Day 51 Whelan Creek

Sunday 6th June, 2021 27.2km

1369.7 / 3729.2km

The homestead chapel

The party shed

I got up early as I was very cold and moving was better than shivering. I walked the kilometre or so to the homestead and saw they had a chapel type setup but the party I heard was in a shed a little farther on. There were all the cars that passed me yesterday. I was hoping to see a recovery breakfast in progress but most were still in bed.

The end of the bitumen

One of my water stops

The bitumen finished, so it definitely wasn't a short cut to the highway and I didn't see any more traffic.

It was just a plain old walk today. I didn't really have to but I did take the 500 metre diversion into Undercliff Homestead to fill up with water. I met Alan and his dogs, he had a 12 week old Dachshund (no picture). When I was leaving it followed me down the road so I had to pick it up and take it back (sorry Isabelle).

Then it was a quick walk down to the camp spot on Murray Creek. I managed to wash a bit and my shirt. I found a camp spot well away from the creek as there was a lot of disturbance along the sides from wild pigs and got a fair night's sleep.

Murray Creek

Old gate

Day 51  6th June, 2021

Day 50 Funnel Creek

Saturday 5th June, 2021 27.4km

1342.5 / 3756.4km

Continued on the old telepraph line

Today I was to continue following the bearings of the old telegraph line. Whilst it's slower than walking a track or road I found it pleasant. I slept in this morning. Considering the early stop and early bed I am surprised, but I do feel a lot better than I have for the last couple of days.

So it's back past the windmill and I stopped to have a good look. It looks like it has been disconnected but is still used when required. That's when it struck me. Maybe I'm in some cosmic adventure game. I had been picking up spanners and toolkits and gloves. What if my inventory was building up and I was supposed to repair the windmill. Use bolt, use spanner, fill water etc but I had just sent my inventory south in a box. Was I now in danger from a Grue (Zork reference for you real adventure gamers out there. When the adventure took imagination not finger skills) I could only continue and see. So S, S, S, I went. (another text based adventure reference)

The windmill

Funnel Creek

The instructions in the book took a little turn for the worse when I hit the entrance to Hamilton Park Homestead and a new fence but I climbed under and continued the bearing and the old poles would make an appearance every now and then. It was when I came across the service road for high voltage power line it went haywire for me. There were three lines running across my path with a road then a new fence and then another high voltage line was further but at an angle. My bearing was supposed to change 200 metres after the service road. I did this but nothing made sense after. I saw no evidence of the old telegraph line and run into real old fences that probably had been there 20 years. I maybe should have ignored the 3 high voltage lines and kept on the 110 degree bearing to the 4th line running more at the angle and changing to 130 after that. In the end I just took a beeline to Funnel Creek. I found a fence line I liked and got to the road.

Funnel Creek was indeed running and would have made an excellent camp. But it was a long day, so I filled up and moved on.

The paddocks are looking dry

I was back on a gravel road until I cross the Sarina to Marlborough road. This was the old Bruce Highway and in the 70's we were warned about "The Marlborough Stretch", don't stop or break down, strange things happen, people disappear. In the end I drove this stretch to and from Brisbane about 5 times. Once sleeping in a ditch beside the road with 3 Army buddies because we had hit two kangaroos and the lights on the Escort were skewed to the heavens and we couldn't see where we were going. That and those one lane bridges where there were planks lifted out and we pulled the exhaust off. Maybe the local hillbillies lifted them out on purpose to trap the unwary. I think Frank who owned the car regretted the trip especially as we were classed as AWOL as we went further south than Rockhampton without a leave certificate and were confined to barracks on our return. I wasn't heading down this road but into the very country all these supposed nasties lived. Yeah me.

