Day 118 Blackbutt

The track back up

Thursday 12th August, 2021 18.1km

2528.4 / 2570.5km

After a relaxing day yesterday I was suprised at how much sleep I got.

But I must move so it's a short climb back out of the gully and then a meander past rural blocks to Blackbutt.

Square and blocky horse

I talked to one old fellow who was chopping trees down, he was happy to sit on his block and watch the world do its thing.

The actual walk into town was not the most inspiring but I had a date with an award winning bakery. So first thing I did when hitting town was up to the shop for a curry pie and Pepsi Max. The pie was OK but I wish they'd wipe their tables better. It's not pleasant to have your arms sticking to the table top.

An oldy

The hardware store had ordered gas bottles for me so I dropped in there to pick that up. $14.99 for 230 grm cannister is not bad for a special order. They had ordered 4, I only needed 1, so I hope they are sold easily to others.

Then it was onto the pub where I had a room booked. A beer was had while I waited, then I had to work out the shopping list for the next leg to Withcott. It is a good shop called SPAR and they had everything I needed except for 500 gm milk powder, only the 1kg bags.

I made sure everything was ready and packed then I could relax for the rest of the afternoon. A quick trip back to the bakery for coffee and cake and more arm sticking to the table. Dinner at the pub was a chicken schnitzel with avocado, bacon and mozzarella cheese. Quite yummy. Another beer and bed. Tomorrow I might have to actually get some kilometres done.

Deer in the hills

What? a warning or something else?

from the pub balcony

Day 117 Yarraman Creek

Leaving Nanango

Wednesday 11th August, 2021 16km

2510.3 / 2588.6km

Yesterday was raining and I didn't get the painting for Fred finished but today he was willing to make the drive back to Nanango. Grateful to him and the people who have helped me out. It is a bit to ask for people to drive a couple of hours.

Back on trail

However, back to Nanango and I had again checked into the Star Motel for the night. Census night. Wonder how the questions would have been answered if I was down the creek in a tent.

Not planning on moving fast, or not as fast as NSW is losing control of the virus, and I've had a week off with no real exercise. The thought was, I would let the body mend and repair but 5 minutes with the pack on bought home to me that maybe a little exercise might have been OK as all the familiar aches and pains returned immediately. Who would have thought in one week I would have lost conditioning. Although, in my defence the boot resole whilst very good also seems to have made them even heavier. I did restock my gaffer tape on my poles but I put the whole roll on and that has made the poles a little heavier and I can feel that in my forearms.

The road out

Looking across the valley

But I left Nanango after breakfast for a fairly short day to Yarraman Creek. I had a couple of people stop and after a walk past the rural outskirts I descend a 4wd track down into a valley. Whilst the sign up top says no motorised vehicles it has a lot of use and when I get down to the creek I can see why. It is a magic waterhole that provides a good campsite. This is of course ruined a little by bad toilet habits and rubbish left behind by these campers and I move further on to another creek and find a spot for my tent. I share this with local wildlife and I don't mind their poo habits at all.

I spend the afternoon watching the birdlife feed around the waterhole. Two kingfishers find a few small fish I spent a lot of time trying to take a good photo of them. Then it was time for a nap. A real good start back on the trail.

The track down

A night listening to music then the sounds of silence rock me to sleep. "Ahh the serenity" (movie reference)

Yarraman Creek

The Kingfishers fishing

The pool

Found my spot

Looking for dinner

Days 108 to 116 Covid Lockdown

Monday 2nd August to Tuesday 10th August

Boots resoled

COVID lockdown in South East Qld

I decided to get off trail for I don't know how long I had to find something to do. I helped Fred do some painting and cleaning. Also had a haircut and decided to do the first covid shot whilst I was sitting still.

I watched the news everyday and Queensland handled the lockdown ok. NSW has lost it but I can do a bit more in Queensland and depending on how NSW is doing in a couple of weeks will I decide if I continue on or go home.

Dundowran Beach Sunset

Haircut

Day 106 - 107 to Nanango

Sun's over there. I'm freezing over here.

 Day 106 Saturday 31st July, 2021 26.7km

2494.3 / 2604.6km

Day 107 Sunday 1st August 0km

Having spent a few hours relaxing the day before I had a plan worked out about how far I was going and how long it would be before I went through Blackbutt. So today I was going to walk to a camp just before Nanango at a public dipping facility then walk through Nanango tomorrow and then walk into Blackbutt the following day for resupply and rest. We had arranged for Blackbutt hardware to get the required gas cylinder for resupply.

Following the river

The walk starts out travelling a little further down the Brisbane River Valley before you turn up another road to climb a spur. This particular road up the spur reminds me of the Castle Hill Road in Townsville and I attack it the same way and plod my way on a seemingly never ending climb. I'm glad I don't see any cars coming down as it is narrow section of bitumen.

