Day 13 - Mutchilba and south

Thursday 29th April, 2021 12.8km

338.8 / 4760.1km

The phone spent the night in the bag with freeze dried rice. I'm not getting the water warning on the phone so I just have to hope the water didn't worm its way inside. Still afraid to charge it though and have used the camera, although a little sparingly.

I got up fairly early as I needed to get into Mutchilba for a resupply box. Although at the moment I don't really need a resupply. I had packed for 7 days and with a dinner and breakfast at the Brown's and missing the walk through Font Hill station taking off 3 days - I was overloaded.

The night by the river was pleasant, with the sandy bank I camped on providing a soft bed. There's something magical about camping with the sound of running water. The big splashes make your ears prick though.

So it was a quick walk out to the highway and then a bit of a slog along the edge dodging early morning traffic. It would be better when they slash the shoulders. Further down a plantation keeps the grass mowed well and I could get of the bitumen.

I got to the Mutchilba store and Post Office about 7.30am and saw they didn't open to 8.30. But I set the dog off and in the end she opened up early. I got my box and ordered some breakfast and coffee.

I re-adjusted my food pack and had about 3.5kg left which I packed back in the box and sent onto Fred in Hervey Bay.

The bacon and egg burger was delicious, so was the coffee. I could have done with another coffee.

I met Graham who owns Stannery Hils Organics who offered to help get through the to the hills. I have his number but Mutchilba only has Optus Service so I couldn't ring him anyway. However my brother John has digitised each Map in Book 1 (There are 12 books for this trail) using all the updates and notes from Dean Richardson and so far he has got it perfect.

Having the maps in my watch, I can tell it to follow the course and it buzzes on my wrists at changes in directions so I have found the navigation so far easy. Wish I had got him to do the rest of the books! So far I have seen 5 National Trail signs and 3 of those were at Kingsborough. Although with the watch I haven't been looking all that hard.

There is a long walk out of Mutchilba up a bitumen road. I lost the tungsten tip on one of my poles on this stretch. I have had the poles for a long time and quite attached to them. Once when I left them in Perth I bought a cheap pair and felt the weight in my forearms on the Fraser Island Walk I nearly lost the second tip as on a bitumen road the tips get caught between small rocks and as I walk forward the poles pulls in my hand. Once I recognised that I quick checked the end of the pole as it happened. In the end it happened twice more so I put the tip in my pocket till I got off the bitumen.

I headed into a mango farm and the electricity poles have First Nation style paintings on the poles. Couldn't find out why. Only spot I've seen it.

Around the back of the farm as I was walking past the packing shed/pickers quarters 3 dogs bailed me up. A lady kindly called them away. The one who got right up to me was Ruben. Couldn't tell if he wanted to sniff me or eat me so I just stood with the poles crossed in front of me and as he moved to go around me, and I had to swivel with him.

That over, it was onwards and upwards. I got out of the farming area and into bushhland and started climbing into the Stannery Hills. I hit a little wooden bridge across a running creek and sat down and washed my shirt and as I was sitting there I decided I wasn't going any further.

Sometimes on these walks it has to be about location and not kilometres covered.

The phone spent another night in the freeze dried rice just in case and I had a good afternnon of drinking Mocha, reading and soaking my feet in the water.

Day 12 - Kingsborough towards Mutchilba

 Wednesday 28th April, 2021 27.5km

326 / 4772.9km

Bright and early start. I had charged up the Inreach and the phone so the battery pack was down to about 25%

I set up the solar panel down the back of the backpack. Since I am mainly heading soth most of the day the sun is behind me so the panel should work most of the day.

Today was basically walking through Pinnacle Station. Nobody actually lives here, the owners are in Winton, but there were a few cattle about.

It was a warm day and again creeks were a little sluggish until I left the station roads and hit the main bitumen road. Where as I crossed a bridge over Leadingham Creek there was the sound of water bubbling along merrily.

I dropped the pack, got out my water filter kit and jumped down into the creek bed which saw my phone fly out of my pocket into the water. A quick recovery but I didn't touch the phone for the rest of the day. So not many pictures. Although after that point it was mainly roads around to Walsh river where a little walk down a trck saw me camped for the night on a sandy bank.

It was a long day and I would have pulled up earlier if I had seen a suitable spot but there were a lot of "Do not Enters" and "Private Property" signs to ward of a stealth camp desire.