Old pole

Anyway, I crossed the highway and the road is bitumen all the way to Tierawoomba Homestead. I couldn't get over the amount of traffic on the road, car after car, caravans and horsefloats making me step off the road. The country was dry but I knew I could pick up water at the homestead (invited). I stopped at the designated camp spot and found a cattle trough and settled in for the night. It's about 2 kilometres from the homestead but about 8 pm I hear music blaring out, it fades in and out so it's not close. It is still going at 11pm. Who do I call to make a noise complaint? At 12 it finally dies off. I'm thinking is it a B+S ball or kids further up the creek.

Old wooden posts

I'm finally drifting off when the sound of wild pigs digging their way through creek. It's getting very cold and I have everything I can have on. I even pull a garbage bag over the bottom half of my sleeping bag as my feet in socks are still cold. Not a good sleep listening to pigs and freezing.

The dam is empty

Brolga in the scrub

Sarina-Marlborough Road

50 Days of walking (Blue) Day 50 in red.   Bus (Green)

Day 49 Map 8 Nebo south

Friday 4th June, 2021

The track along the river

The plan was to not go far and see how I hold up. There was some rain last night and I got to hear the next door's ablutions again. He needs to drink less. Old men pee every couple of hours not young blokes.

A walk along the river out of town with the interpretive signs faded away shows the locals have pretty much given up the tourist trade. There is a museum which I didn't go in to so maybe there is something I missed.

Following the books directions meant nothing as I think things have changed since 1991 but it was a pleasant morning walk out of town then a quick run across the highway and a good slog down bitumen road. On the corner I came across a compressed air tool. I didn't bother to pick it up, but left it upright on the bitumen so someone can see it.

Left it behind, too heaavy with this load

I picked up some water at the Braeside sale yards and then crossed the highway, under an electric fence then onto a stock route that was also the old telegraph route. My legs whilst not jelly like yesterday are weak but so far the walking is flat and I seem to walking it off. I make sure I eat and snack as per normal even though I might not always feel hungry.

A lot of this but puddles due to the rain
yesterday

The walk down the telegraph line sees a few cows and the plan is to stop at a creek. When speaking to Belinda I ask if she can ask specific questions on water as she rings the properties ahead of my arrival. This is harder than it should be as all the contacts and phone numbers are 20 years out of date. But if I can get better information on water I don't have to carry excess. The creek I planned to stop at is dry. I'm sure there is water somewhere as I spied a couple of Brolgas through the trees and I'm sure they aren't too far away from water. I walk down the creek for about a kilometre to see if there is a water hole but come up dry.

A rare sign

The book says there is a windmill and trough about a kilometre along the line I will take tomorrow so I take my water bag and head there to find that it is disused and dry. So I don't have enough water to rehydrate dinner but I have enough to walk. So it's peanut butter wraps for dinner, which isn't that bad as I'm still not feeling all that much like easing. Belinda has confirmed that Funnel creek is flowing so I only need enough water for 6 or 7 kilometres tomorrow.

Today the track started across country following a bearing and it was good to come across remnants of the old telegraph line to confirm I was on track.

Even though I was short of water the early stop was good. I hadn't pushed myself to hard and I was able to relax a little. To get to Funnel Creek (water) would have made it a 32 km day. I didn't have that in me.

Old telegraph pole

Head bush

Large pot

Polished the boots

Tent set up

Day 48 Zero Day at Nebo

Thursday 3rd June, 2021

An old pump. The only sign I could read.

I was given an ensuite room which I was grateful for, but what they didn't tell me I was in amongst a mines nightshirt crew. At 2am they all come in and have a bit of a yarn, eat some dinner with additional clink of plates and cutlery. Then I can listen to the blokes next door ablutions.

The only pleasure I get is knowing that full body stream of piss that I have to listen to twice before 6am will dwindle to a weak stream that will dribble on your foot as you get older you noisy bastard.

Church

I get up quietly about 7am and head out to look for something to eat. Every thing here is made for miners and come with an obligatory pile of chips. Ok normally, but I'm looking for something light, like a salad. The pub has dongas out back all for miners, don't be tempted by the rooms as they are shit, and noisy.

