Tuesday, 1 June 2021

Day 46 Eungella Dam

Tuesday 1st June, 2020 24km

1211.1 / 3887.8 km

The camp spot is a spot pushed flat by the roadworking crew. It's beside the main road but after an initial rush of traffic around dark, then again in the morning as the road crews head back to work It's very quiet. I wonder what people think when seeing a tent setup beside the road.


Blenheim Creek Camp     
                                                                         I went further upstream away from cows
                                               to get water

Going right
The walk though is down a lesser used track through Blenheim Station. I get a little confused as I wander through the actual station buildings and follow a fairly well used track around a shed to a dead end. I should have gone straight ahead on a two wheel track over a grid.

The track goes across some claypans and black soil. Plenty of grass but the black soil has deep cracks showing not a lot of moisture content. I do pass a windmill and turkey nest dam if I needed water but the official camp site 3km further, at a spot called Dingo Spring is unmaintained and I didn't see water.
Across the grid into the station. I went past four
houses. The station proper is on a hill.



I stopped for breakfast knowing I have a climb coming. I'm not feeling 100% and this morning was only the second time I've had some panadol. I'm not hungry which can be a problem and feeling weak in the legs. It's sometimes hard to pin if your sick or just feeling the pinch of a couple hard days.

I start the climb up the range. The steep bit is only about 4 kilometres but it takes me a long time to do with a couple of rests. When I finally hit the top and meet a road I find a spot to rest for a while. I force more food in, a couple of peanut butter wraps. I was leaning back thinking would I be as famous as Elvis if I choked on a peanut butter wrap at Eungella dam?

Arty


The stop turned into an hour and a half as I had no energy to move. I still had about 9 kilometres to go to the dam camp over some long rolling hills. I pushed on and finally the long walk down the hill to the dam. It was late and all I wanted to do was set up and sleep. Forced in some hydralite, a muesli bar then had a cup of tea. I remembered I might have added some Turkish delight to my chocolate stash and looked at the bottom of my tucker bag and yes there it was. It travelled well. I thought to myself "what a guy", "makes you cry" , "And I did" (rocky horror picture show reference). I'm sure I am coming down with something. Maybe bad water. Maybe the generous breakfast. I blame the liver.


While I'm dawdling I missed the sun setting behind the mountains. Bugger it. Go to bed. Woken up with something peeing beside the tent at 1am, I think it was a cow. Then had to shoo away a possum or something similar that was rummaging through my kitchen bag.
Shit night sleep.

The track to follow Barker Road

The beginning of the climb

Three kilometres to climb quickly out of the valley

Over the top to this road. I slept here for an hour 
and a half.

First glimpse of the dam

Campers down there

Just missed the sun going down

Look what I found!





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