The river camp was ok just sandy and I could hear the traffic on the highway. I could also hear someone having a party so I wasn't far from civilisation. Was able to wash down and check on the solar panel and it had charged the battery pack fully. I couldn't tell how long into the afternoon it took but I know it works ok.

Early to bed.

I'm Buggered.

Day 11 Mt Molly / Kingsborough

Tuesday 27th April, 2021   

282.3 / 4816.6km

Spoke a little with Peter Brown a local from Mount Molloy and Lister Perkins the Manager for Font Hill Station who both agreed that after the amount of rain Mount Molloy had had over the last 2 days and the expected showers to come the area around Mount Round on Font Hill would be a swamp and there was no alternative route till after the rain had stopped to get to Dora Creek.

This meant I could have continued into the high ground of the Hahn Tableland.

So Peter offered to drive me round to Kingsborough where the trail comes down from the tableland. Suitable remuneration was offered and off we went. This will still put me 2 days above Mutchilba but I can follow Maps 13 and 14 of the route instead of the highway.

The drive round was interesting in that after we passed through Mutchilba we had to keep going to Dimbulah but the clouds broke up and there were blue skies.

As we headed through Mulligan Station I noticed the creeks were on the dry out stage. There had been no flow for a while and they were getting down to the muddy puddles. Still each creek had some water but it was still and muddy and of course the cows would have stood in all the puddles I could see from the road.

Mulligan Station is a high end expensive station stay with guests flying in by helicopter. I don't see the attraction in the country and think I would spend my dollars elsewhere. The drive out is rough and we go past a failed venture in Tyrconnel Mine, a place you could have stayed in some done up accomodation. They have restored a few buildings but it obviously didn't catch on.

Then we get to Kingsborough these were all places that when the mines were running the township grew and Kingsborough is the freehold township area left in amongst Mulligan Station.

There is only one resident here Ike Sjofors who handmixed all the bricks to make his house. He grows exotic fruit here and when we drove across the causeway of the dam Peter tells me Ike poured all the concrete for the dam and causeway using a hand turned cement mixer. A big effort. I didn't get to meet Ike. Apparently he is 80 now and has closed his area to only campers he knows.

Just up around the corner is where the trail comes through from the Hahn Table land and where Peter Dropped me off.

I got a little excited when I saw National Trail signs on trees that showed the way. These are the second ones I have seen in my walk. The first one down the bottom of the bump track.

So I pulled on the pack heavy with 7 days supply and only 2 days required and set off south again. The trail goes through cattle country and as expected the creeks were barely running.

But I had sunshine and was finaly able to drag the Solar panel out and check if it actually did me any good. Since I charged everything up last night it was just a test to see it was still working.

One water stop was barely a dribble with a lot of green moss getting hauled up in the dirty water bag but as I was sitting there I was positive I saw a crab in the puddle.

I ended up stopping for the night close to a dam where I could go down and get water but far enough away I didn't spook the cattle that came to drink.

It was later that night in the cool of the evening I woke up and thought it was dawn. But with clear skies it was just a full moon. Haven't had a clear night sky for over 9 days so that a novelty.

Day 10 - Bump Track

Day 10 Monday 26th April, 2021

The weather today was supposed to be showers for Mossman but lighter rain over the hill at Mount Molloy.

I arranged a lift with Trevor out to Mowbray River Road to the Bump Track.

This was the old route into Mossman way back and was also the supposed escape route if the war ever paid a visit.

As I started up the track there were light showers which is ok as it keeps you cool. The climb seems never ending and it looks like it is a popular walkin track for those fit people. I had two of them breeze past me on the way up.

There are signs to stop and read which is good as it a reason to stop.

There is also a chair where you can admire the view.

My first real obstacle for the day, apart from the actual hill is a creek crossing that looks deep, I went up stream a little to where it was cascading over rocks but the rocks were too slippery to climb across .

So it was back down to the track and remove the boots and socks and tie them to the pack and wade in. I used the walking poles to prod the bottom ahead of me and feel if its sand or rock then take a step and repeat. In the end it turned ot to be about waist deep at it maximum and I got through ok. Then dry off everything as well as I could, put the boots on and climb again.

Finally reached the top and the rain was getting heavier but as still in a rainforrest area that breaks it up a bit, but when I reached the road up the top the area moved into a more open forrest which meant I copped it more.

