We finally made it to the Blue Heeler Hotel in Kynuna after planning the trip for over twenty years! It felt like a real milestone. Mark first visited this hotel in 1998. He had scored a contract at the copper mine at Gunpowder. Mark was involved with the mining work; his contract was for building works and expanding the infrastructure at the copper mine. Temperatures at the worksite could reach up to 50 degrees.
Mark and the guys loved to unwind on weekends and one weekend they drove to the Blue Heeler Hotel, where they enjoyed delicious food and refreshing beers. The pub was fun, filled with quirky memorabilia, including some playful discarded bras that added to its charm. Sadly, when the pub changed hands later on, the new owners decided to remove the bras, thinking they were a bit too tacky, and unfortunately, they ended up tossing them away!
Like many other visitors, we couldn’t resist signing our names on the bar table at the front—it’s such a fun tradition!
We set up camp at the back of the pub, away from the road, for only $15 a night. When dinner time rolled around, we strolled over for a bite and a drink. It was good to see the pub lively and bustling with people. Road Boss Rally visitors had stopped by, along with buyers looking to purchase cattle.
While we were there, a friendly truck driver popped over for a chat. His impressive rig was parked right outside, and he was taking a well-deserved break to grab a bite. He shared some fantastic stories and offered us some tips on places to visit in the Northern Territory. This was a regular route for him. It was such a nice experience connecting with a fellow traveller who was familiar with the Northern Territory.
If you love early sunrises, the camping ground behind the Blue Healer Hotel is a perfect spot to capture them.
