Outback at Isa

Fantastic experience: All I can say is... I LOVE IT!!

Fantastic experience: Very knowledgeable staff, great tour

Fantastic experience: Enjoyed looking at this display of everything the area has to offer and learning is history and culture

Positive experience: Well worth a visit

Fantastic experience: Very informative and helpful.

Positive experience: Big visitor centre with the possibility of buying tickets for different outback experiences

Fantastic experience: Great information center with attached mineral museums. Staff on-point for Mt Isa. Nice stop for your RV water and even a shower! Very clean

Fantastic experience: Travelling around Oz in a van so having a good hot shower is a luxury that the Information Centre at The Isa is able to provide in spades. Clean facilities, lovely staff and a pretty decent cafe.

Fantastic experience: We enjoyed our fossil tour and our guide was very interesting and informative.

Fantastic experience: Great location with museum, Fossil centre, Hatd Times Mine etc. Recommend stopping here on arrival in Mt Isa and planning tours.

Fantastic experience: After a wonderful aussie outback adventure in August at Mt Isa Rodeo i went for a wander into the edge of town and found the Mt Isa Tourism Centre where i savoured tasty fresh sandwiches and an icy cold juice for lunch in the Outback Isa Cafe followed by a fascinating and funny guided (Thankyou so much Steve for sharing your experience, wit and wisdom so openly) copper mine tour including cornish pastries and a cuppa in the crib room for afternoon tea. I left the Isa on my flight back to Brisbane feeling well nourished both physically and mentally. Definately doing the bush tucker tour and sunset bus tour when i return next year.

Fantastic experience: We loved this place. Spent two days here

Fantastic experience: A great town of significant importance to our outback history.. multiculturalism at its peak when all the immigration to work in the mine took place. Another cultural experience they didn't teach us at school. Glad we stopped at Mt Isa .. We'll be back for sure.

Fantastic experience: Was awesome insight into mining * Mark was awesome tour guide and so knowledgeable on all things mining

Fantastic experience: Great friendly staff, mine tour is spectacular

Fantastic experience: Great place we spent 4hrs there. Learnt so much if Mt Isa from the ww11 to now. The fossil area was absolutely amazing. Staff here were friendly and very helpful, even when very busy.

Fantastic experience: Tour thru fossils with Edna.. brilliant!! She should do tertiary studies to enhance what is already a love of subject. Mine tour with Allen also brilliant.. wealth of knowledge re equipment and methods. Entire facility a credit to all concerned. Thank you.

Fantastic experience: Some beautiful spots

Fantastic experience: One of the best information centres. With tours within the centre. Very informative volunteers.

Positive experience: Good displays

Fantastic experience: Edna was brilliant in her explanation and knowledge of the Fossils and how they are found and processed. A truly brilliant young lady. Di and Wally

Fantastic experience: Interesting place to visit

Fantastic experience: Provide prompt, accurate, polite service, v clean amenities

Fantastic experience: Fabulous Information centre, an absolute must when visiting Mount Isa!

Fantastic experience: $2 for hot showers . . It doesn't tell you but the hot water is timed. Roughly 5 minutes for the women's

Fantastic experience: We enjoyed the fossil museum. The staff at the Cafe and reception are wonderful. Also enjoyed a nice walk around the water in the bush walking area.

Fantastic experience: Staff very helpful and a nice exhibition

Fantastic experience: Interesting displays, but the underground tour is a must do.

Fantastic experience: Don't follow Apple Maps for parking. Go to the side to get a park (Apple takes you to the front near the statues and the parking is limited there). Cheap as chips souvenirs and excellent facilities. Book tours here, 10/10 recommend a visit.

Positive experience: This is well worth visiting. It incorporates the tourist information, the Riversleigh Fossil Centre, the Outback Mine and Rodeo Museum, the Underground Mine Tour, the Outback Botanical Walk and a cafe, phew! You can easily spend a few hours here. And if you enjoy wildlife esp bird watching, the Botanical Walk is worth spending an hour or so with quite a variety of residential birdlife.

Fantastic experience: Great feed great price interesting things to do and look at.

Fantastic experience: The underground tour is a must if you are in Mt Isa. It's worth the time.

Fantastic experience: Great showers after camping down the road, $2 coin for hot water. Friendly staff and a beautiful impressionist art exhibition upstairs

Fantastic experience: Extremely educational. The Bush Tucker experience was truly amazing and so informative. Hope more people do this tour. My 3 grandkids learnt a lot of Australia bush and food. Thank you.