The next creek I came across was running swiftly over a causeway and whilst it was about 300mm deep and fast the causeway had a concrete edge about 200 mm high so I balanced my way across them and only got a part of my boots wet.

I was climbing a range when the rain came down in buckets. So much for lighter showers over this side. I had to stop and cover the pack with garbage bags and sit under an umbrella for about a half hour of heavy rain.

After the range I started walking down to a swampy area that my maps mention is a great camp as the lagoon attracts a lot of birds. I was just finding it difficult to walk down the road as water was covering more and more of it and the grass to the side was just a saturated mess.

I eventually splashed my way to a point called Mick Macks Crossing only to see a raging torrent rushing across the track. I had a quick check but the depth was up to the top of my poles on just the road approach.

With the rain continuing I sat down on the highest bit of ground and messaged Belinda and we attempted to see if there was some easy way round it. With the rain I don't think I could have gone back across the creek behind me.

The maps showed a road about 1.8 kilometres across country from me. I moved back down the road and the fenceline I needed to follow started on high ground so I decided to give that a go. It meant going through private property but I was going to ask forgiveness at the other side.

Belinda had found a trail angel in Mount Molloy who was willing to come and pick me up if I could get back to a manageable road. In the end I got to the road and was nearly back out on the main road when the property owner pulled up. By his questions and demeanor I don't think he was happy, but then what cane farmer is ever happy.

Peter Brown and his wife picked me up and took me back to their place and gave me dinner, shower and a bed. Now when Belinda wrote that Peter Brown was coming I was confused. I have a Facebook friend, ex army mate, Peter Brown and I was wondering why he was up here and when the car turned up I thought geeze your shorter and rounder from what I remember!

I rang the property manager for the next property I would be going through after Mount Molloy and it turns out the last 2 days rain has put a lot of water across the track. It would mean walking a fair few kilometres in water and mud. More rain due tonight would just make it worse. So Maps 10, 11, and 12 which were temporarily closed anyway are now out of my reach for at least a week of no rain.

I need another plan other than walking the highway from Mount Molloy to Mutchilba.

Day 9 - Anzac Day - Newell

 Day 9 - Sunday 25th April, 2021

Lest we Forget.

I was never the best soldier in my time but still respect the decision to sign up.

I managed to wake up in time for the Melbourne Dawn Service. Do the Officers still wake up the diggers with a coffee and rum on ANZAC Day?

Then I listened to the rain. Whilst it was good to be able to spread out and wash and dry everything the budget doesn't cover a motel room every night. I looked at the weather which showed showers all day and the walk was a highway walk out of Mossman down past Port Douglas turn off and up Mowbray River Road.

I decided to see if I could hitch a lift out there. It was soon decided that I would stay at Newell Beach with Trevor and Debbie who had fed me last night and had planned a roast for tonight.

We talked crap, slept, watched football and drank beers. What a better way to spend ANZAC Day.

I went to sleep in their annexe listening to more rain and glad I wasn't in it.

Day 8 - to Newell Beach

 Day 8 - Saturday 24th April, 2021

Actually got a little cool last night. Normally I am closed up from the rain lying on my mattress sweating away.

However last night I had to reach for the sleeping bag which was still in its sack.

Today was a continued walk along the power line track onto Whynabeel. Another morning of spectacular views when you can see through the foliage. Got to see the other valley and then its a slow but steep descent down from the ridges. The rain last night didn't help.

I finally hit the road and then it was a walk through farmlands. A lot of exotic fruits mentioned on signs but I didn't actually see any.

As the day wore on I walked out onto the sugar cane farms and then becme a trudge along the bitumen.

I was close to the Miallo school when a Toyota Ute pulls up and the bloke leans out and says "Hello I'm Bud Quaid".

We had a bit of a chat and it was good to put a face to a voice. I thanked him for permission to cross his property and the dozer track he had only pushed down the side of the hill about 4-5 months ago.

Whilst I don't think the route down Stewarts Creek Road is for everyone, I enjoyed the diversion if not the effort required.

The road eventually joins the main highway and it looked like rush hour. I actually had to wait 5 minutes to cross the road. I ended up walking the Cane train rail line as it was the driest and flatest bit.

I was going to Newell Beach which is north of Mossman to visit Trevor and Debbie knowing there is always a good feed on. Its been good to have their support up here.

Now if they could just shift there camp to Mutchilba over the next couple of weeks then that would be good.

A night in a bed tonight.