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On yet another mammoth driving mission, we stopped at Burke and Will’s Roadhouse at the crux of the Savannah Way and the Matilda Highway. The last thing we expected to stumble across was a rodeo in full swing. I could hardly stifle my giggles as men in Stetsons and spurs clinked across the road for a coffee and bacon roll in between competitions. You can view the video of one dressage style session here. As Rob explained to me, the reason the horse in the video keeps stopping mid-gallop is to exhibit its ability to stop dead. This is because the very best Arab horses used in the American mid-West can plant their hooves in the ground to stop immediately whilst some of the horses we watched had to slow down first.

We stayed the night at the Irish Club in Mount Isa where we found a very handy all-you-can-eat buffet for $13. The accommodation itself is mainly filled with mine workers on shifts as is the entire city. Large mineral processing plants dominate the skyline and huge machines trundle across the highway.