Fantastic experience: Three great experiences in one great place; Hard Time Mine, local Bush Tucker garden & Fossils. PLUS great historical displays, cafe, information & helpful staff

Fantastic experience: Absolutely luved the bush tucker experience Thank you Matthew best tour guide

Fantastic experience: Loved visiting for the cafe, the gardens and the souvenir shop.

Fantastic experience: If you're into mining and minerals then you will love this place. One could easily spend an hour wandering through the museum and enjoying the specimens and exhibits. I am amazed at the beautiful minerals that one finds in the area. It is a testimony to God's amazing creation.

Fantastic experience: We had breakfast in the Cafe, then took the grandchildren through the fossil centre. They just loved it but it's so much more than that. There's also native gardens, art displays and mining history. The staff are engaging and friendly.

Negative experience: Would have loved to tour it but it was closed even though it advertised as open!!!

Positive experience: Disappointing that there was nothing to look at without paying. Thank heavens the air cond was free.

Fantastic experience: Prehistoric animals, minerals, gardens, and cowboys. Friendly staffs and detailed exhibitions witness the changes in this area over millions of years.

Fantastic experience: Always always friendly, informative & generally a great first impression when entering Mt Isa.

Fantastic experience: The guide, Bill, was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Ten stars out of ten. This place is worth a visit. Going down into the mine, the exhibits, amazing. We booked in prior to going, as the group sizes are small. Don't miss this one.

Positive experience: Cafe has nice cooked foods, coffee, cakes, Guiness Pot pies, scones, thick shakes. Lovely place to relax and enjoy the area. Tours are signed out front if catching the group's. Brightly coloured Indigenous T-shirts, baby's to adults. They do need to put prices on their items. Purchased a collar shirt in pink artwork, cost nearly $80! A bit expensive, would never buy a shirt for that much money...

Fantastic experience: Great spot for coffee and breakfast, bagel was delicious and coffee was on pointe!

Fantastic experience: Mount Isa and the north west has lots of off the beaten track things like swimming holes, walks, view points, historical stuff, 4wd tracks, etc you won’t find unless you chat with a true local who has built up a wealth of knowledge over years of living in the area. This is a great spot to get some of that info. It’s also a great spot for all the regular tourist info and booking of local tours and accommodation. Easy access and parking close to the centre of town.

Positive experience: The self guided experience tour is very informative. Also able to see Rodeo hall of fame and botanic garden. Also got good service from tourism bureau regarding road conditions and useful websites.

Fantastic experience: So helpful, even arranged a taxi to pick me up after my mine tour

Positive experience: The mine tour was fantastic

Fantastic experience: The Mine tour was one of the best I have ever done. Bill, was an excellant guide (funny, knowledgeable & engaging). Loved meeting 90yr old Allan, he keeps everything rolling with the tours. After the tour we went through the Outback museum section & thoroughly enjoyed it. The tourist info centre staff are wonderfully helpful & happy to assist. If you don't do this whilst in Mt Isa, you'll be disappointed.

Fantastic experience: We just did the bush tucker experience with Edna. Edna was enthusiastic and so knowledgeable. We got try so many different plants and flowers. Incredibly enjoyable and educational. Thank you Edna and the Outback at Isa team!

Fantastic experience: Very helpful customer service officer who booked us into a mine tour

Negative experience: Regrettably . . . Staff very lacking in knowkedge re the Mt Isa Rodeo. (The biggest annual event for the Isa. I visited this morning (Thurs 10th Aug). Wanted to obtain info about entry to the Mt Isa Rodeo this morning. I had read that this morning's session was put on for the community & entry was by gold coin donation. I had already bought a ticket for this afternoon's Indigenous Rodeo, & wanted to confirm that I could enter this morning. Staff has no idea. I was served by a junior, friendly enough, staff member. To another (older) staff member it appeared obvious that his junior was struggling. He provided no assistance. Point Two: I asked if there was a brochure or 2 on regional birdlike & reptiles. Nothing on reptiles (surprising). Re bird life,I was pointed to a shelf that contained books on birds. No books, ZERO assistance. Point Three: 1. Toilets dirty, low cleanliness level, broken cubicle lock, broken light, toilet paper across the floor. Finally, Point Four: Main entrance foyer - significant wind blown leaves on floor. Thoroughly unimpressed with my visit. Visited 2 years ago, & and while the detail escapes me, I recall I was not impressed @ the time. PS I attended the Rodeo this morning for a gold coin donation, & it was EXCELLENT. Well done Rodeo organisers. James

Fantastic experience: This centre was absolutely terrific. Service was very friendly. The centre has such a of exhibition of things from Outback Isa. Well worth visiting.

Fantastic experience: A very informative tour. It was great to see this perspective of Mt Isa. Phil was wonderful. Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: Great place to visit.

