Day 26 Kangaroo Hills

Where I have come from

Wednesday 12th May, 2021 25.2km

629.9 / 4469km

A continuing saga of the boots. Up nice and early as usual and ready to go before 7. Trying to get a good couple of hours in and breakfast normally at 9am.

For a short while we shared a path

The other boot sole is now peeling off. To give you an idea these boots are $400 worth and I'm wearing boots due to the robustness compared to trail runner type shoes. This would be my 4th pair of Italian brand Scarpas. I have worn different styles of this brand over the years including in New Guinea on the Bibbulmun, Heysen, Cape to Cape etc. I don't like the shoe type footwear but on this trip tried these boots which are a lighter version of boot. The problem seems to be the glue holding the sole and I have been generally repairing or band aiding them since Irvinebank. The fact that they have now let go right up to the toe has made walking in them difficult.

Coming down into Douglas Creek 

My goal today was to get to Kangaroo Hills Station and see if I can get help on t he repair. I am in contact with Belinda (via satelite sms) and she has contacted Wildearth, the place I purchased them from.

Just before midday as I was about 3 kilometres out from the homestead, Melissa (Kangaroo HIills) rides up on her quad bike and we have a chat. She offers to give a lift across Douglas Creek if I wait till she gets back.

Douglas Creek

I didn't wait but stripped off and had a good wash down and swim. It was very refreshing. When Melissa returned we looked at the boots and she went up to the workshop and found some glue, stopped at the homestead and bought back a couple of mandarins.

More repair

I thought this glue might do the trick as it was very tacky, but doing it beside the creek in the sand may not have been ideal. I managed to get it all together and finished the mandarin then hoiked on the pack and set off south. By late afternoon the right sole had come away. So it was back to the para cord to hold it on so I didn't trip up. Found a lovely creek for the night camp and sent messages back and forth with Belinda about getting a replacement pair.

Tomorrow I get to Ewan and Helen's place and that puts me two days from Hervey Range Road and possibly Townsville.

The mandarin was sweet and juicy

Day 26