After a while it evens out and I'm on top a a range with the Brisbane River Valley on the left and can also see over to the west.

Climbed out of the Brisbane River valley

The track then heads along this ridge towards a national park or state forest and I can see Tarong Power Station in the distance. I pass by the state forest and the rural blocks are getting smaller and more civilisation as I drop down the range to the west. I was taking note of a seemingly endless line of discarded Bundaberg rum and coke cans on the side of the road as I came up the ridge and all the way to within about 7 kilometres of Nanango and have come to the conclusion it is the same person over many a trip probably going home. Looks like a 4 or 5 can trip. Multiply that by the 10 or so trips and you can get an idea of the number of cans I see along this section of road.

I drop down the range passing some more cattle properties and come to an intersection I need to take to climb back up and over into Nanango. I sit down here as I see the camp I want is on the road I am turning off and it's confusing me a little. But I see that I had misread the notes(again) and the camp is off trail by about 2 kilometres back down onto the Mt Lindsay Rd. So I decide to keep going down the road instead of turning.

A lot more blocks and then I come across the public dip that is a coue of kilometres outside Nanango. I can see I can camp here but there is a little graffiti sprayed about and as I'm looking at the water tanks I notice someone's been shooting holes in it. So the local hoons obviously come here to park up. Hope it's not tonight.

That's the Tarong Power Station in the distance

It was then I see a message come in that South East Qld is going into lockdown. Shit. I try and get hold of Belinda to get details. The last time this happened the caravan brigade dropped and stopped and there was nowhere for the likes of me to camp in places like Blackbutt and of course now we are much closer to the action. The zone of the lockdown includes the Lockyer Valley and after Blackbutt I head towards Esk and turn down into the valley to Murphy's Creek and Withcott. Trying to decipher what effect the lockdown will have on me over the next 4 days is hard so I decide to keep going the 4 kilometres into Nanango and pick up a room.

Looking west

Belinda found a room easy enough as there was a flurry of cancellations as people couldn't leave and I was the first of a wave of travellers stopping short and reassessing. I think the motel went from fully booked 12 rooms to only 2 rooms booked then back up to 10 rooms over the course of a couple of hours.

Mirkwood ?

3 day lockdown means: it will take a couple of days to get to Blackbutt but if it extends then I'm stuck as the trail heads into one of the LGA's that are in lockdown. I may be OK but it is a risk. If I have to stop, there is no guarantee on how long. We look at the possibility of Belinda's Dad picking me up and heading towards Hervey Bay for a week but if I go to Blackbutt he can't come out till Thursday meaning I will be stopped there for 4 days. If I stay I could ask him to come out Monday or Tuesday to Nanango meaning I stop here for one extra day. This is what is decided and it proved OK as the lockdown is extended and I can have a week off at Fred's place and see what happens. I book another night and relax.

Coming down towards Nanango

There is a bus service but it comes from Caboolture which is in the zone. After lockdown I can get back out here by public transport. NSW looks like a basket case who knows how I'm going to go getting across the border.

and walking into Nanango

Day 105 Brisbane River

The tent fly was frozen stiff

Friday 30th July, 2021 19.8km

2467.6 / 2631.3km

It was cold as predicted. I wake up about 5.30 am and get out of bed for morning ablutions and when I grab the tent fly it's like cardboard. It's frozen.

even the handles of my poles

I've learnt a few tricks such as doing all my buttons up before getting out of the tent as it's impossible with icy fingers.

The pack up was fast so I can get moving to warm up. It's another simple day of wandering country roads. Today ends up at the watershed of the Brisbane River and then follow the western branch of the river most of the day.

After climbing the hill, turn down a side road

I did about 20 kilometres by lunch but decided to stop at a beautiful spot by the river. I managed to wash and clean and had an afternoon listening to an audio book. These spots need to be savoured when found. I feel relaxed again.

Granite block marking the shire boundary

The trees are covered in old man's whiskers

Don't stand still for too long
in this forest

Brisbane River Western Branch camp

washing up in freezing cold water

Camped for the night

Day 104 Manumbar Station

Came through that farmland

Thursday 29th July, 2021 22.0km

2447.8 / 2651.1km

I was fairly well rested after yesterday's effort. Today was a simple day of walking out to Manumbar Rd past Manumba Station.

This house is mentioned as abandoned in the
old books so that's been at least 30 years.

It was a pleasant enough walk with 3 people stopping to have a chat. A little bit of rain before 10am then sunny for the rest of the day.

I got to the camp fairly early but decided to stay. It's at an old steam wood mill, it looks like an effort has been put in to restore parts but there's a long way to go.

Manumbar Station

There's a chill in the air and it's only early afternoon. I think I will need to rug up tonight.

Manumbar Road. Walked this all day.

The boiler at the saw mill

Saw Mill

Wood chute

Camp for the night

Old truck