Fantastic experience: The i was helpful with birding information and the attached coffee shop was a good place to relax with a yummy treat and coffee.

Fantastic experience: It is a great tour. Ian was our guide and he was excellent. Lots of information about the mine work was previously done.

Positive experience: Ok so it's got some interesting fossils and the mine experience (very expensive), just don't think you're going to get any information (it is a tourist information Centre) other than help with booking tours or accommodation. The gentleman I spoke to was as dismissive as he was unhelpful.

Fantastic experience: Lots to do there. Reversely fossil display, underground mine & art gallery. Gallery was free others cost. Modern, well set put with great facilities and a nice coffee shop and if you visit in summer, air conditioned. They also serve as booking agents for the rest of the attractions in town. People were supper helpful and well informed.

Fantastic experience: Both the underground mine and the underground hospital tours were unique and exceptional in their presentation of history and the human story they told. These are an absolute must see in Mt Isa. Could not fault either and they are a credit to the people of Mt Isa who have brought them to fruition. Thanks to all involved for bringing so much valuable knowledge to visitors. 5 stars plus!

Fantastic experience: Great range of tours to do here. Riversleigh Fossil Discovery Centre was interactive & displays were amazing. The Hard Times Mine tour was well worth the entry fee & was brilliant. Over 3 hours taking u underground in all the miners gear. Luke our guide 20 year miner was fantastic with personal experience & stories. Highly recommend.

Positive experience: Hoping Tourism Mt Isa sees all the negative posts on Wikicamps and other forums about CP monopoly in this town. Nowhere to budget camp, no other options. Plus all shops and supermarkets closed on Sundays. Can't even spend $$$ even if you want to. IGA Cloncurry got $170 worth of our business today. And diesel is cheaper there too.

Fantastic experience: Underground mine tour with guide Luke was a really great way to learn about the mining history of Mt Isa that is continuing today and for a great many years to come

Fantastic experience: We would just like to give a massive shout out to Michelle. She is honestly one of the most kindest lady’s we’ve ever met. As backpackers it is so refreshing to find such a friendly and helpful person. We arrived in mount isa and we had a pretty long wait to get our greyhound bus, so on the off chance we thought we would ring the outback to see if they have any luggage storage facilities as they are right at the bus stop and this would save us taking all our heavy luggage all around the shops. We was fortunate enough to speak to Michelle and she was more than happy to help and allowed us to store our luggage there. On arrival, Michelle was very friendly, smiley and she gave us information about the facilities we could use, surrounding area and was so polite and caring. We would like to thank you so much you made our trip in isa a very pleasant and enjoyable one.

Fantastic experience: Short visit in the visitor information centre. Paused for coffee as well. Clean and welcoming.

Fantastic experience: Went on the hard times mine tour. Really good. Our guide Alan was a wealth on information, having worked in mining since his 20s, could show us how the old equipment worked, told us the story of how the hard times mine came to be, after the mine proper banned visitors. A real good way to spend a few hours, came away with a new appreciation of it all.

Fantastic experience: Top marks to our guides around the Riverslea Centre and Hard Times mine- we really enjoyed both tours, the terrific guides Edna and Luke, and learnt a lot. We also enjoyed a great lunch at the cafe, and helpful assistance from the information centre staff. Recommend to everyone to stop in and enjoy.

Fantastic experience: Stopped in for breakfast on may day as they were the only place open Absolutely beautifull,,awesome staff

Fantastic experience: Lovely cafe eatery serving big brekkies, coffee, thick shakes, morning tea treats, lunches, croissants, scones and various cabinet choices. Stroll around the t-shirts, Aboriginal designs. Toilets within the complex down the left of clothing. Air-conditioned, caravan parking around the back street. Great for a reviver break grom the road. The centre is clean and well appointed. Staff are friendly and obliging.

Fantastic experience: Loved it. So much history and insight! Modern facilities and good air conditioning.

Fantastic experience: The place is fantastic. The Riversliegh fossil display is well worth the visit. The staff on hand are very knowledgeable.

Fantastic experience: Its has a nice cafe and gift shop and some gardens and musesum and much more. Very friendly staff. Qorth a visit

Fantastic experience: Outback at Isa is the central hub of all attractions relevant to Mount Isa and general information of both surrounding areas & locally.

Fantastic experience: Alan Rackham and his wonderful trainee guides Edna and Carol were the best, I never enjoyed a guided tour as much as I did when I visited the Riversleigh Fossil Centre at Isa in the Outback. Well done and it’s definitely worth seeing and learning about Riversleigh from Alan. He is the treasure of Mt Isa!

