What on earth is "The Shack"?

Between the Rugby Union Club and Arts on Alma, you will find a rather unassuming building.

Every second Saturday evening, between 8pm and midnight, it is home to the Mount Isa Folk Club, or as it is better known, The Music... Shack.

Volunteers run this community group for anyone who loves live music, and for a gold coin donation, entry is yours.

The Mount Isa Folk Group was founded 47 years ago by a small group of musicians that played in local pubs. They moved into a property in Simpson Street, which they outgrew, and then was offered an opportunity to buy the old footy clubhouse. The musicians at the time rallied together and played local gigs to raise the money to buy the present day premises.

The licenced bar has inexpensive drinks, and the outdoor stage has a very casual atmosphere - and honestly, who needs a roof when you have a jam session going?!

The whole idea behind The Shack is to provide a platform for individuals and bands to 'have a go'. Equally important, it gives us locals something to do on a Saturday night!

Regardless if you are new to town, or if you have lived in Mount Isa your whole life, The Shack is a fantastic place to meet new people, make new friends, or even start a band.

Those of you who have been there will agree - it is pretty unique. They are always on the lookout for new musicians as well as volunteers to help setting up, so put up your hand and make a difference in our local community 👍 Find them online  at www.facebook.com/groups/isafolk

Do you know what it is like working underground?

Living in Mount Isa - the town with the largest network of underground mine development in the world - most of us are in some way connected to the Copper or Zinc operations here. That being said, not all of us really know what it is like working underground.

How deep underground do they work?
The Copper mine's internal shaft reaches a depth of almost 2km.

How do they get underground?
Mine workers descend into the mine in a large cage which holds 94 people, and it travels at about 16 metres per second (60km/hour).

Hours
Miners usually work 10 or 12 hour shifts and rosters vary. Some miners work up to 7 days on / 7 days off, and some work night shifts as well.

Conditions
As you can imagine, they do have adequate ventilation systems, but it can still get hot down there. Temperatures in most of the working areas of the mine are air conditioned to around 28 degrees Celsius, but there are high levels of humidity.

Visibility can be challenging, and in the ore body area your headlamp is often the only source of light.

Some of us might perceive mines as dark, challenging and secluded places, but from my conversations with miners, that isn't entirely accurate. The tunnels are about 5mx5m and it is possible to drive through these tunnels that lead to the underground workshops and working stope areas.

Although miners can be tough, they like to laugh and tell stories and it is that community which makes the atmosphere more open and inviting.

Is it for you?
If 2.5 hours underground sounds more up your alley than 10 or 12, Mount Isa has a mining experience which is open to visitors.

Make sure to stop by Outback at Isa on Marian street and book a tour in the Hard Times Mine. You can experience going underground in the cage, wind your way through the tunnels and enjoy refreshments in the crib room. I've heard they have the best corned beef sandwiches! 

5 Tips for adjusting to life in Mount Isa

Here you are, in a brand-new place.

1800km from Brisbane. 2600km from Melbourne. 4700km from Perth. A part of you might feel that Mount Isa is an exciting new chapter in your life, but mostly you might just be feeling HOT and overwhelmed.

So many people dream of making a change, but not as many people do it. If you are reading this, then you probably have already been brave enough to give it a try, and I have a few tips to speed up the process of adjusting!

1. Volunteer

I don't recall ever disliking any of my fellow volunteers, because anyone that is willing to give up their time to do something for free is bound to be pretty nice. Think about putting in some time at Paws, Hoof and Claws (our local animal shelter), the PCYC, Jangawala (The Catholic Church soup kitchen) or Meals on Wheels. You'll make friends and help out your town in the process. What's better than that?

2. Join a club

Clubs connect people with similar interests, so you're pretty much guaranteed to have something in common with whoever shows up. Enjoy live music? The Shack is on every second Saturday. Love to stargaze? The Astronomy club meets out at Lake Moondarra every month. Young children? In addition to the library’s children’s program, there are two Mainly Music groups as well as several playgroups.

3. Be A Tourist For The Day

Head to Outback at Isa on Marion street. There is a tour bus, two museums, an art gallery, a coffee shop that bakes everything fresh on site and an Outback park with a Fish Hatchery. You'll get to know Mount Isa and find out what the locals do in their free time (and you'll also learn the history of your new home).

4. Find Your Local Hangouts

Being recognised does make you feel like part of the community, but this won't happen if you don't get out of your house. Get a favourite coffee shop and get that first punch in your loyalty card. Try out the local restaurants. (The deck at the Isa Hotel is lovely. The cocktails at the Buffs are great. The Burke and Wills have great sticky ribs). Get to know Jenny, Sue and Tracey at the library. Soon you will become a known face in the community.

5. Find out "What is on" and GO!

A good starting point would be to follow 'Mount Isa What's On', Outback at Isa, the Civic Centre and the North West Star on Facebook. If the local school has a fete - just go! Even if you don't have children, see it as an opportunity to support your community and at the very least, grabbing dinner from the international food section gives you a night off from cooking.

Moving to a new place can be scary and overwhelming, but if you get out into the community, you're sure to feel like it's your new home in no time.

Our Mount Isa Community : South Africans

Living in Mount Isa, odds are that you might know a South African. According to the 2016 Census data, South Africa is one of the top 5 other countries that contribute to the local population of our wonderfully multicultural city.

Here are a few handy bits of information about this interesting nation.

Languages:
South Africa has 11 official languages. To my own ears I have no accent, but every other visitor at Outback at Isa asks me "Where are you from?", so I might have to make my peace with the guttural 'g' and 'r' sounds that some Afrikaans speaking South Africans are known for!

Basic phrases:
Thank you : Dankie (Don-key)
Thank you very much : Baie dankie (Buy a don-key)

Sport:
The only rugby or 'footy' played in South Africa, is Union. The national team are known as the 'Springbokke' and on Saturday afternoons, the devotion to the sport reaches fever pitch.

Food:
Regardless of whether you speak English or Afrikaans, a BBQ is called a 'braai' and 'Bobotie' is a firm favourite in many households - you can find the recipe at the bottom of this post (try it!)

Fun facts :
#1 The first ever human heart transplant was performed in a Cape Town hospital in 1967
#2 The oldest remains of modern humans were found in South Africa and are well over 160,000 years old.

Traditional South African bobotie recipe
Serves up to eight people, but in our house it only serves 5!

Ingredients
2 slices of crustless bread (white or brown)
375 ml milk
25 ml oil
10ml butter
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons of curry powder
10ml salt
3 tablespoons of smooth apricot jam
1 kg raw mince
a handful of sultanas
2 eggs
bay leaves

Method
1. Soak bread in milk. Heat oil and butter in large pan and fry onions and garlic.
2. When onions are soft, add curry powder, salt, jam, sultanas and mix well.
3. Add the mince and fry until brown.
4. Drain the now soft bread (reserve the milk for later) and add to the mince. Mix well.
5. Add one beaten egg to the mince mixture.
6. Spoon into a greased baking dish and level the top.
7. Beat the remaining egg with reserved milk (you should have 300ml, or a little more) and the salt.
8. Pour over meat mixture and put a few bay leaves on top. Bake, uncovered, at 180 degrees celsius for 45 minutes or until set.
9. Serve with rice.