1 Enjoy those Hard Times

Hard Times Mine tours are back up and running. Grab the kids for some school holiday fun and head underground to experience Mount Isa's mining attraction at Outback at Isa. Former miners will guide you through the underground mine and tell you the best stories of working deep under the earth's surface. Get up close with the machinery and try your hand at the air-leg drill and feel the earth rumble with the firing of the blast face. Call Outback at Isa on 4749 1555 for more information or to book a tour time. While you are there check out the new Riversleigh Fossil Centre.

2 Revisit Adels Grove

The North West's premier tourist attraction opens again this Friday. After being closed for several months they are reopening on a limited basis with the canoe hire and shop open for now. They will be limited to only 40 sites so please book ahead as only bookings will be accepted. Boodjamulla National Park remains closed to camping until July 31. Book Adels Grove at 4748 5502

3 Discovery Ballara's rich mining history

Ballara is a ghost mining town on the Fountain Springs trail 60km east of Mount Isa. After the Queensland Heritage Council described the mining complex as "extraordinary", the Ballara Project has tidied up the area and added significant new signage and walking paths after a weekend working bee.The Wee McGregor tunnel 800m away is worth a detour and finally you can cool down at Fountain Springs water hole.

4 Mount Isa Community Market

The Mount Isa Community Market has been given the green light to host an outdoor market. They will be setting up in the Simpson St Post Office carpark from 9-1pm on Sunday. There will be food vendors and lots of markets stalls who have been busy making new things while in lockdown. They will be adhering to COVID-19 rules to make sure this is a fun and safe event for all.

5 Check out the barra at Karumba

Have you been to the Barramundi Discovery Centre since it opened last year? It's an amazing facility and has been enhanced by a new "love shack" for the barra, a tank for breeding barramundi. And there's no better place to see in the sunset than on the deck at the pub at the Point.

6 Enjoy a weekend at Longreach

It's a seven hour drive away so needs an overnight stay but Longreach is well worth the effort. The Qantas Founders Museum has had a $3.3 million upgrade including a new light and sound show 'Luminescent Longreach' and the refurbishment of a 1956 Super Constellation Aircraft. There's also the wonderful Stockman's Hall of Fame nearby and you can stay the night at the new tourism glamping accommodation offering, Mitchell Grass Retreat.