Positive experience: This has quite a lot to do just in the building. At a cost for some. But nice displays and paid exhibits to see. Drop in and get information on the surrounding attractions.

Fantastic experience: Awesome experience thanks to our guide Ian

Fantastic experience: Enjoyed Mt Isa. Interesting place. Didn't do the mining tour but heard it is worth going to. Had. Great meal at the Buff Club. Had the lamb chops the meal was great had four chops on it with chips and salad. Great value for money.

Fantastic experience: A definite do if in Mt.Isa. An interesting and fun couple of hours led by an authentic miner. The information centre is very helpful and folks there very good.

Negative experience: Today we drove into Mt Isa looking forward to visiting the Riversleigh Display at the Information Centre. While waiting to be served, a couple pushed in front of us. While surprised at their ignorance, we weren’t that upset as we have witnessed this happening more and more often as we travel throughout Australia. What really upset us though was how the chap behind the counter treated us. He told us he wouldn’t be long and disappeared. When he came back he then proceeded to tell us he wouldn’t be long again and positioned himself in front of the computer and started working on it. Meanwhile we were left standing, waiting and getting cross. So much for customer service! Our time is just as precious as that of those the other side of the counter.

Negative experience: Pretty poor assistance at the desk of the Visitor Information Centre. Lady who served us was distracted and just pointed to the area where there were brochures whenever we asked about an attraction suggesting that there "maybe" something on the shelves! There was none available on the highlights we were looking for. On a visit many years ago we were served by a young Indigenous man who was outstanding in his knowledge of the area and assistance. Not this time! Shame as this is such a major area bustling with travelers.

Fantastic experience: Amazing exhibits and displays and interesting presentations.

Fantastic experience: Mine tour was very good and made more interesting as was conducted by an ex miner (Bill) who used to qork there. Wonderful experience...

Negative experience: On our recent trip to Mt Isa, thought we would have morning tea at the Cafe. At 10.30am, there were no cakes to choose from, apparently they were still being baked. Our food and drinks came out one by one very slowly. We only ordered food from the display cabinet thinking it would be quick. After 30 mins, we were still waiting for a milkshake and croissant. Asked the girl about them, said they forgot. Milkshake came around about 10 minutes later but still had to wait another 20 minutes for the croissant. No apology for how long we had to wait. Coffee tasted awful and the customer service was atrocious. Extremely disappointing.

Negative experience: I arrived at 1.30 to have a meal at the cafe, sign on the front door said it closed at 3, they wouldn't serve me anything except what was in the cabinet because they were 'just about to close'.

Fantastic experience: Did the Isa experience it was full of interesting exhibits, also the Fossil centre. No free timeslots to suit us for the mine tour, maybe next time

Fantastic experience: It has to be the best town information centres I've been to in any Queensland town.

Fantastic experience: Amazing place to stop and learn about Mt Isa history, definitely worth doing the underground faux mine tour. Grab all you need for interest spots to visit around this area. Would recommend.

Fantastic experience: A building containing museum, mine and displays of its early history. Very well done and a must for travelers to visit. Lunch was well presented.

Positive experience: Interesting display of mining history very well presented. Indigenous history, stories and names not absent, but superficial "tick a box" level. Low meaningful engagement clearly absent on plant labels, with hardly any providing original names. Good opportunity for a reconciliation project!

Positive experience: Ok, lots of infor and displays. Cafe is ok also. Fossil display was good. All good Jim.

Positive experience: All day breakfast for lunch. Not cheap as it's the Isa. Pretty ordinary Eggs Benedict. Bacon with it. Pot of tea for 2 came with 2 teabags in the pot. Maybe another pot of hot water next time?

Fantastic experience: Fantastic tour with seniors discount also as well as afternoon tea with snack and retired miner operating equipment and us having hands on. Well worth it underground and above. Well done

Fantastic experience: Must do tour when u go to Mt Isa. Very informative. Very friendly, knowledgeable guide. Wonderful Cornish pasties provided for morning tea.

Positive experience: Very nicely laid out museum. Didn't do the full fossil tour, just a walk through as we'd been on a tour at Eromanga Fossil Museum. Not too many fossils on display but a lot of interactive displays throughout.

Positive experience: Excellent information Centre and cafe, mine tour , fossil center , gift shop, toilets and showers spotless , botanical park , rodeo hall of fame , Mt Isa museum all under the one roof

Positive experience: Enjoyed,the fossils' experience and the museum. Entry price $25 with it being Easter weekend. Normally $35. We spent about 2 hours in total

Positive experience: Awesome visitor centre and museum with awesome history of Mt Isa, the Mt Isa mines and fossicking history. Awesome art exhibition for free as well.

Positive experience: Great information centre, friendly staff