The museum $4 entry

I did find a laundry which looked like it hadn't been cleaned since it was dropped there next to the non-ensuite dongas. No cost. The hotel laundry costs $1 for a wash and the same for a dry. Anyway I manage to get the washing on and wander across the road for my parcel. It's a mixed business store but doesn't have any appealing fruit or light snacks.

I decide to walk the 500 or so metres to a service station come motel come caravan park. Within 50 metres I am buggered and walking through a table drain saw me sweating and puffing. Whatever I had has left me weak as a kitten. The belly is feeling better so I continue walking. The service station has a roaring trade with the miners but all the food is fast and fried. Any other time I would eat just about anything. But I couldn't even bring myself to have a Pepsi Max (I know, unbelievable).

Just loved the tree outside the ambulance station

I settled on an orange juice and a coffee. Talking to Miss Worry Wart (Belinda) I decided to stay the day and see what happens. I don't want to spend any more money on a donga than I have to and I've already decided I'm moving on tomorrow.

Main highway bougainvillea hedge

The pubs version of a caesar salad with chicken

The walk back I was feeling better so I went back to the donga and started sorting out my next 10 day walk to Malborough. I will send excess on, plus all the additions I've picked up. I've decided with Belinda that I won't push and take my time. So it looks like it is a definite 10 days. Although I've decided if someone offers me a lift down the 10 or so kilometres of the Bruce Highway I won't refuse.

I found a Caesar Salad on the pubs lunch menu, although they used Iceberg lettuce not Cos but atleast it didn't come with a side of chips. It sat on the belly ok so I think whatever set me off has passed through.

A bit of a sleep in the afternoon and I was feeling sort of ok. The test will come when I put on the pack and try to walk.

New outer socks. The other ones were cotton.

10 days food plus the bits I'm posting
on that I have picked up.

Nebo, funny town, a lot of activity larger than some towns but no IGA or Food land. The pub is very busy with 50 rooms in the dongas full then suddenly a shift change and all is quiet. There is a large village of sorts north of town as well and the main highway has constant traffic. Fast food and the pub are doing ok here. But the mixed business shop across the road is very quiet.

Day 47 to Nebo

Wednesday 2nd June, 2021 6km walking

The road follows Lizzie Creek

and then the creek crosses the road

Definately something wrong. I'm feeling crook, legs are like jelly, eyes crusted over like I have conjunctivitis.

I pack up. Move up to the toilet block give myself a wash. Sit on the toilet for a while. Then wash.

Decide to move out assuming it's mainly downhill back to the main back road Collinsville to Nebo. I forgot the climb out of the dam has to be done first and nearly ran out of energy in that first 500 metres but then the downhill starts.

The morning is beautiful and I get into a rhythm the little ups are dealt with but my belly is singing me a song. Atleast in the bush is your toilet it's never far away.

The road undulates through the foothills

Back down on the valley floor

I had made it down most of the hill when some campers from the dam pull up and offer me a lift. My only concern was what happens if I desperately need to go.? What is the etiquette of that? Do you politely ask and run off into the bush? Will they drive off? Do I take my toilet bag into the cabin with me???

Any way the trip was uneventful and they dropped me at Nebo which has a medical centre. I didn't go as it's hard to explain feeling weak after walking 30 or so kilometres but it's not that kind of weak.

Dropped off in Nebo

I booked into the pub and was glad of an ensuite. I generally cleaned everything out of my body and I started feeling better in the body at least. It's not giardia as it's not as intense. My legs still feel like jelly so I think it's something I ate. All my water is filtered and since I drink so much if it was contaminated I would have expected a more explosive outcome. The only time I drank unfiltered water was tasting a handful out of the bore at Exmoor Station and the coffee I drank at Exmoor itself.

Anyway I am holed up in a room feeling a little sorry for myself. But better than I felt this morning. I sent a message to Belinda to explain the jump to Nebo, with a "Please don't Panic", I don't want an evacuation helicopter organised. She still panics and sends me amessage as she hasn't heard from me for a couple of hours just as I've drifted off to sleep.

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!