development, and the original landowners of the area.

The underground mine tour was "Amazing". Our tour guide Bill was one of the most knowledgeable, entertaining characters I have come across. He made sure everyone on the tour was fully engaged, informed and enjoyed their visit to "his" mine. Incredible! The downside was the cafe and the service counter, really detracted from the experience. The mining museum was excellent, although a few displays were out of order. The fossil display was unattended and in need of maintenance.

We spent about 3 hours on this site, including a cuppa. There is a lot of information about Mt Isa and the surrounding area. Also much information about the mine at Mt Isa. The fossil centre on site is also well worth a visit. We did not do it, but there is also an underground tour in a mine at this location. If you do the underground tour then check before you go on the clothing requirements. Note, that despite some information to the contrary, there are no longer tours available of the actual Mount Isa Mines site.

We attended seeking information on the town with what too see and do. Sadly we were told to read the visitors guide, and see the lookout, sorry we took up the reps time - she really could not be bothered with us.

I felt this was extremely disappointing. I was expecting to go through the 'real' mine, however, it is a mine that has been created for tourist purposes only. At a cost of $6 mil., this mine takes you 20feet underground and tells of working in the mines in days gone by. All well and good, however, the town is surrounded by the real mine, and this is not open to the public in any way at all. Apparently tours did operate until some person decided to sue them because she fell and broke a leg, therefore, no one gets to see this in operation now. I can understand the mines reason for this, no one wants to pay out huge sums to 'get rich quick' people, but it is disappointing for the mainstream of people that are genuinely interested in how our country works. I would recommend a visit to Mt Isa, but it is a personal like or dislike if you want to see something that has been created specifically for tourists.