Day 67 The Marble Quarry

Wednesday, 23 June 2021

Day 67 The Marble Quarry

Camping amongst the speargrass

Tuesday 22nd June, 2021 25.2km

1775.4 / 3298.5km

The quarry had something going to nearly midnight and the notes said the trucks start early. I expected 6am early but it's 4.30am early when the first truck rattled its way past. Oh well all I can do is wait for daylight and move on. 

The road continues past the quarry and then becomes much quieter. After that it's an amble through a valley which is very open and fairly treeless. There is a cold wind blowing and I stay rugged up for a fair while.

The quarry

I meet a lady driving a tractor with a large bail of hay. She stops and we chat for a bit. She is 74 and while the rest of the crew are up the other property near Nebo she is getting things ready for when the cattle arrive back. She also works as a nurse in the disability sector three times a week in Rockhampton.  I'm feeling a little lazy at this stage.

I said goodbye and continued the day. Towards the end I meet Cedric Creed and his two sons 11 and 8 working in some yards. He is one of the section coordinators for book 4. The valley here and Creeds seem to go a long way back, with a cemetery I walked past and roads named after them. 

grass and few trees

Cedric's wife Therese, another coordinator, as the story goes, was a school teacher in Melbourne who was fed up with the job, read about the trail and went and bought a horse, even though she had never ridden one before. Eventually got it together and rode the trail and met Cedric in this area where she stopped for a while. 

Cedric joined her on the ride through to Cooktown and eventually married and settled in the area. I asked Cedric if the story was true and he confirmed it. The best thing he did for me today was gift me some oranges. I forgot to ask him about the fig trees in this area that are planted in old hollow logs. He has some on his property and all along the road. Must be Creed thing.