Kings Around Oz: Mataranka to Mt Isa

We have made it to Queensland!!!! But first we had a few nights at Mataranka and a few swims in the Hot Springs. The first one we visited was Bitter Springs and this one was a very natural Hot Spring that is at a constant temperature of 34 degrees! We swam with a few little fish and lilly pads and it was a little bit smelly as it is a natural eco system. The next morning we went to the Mataranka Hot Spring. This one was more like a pool as it was built to be a recreational area for the service men in the second world war. We couldn't believe we were even thinking of swimming as it was a very cold morning but since the springs are so warm we braved it and loved it. The only hard part was getting out as it was FREEZING when you got out. We then hit the road again for 3 nights staying a roadside or bush camps as Haydan calls them. These are a bit of a highlight as Haydan can run around more and play with rocks and sticks and not be confined to a park site. Also we try and light a camp fire at night so we can toast marshmallows. The only problem with the camps this time is no power means no heater and it got down to 8 degrees one night that we measured. The night before was way colder so we hate to imagine how low the temperature got that night. We are now in Mt Isa and have power which is a good thing as it has been getting down to 4 degrees and last week they had 1.2 degrees. The days are beautiful though and you can usually start peeling off the layers by 10am. We haven't stayed long in Mt Isa as it is very much a mining town and Glen has seen more than enough mines and I got to go underground in WA so we are now heading up to Normanton and Karumba to do some fishing!!!!! Will let you know how big the fish were next Blog!!!!