Fornax Street, Mount Isa, Queensland

​After two years and two months living full-time in Florence the caravan, we decided to expand our footprint and move into a rental property in the Mount Isa suburb of Sunset. There was competition for the renovated property, but we successfully claimed the keys through offering a higher weekly rent. Moving from a caravan to a three-bedroom, one bathroom house in the suburbs was overwhelming, with new furniture to purchase and also exhilarating, with access to on-demand hot water from the tap. The sense of space was luxurious, and we fell in love with the garden, an oasis from the outback heat and the dust that emanated from the mine. There was even a covered space for Florence under the carport. I took the opportunity to use one of the bedrooms as a sewing room to continue making quilts and Shovel purchased some workout equipment for the outside patio area.
​With aspirations of living in Mount Isa for many years our attention soon turned from renting to purchasing and a place to call our own…. The search had begun.

Shovel looking completely relaxed on the new Ikea rug

We purchased a bed, two study desks and two desk chairs, a fridge, a washing machine, couch, a rug and a dinner table and two chairs. We loved the neutral interior palate and the white plantation shutters and of course the hammock out back was a fun touch!

The finished quilt for Amy and Zak's wedding

​History suggests that when the suburb of Sunset was created in 1967, a planned housing estate built jointly by Mount Isa Mines and the government, locals were given the opportunity to submit street names. We are unsure who provided the name Fornax but can tell you “Fornax” is the Latin word for “furnace” (fitting given the town of Mount Isa exists because of a mine and subsequent smelters) and it is also the name of a southern constellation. The three brightest stars in the Fornax constellation are Alpha, Beta and Nu Fornacis, which form a flattened triangle facing south.