What an amazing experience we had this morning! We were up bright and early (for us) to arrive for our Underground Mine Tour in the Hard Times Mine. We scored Bill as our tour guide ,an old time miner who has worked in the mines for over 40 years. He was able to show us the conditions that he himself worked under, as well as tell us how it is for miners in these modern mining times. The contrast between the two is quite incredible with many differences being introduced with the rise of Workplace Occupational Health and Safety. We were amazed to hear that some of the big trucks driven below the surface now even have microwaves in them so that employees can heat their snacks. In contrast, Bill’s working conditions were incredibly different. 

We were suited up with overalls, miners hat, gumboots and a battery pack with a headlamp torch. Caleb was so excited to be dressed like a miner and was really looking forward to the experience. 

Underground, we were taken around the mine, shown how the blasting operated, and even had a turn at drilling the holes. Unfortunately, cameras weren’t allowed below the surface so we couldn’t get any photos of all the best stuff!

Caleb was the only child on the tour of 22 people. He scored the special job of helping Bill, pushing buttons, moving levers and being up the front at all times. 

When Bill told us that there was a fee of $10 for dropping your helmet light on the ground, Caleb commented that it could be a problem since he only got $6 a week. The whole tour group laughed and he won many hearts. 

At the conclusion of the tour, Caleb assisted Bill in putting away the helmets from behind the counter and scored a free photo for all the help he had given Bill. 

We had one very chuffed mini miner for the rest of the day!

It was really incredible to get a taste of the working life of the miners, to feel the environment underground and to relive Bill’s memories through his storytelling expertise. 

A highly recommended tour. It’s been the highlight of our trip to Mount Isa.