Day 56 to Marlborough

Another clear and cold morning

Friday 11th June, 2021 27.1km

1527 / 3571.9km

Another cold night.  Apparently a cold front is moving through and I can expect another couple of nights. 

Today the plan is to get to Marlborough. It's a 10k walk down this backroad then I can choose to either go out to the highway or continue for a short while along farm tracks next to the rail line. Belinda said maybe someone will offer me a ride?  I wish. For a start there has to be traffic and for the first 2 hours nothing comes past. 
The road south

In the end I decide to stick with the rail line. I walk slightly slower but I'm not worried about traffic. I enjoy the walk and get a few more toots until it's time to hit the highway. However it's now only 5 kilometres so should only take an hour.

following the rail line

I see my first live snake just as I step off into the grass as a truck passes, I think it was trying to warm up on the bitumen.  All I could tell was, it was black.

I get into Marlborough about 2pm and head straight to the post office just to notice a sign on the door saying its closed for show holiday. That's Rockhampton show.  However the lady sees me and opens up to give me the parcel and she also takes my excess stuff and posts it on. Very kind and I'm thankful.

I go to the pub as they offer $5 per person camping with a shower. I was just selecting my spot under a tree and talking to Belinda to book me a room at the motel out on the highway. The museum is closed on the weekend which is a bummer as I was looking forward to looking around here, as Marlborough first mined chrysoprase a mineral like Jade and was supposed to be the best in the world. 

another toot!

As I was standing there a gentleman rolled up and introduced himself. He is Craig Landy who did the trail with his partner in the early years in a self built Gypsy wagon. He wrote a book, The flight of the Black Cockatoo, which I bought off him and he signed it for me. He offered me a bed and to cook tea so I threw the pack in his ute.  Had a couple of beers with him at the pub and chinwagged into the night. 

Another generous person on the trail. I was glad for the bed as even in the house it was very cold. Having trouble charging my stuff as the charger doesn't seem to like cold weather. It didn't seem to charge my battery pack at all and said it would take 7 hours to charge my phone. I get better results from my solar panel.