LAKE MOONDARRA
Lake Moondarra is situated just 20 kilometers north of the city centre of Mount Isa. Access to the lake is by a sealed road and offers a picturesque shoreline drive.
The lake is a popular place for locals and tourists to visit because of its spectacular scenery.
The lakes safe still water encourages swimming, boating, sailing and canoeing. It has also been stocked with barramundi to lure the anglers for an excellent spot of fishing. Whilst permits are not required to fish at Lake Moondarra, catch limits do apply.
There are several scenic picnic areas located around the lake with large shady trees and these are some of the best places in Mount Isa to have barbeques. The Barbeques are free of charge and have a woodpile that is stocked regularly.
Lake Moondarra hosts an array of bird life such as pelicans, cormorants, galahs and ducks, just to name a few, giving excellent photographic opportunities. Avid bird watchers can obtain a species list from Outback at Isa
RIVERSLEIGH FOSSIL FIELDS
Location
Riversleigh is a cattle station on the Gregory River, situated 250 km north-west of Mount Isa and 75 km
south-east of Lawn Hill National Park, and covers 3108 square km. The Riversleigh fossil vertebrate deposits are among the richest and most extensive in the world and for this reason in 1992 the deposits were included in an extension to the Lawn Hill National Park.
The Fossil Deposits
The deposits at Riversleigh are found over 40-60 square km and represent three different periods in time. Most are in light coloured limestone 10-25 million years old that overlie much older, darker limestones. Another time period is represented at Rackhams Roost where the bones of carnivorous bats and the creatures they caught and ate 3.5 million years ago have been found in the remnants of an ancient cave high above the Gregory River. A third time period is preserved in old river terraces where the remains of animals that lived and died in and along the Gregory River some 50,000 years ago have been found.
The Riversleigh Landscape
The most common rocks in the area are 530 million year old limestones formed when shallow inland seas covered vast areas of Australia. Hiding among the hills and ridges are younger limestones formed in freshwater pools and lakes, around 10 to 25 million years ago, long after the seas receded.
These younger rocks contain the fossils for which Riversleigh is famous. Since 1983 the beautifully preserved remains of thousands of ancient inhabitants of northern Australia, including giant pythons, carnivorous kangaroos and marsupial lions, have been recovered from those rocks and are adding immeasurably to our developing knowledge of the history of our continent and its animals.
BOODJAMULLA (LAWN HILL) NATIONAL PARK
Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park is one of Queensland’s most scenic national parks, featuring spectacular gorge country, sandstone ranges and significant fossils. The Waanyi Aboriginal people have strong cultural ties with the park, while pastoralists of European descent have recent historical connections. Visit the World Heritage-listed Riversleigh fossil site. Numerous freshwater springs feed Lawn Hill Creek.
Camp beside the creek and canoe its cool reaches. Attractive purple-crowned fairy-wrens may be seen along the creek edge. Enjoy one of the many walks that vary in length, difficulty and landscape. Cross the bridge and walk to the Wild Dog Dreaming Aboriginal art shelters. Continue on to the lower gorge where freshwater crocodiles are often spotted basking in the sun. (They can become aggressive if disturbed. Take care if swimming.)
