The route from Brisbane to Mount Isa takes me along the A2 which starts at the end of the M2 Ipswhich motorway and climbs the great dividing range to Toowoomba, It stretches 2025km to Camooweal close to the Northern Territory. The view is outstanding as the road climbs and windes its way into Toowoomba. After Toowoomba it leads you through Dalby and it starts to feel a little more country. On Thursday night I made it to Roma with at least an hour of daylight to spare but not enough to get me to the next main town where i would find accommodation. In Roma I ended up getting a room at the Irish bar where i enjoyed a pint and a hot meal. It had been a beautiful sunny day, the sky was so blue and scattered with flat bottom clouds it looked amazing partnered with acres of flat wide open land. It was however quite cool on the bike. I bumped into an Irish man at one of my fuel stops, he came from Wrexford but had now settled in Australia, he couldn't believe I had traveled from Melbourne but said "good on ye girl". We must have spent a good 20mins chatting. He had just returned from a holiday home which he had timed so he could go to the Isle of Man TT. Its random chats with strangers that makes traveling so enjoyable. You never know who you'll meet and I love to hear their stories. On Friday i made it to Barcaldine. On the way i passed through Longreach home of Qantas Airlines. It was one of the founding centres and there is now a Qantas museum there where you can see some of the aircraft including their first first jet aircraft a Boeing 707. It is also home to the Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame to showcase the history and culture of life in rural Australia.
Along the road I couldn't believe how much road kill lined the edge of the road. 99% kangaroos of course and the smell of it simmering in the sun made my stomach turn. As the road approached Barcaldine I was sat behind a road train when i spotted a few roos hanging around the edge of the road so I began to slow down but as the train approached a few of them darted out in front at the last moment, a couple turned and managed to get back but one wasn't so lucky. Another pub stay that night and a pint with the locals who were very friendly. Saturday I had another few 100km. I stopped for lunch in the town of Winton where the famous Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda had its first performance in one of the hotels. In 1998 they opened The Waltzing Matilda Centre the first museum to be dedicated to a song. Unfortunately a few days before my arrival a fire broke out at the centre and almost gutted the complete building, they lost a lot of historic artifacts from the local area. It was a big part of tourism for this small town and now they have lost it. Tourists were encouraged to stop in this town and give the local businesses there trade as they will feel the impact of losing the centre. So i stopped had my lunch and refuelled before moving on. I made it to Kyuna but couldn't find anywhere to camp, Cloncurry was the next main town but I wouldn't make it before the sun goes down. I was told i would be able to camp in McKinlay which wasn't too much further. Mckinlay comprises of about a dozen small houses, a police station and a pub, the Walkabout Creek Hotel which seemed to be joined to the Caravan Park. I pulled in but there didn't seem to be anyone around and when I got to the door it was locked with this sign pinned to it.

So I rode over to the horse races, all the racing had finished but I was just in time for the entertainment. I rode around the ground feeling a little lost then I pulled up beside some friendly campers to see what the craic was. Just so happened to be they were from Mount Isa, I pitched my tent beside them and made my way over to the shed where they had a bar set up and then a truck rolled in with a band on the back that played till the early hours. the sunset was amazing that night, it was my first night camping in the outback, and these guys know how to have a good time. Before i left the people i met reached me their details and told me to come visit when I got settled in.
They also informed me that the walkabout creek hotel is the one which featured in Crocodile Dundee.