After donning bright orange overalls, a miners hat, lamp and boots, you can descend into the Hard Times Mine for a better insight into this mining town. The fully guided tours, run out of the Outback@Isa Visitor Information Centre, descend to the 1.2km (3/4 miles) of tunnels in an Alimak cage at 10am and 2pm daily. Your guide will be a retired miner, who will relate stories of life and work underground. Tours take about 2 1/2 hours and are not suitable for children under 7. The Outback Park is a cool oasis with a lagoon, lush vegetation, and waterfalls.