Day 91 Burnett River

Friday 16th July, 2021 23.9km

Sunrise

2194.7 / 2904.2km

It was a beautiful sunrise, it should have warned me of the day to come. Yesterday was warm, today was warmer. Much too warm to cover a lot of ground and I was covered in sweat most of the day and water was an issue as I spent a lot of time in a State Forest area. Also going across the ranges meant the creeks were dry.

After I missed the turnoff

I made two blues today. The first one was about nearly 2 kilometre before I realised and today being hot it was hard to make up. Again there was no sign at the turnoff down a fence line and the second one I only thought about because a motor bike had sped out of an obscure track. Somedays the write ups are useless and then, when your not reading the notes you miss some clues.

The track through State Forest

Later in the day I was looking for a 4wd track down to Schaeffer's crossing of the Burnett River, only to see that the crossing had washed away many years ago and a car had not driven up the hill for 10 or 15 years. There was no clue a car had ever driven up there.

The crossing

The car track had disappeared

In the end I found the road reserve down to the river. There was running water which I haven't seen for a while and I was able to overload on water, finally. I was down to about 400ml of water before I hit the river. I bathed and set up the tent as a couple of storms passed by. That was all over by midnight and it was finally a cooler night.

With the mistakes, I was about 4 kilometres short for the day with a 32 kilometre following day turning into a 36 kilometre day to get to Biggenden.

Oh well, see what I can do. One thing I changed is I got a box of Vita Brits and those motel packets of sugar, that has been a yummy breakfast. Also Fred put me onto a stir fry sauce and I've had a couple of meals with rice noodles using that and it has been very satisfying.

A python, about 2m long

Camp on the riverbank

Day 90 Tenningering Creek

Finally the right hand bend

 Thursday 15th July, 2021 23.5km

2170.8 / 2928.1km

The bus taking the early morning shift to the mine woke me up, then I was on my way again looking for the diversion arrows.

It's important I suppose

A mine worker did stop and asked me why I was walking up the road as there was only a mine there but after a conversation he did indicate I hadn't missed the turn off.

So I go past a billboard telling me it's a criminal offence to be on the access road or minesite. I can hear the dozer working when I finally see the sign leaving the bitumen. So the directions of "be careful of the mine site leaving Mt Perry, just follow the signs on the right hand bend", actually mean leave the road on the last bend before the mine 20 kilometres south of Mt Perry.

Lovley to walk through here

But it doesn't end there, if its so important for us to keep to the trail then it should be clearly marked. I went through 3 intersections , none of them marked, I must have guessed wrong on one as I ended up in the wrong spot, but I fixed it on the run and no one is the wiser.

The trail across farmland

The trail, after the mine diversion, wanders across farm lands, and is a pleasant walk. I filled up at a cattle trough and found a spot beside the road with a bunch of calves as an audience to me setting up the tent.

A different trail sign

My afternoon company

Day 89 Mt Perry

Wednesday 14th July, 2021 14.4km

2147.3 / 2951.6km

I talked to the coordinator for the trail down to Biggenden. Nothing much to report he said just before careful at the mine site when leaving Mt Perry. With that in mind you could imagine I was on the lookout for the diversion as I walked out of Mt Perry. After finishing the day without coming across this minesite almost 15km south of Mt Perry I pictured this.

National Trail write up man(NTM) " Hello. I'm having trouble with my horse,"

Vet " OK. Where abouts?"

NTM "It's down the back"

Vet "you mean on its back"

NTM " Yeh, under the long hairy thing"

Vet "The mane?"

NTM " NAH further back"

Vet " The taaaiiil,??????"

NTM " Yeh, those long things under the tail"

Vet "The legs!"

NTM "Yeh, at the end of those"

Vet "So. Your talking about the hooves!"

NTM "YEH, As I said before, I was having trouble with me horse. He kicked me with his hooves and I'm having trouble breathing.

VET Hangs up

Mt Perry Museum

This is how the trail is described to us by these people. 30 year old descriptions of things long past, tracks that are now roads with names and so much of the vital decision points and intersections not marked. Every day becomes an adventure unto itself with my plotting in Google Earth and downloaded to my watch more reliable than the books.

No I didn't see the light

Old machiner

Mt Perry

So the actual walk was an uneventful walk looking for a diversion around a mine site but never finding one. But overall a pleasant start to the next phase. I kept it short to less than 20 kilometres and camped close to a creek with water holes. The road is busy but as it only goes to the mine it all tapers off after dark.

Mt Perry has a community park with toilets and showers and a washing machine costing $2 . Couldn't work out the dryer but it might be $3. You could buy all the items in the grocery store for about $200 and still not have enough for a resupply.

One serious hills hoist

and some serious chains

The road out of Mt Perry

Now this is a hat!

Thataway

Day 84 to Day 88 - Hervey Bay - resupply

 Friday 9th to Tuesday 13th July, 2021

I got up in the morning and said goodbye to the other campers and walked the 4 or so kilometres into Mt Perry.

The boots with a repair goop building the worn heel.

The phone died and my only communication was the inreach device. Of course Belinda demands sleep and does not answer my call until 6.30am Perth time, how slack she has got without me to

drive her.

I had enough time to have a bacon and egg burger and a coffee for breakfast before Belindas father, Fred rolled up to take me back to Hervey Bay.

The repair goop

The plan was to clean up and get the plan for the next section done. Do a few repairs to some things and then return to Mt Perry and keep going till, Covid willing, Belinda can come over.

So Friday afternoon I went looking for a bootmaker. The boots are doing OK but I'm wearing the sole unevenly. The only boot person in Hervey Bay is a Mr Minute man and as soon as he opens his mouth I knew he was not going to be any help. Most of the sole is good it's just the rear heel outside edge I have worn nearly through.

The stick repair

There are people that will replace the whole sole but I need to get it organised. One mob is in South Australia and I think there may be one in Brisbane. They buy a sole that is the same from the manufacturer of the boot. In the meantime I tried a temporary solution with Fred's knowledge and help. We will see if it works in the interim. The boots have done about 1400 kilometres so I can't complain. Would like another 1400 though.

Food box prep

My walking poles are fairly old but I've walked with them many a year. I lost the tungsten tip on one up near Mutchilba and the other one later. I put on a rubber tip but have worn them both down and have been wearing the aluminium bits down. Belinda could only find replacement parts for another brand so I cut some of the pole end off to make them fit.

My pack belt has reached the end of its adjustment so Belinda bought a new belt medium size. They are easily replaceable. Osprey packs are good for that. et some of the stale smell out.

Mt Perry has a Leopard Tank

Also I did a shop for gas and such then went for a drive to scope out the next stage. I really only needed to drop a box at Kilkivan as they do not have a good shop for resupply. Lesley Simpkins happily helped me out and promised me a feed and a bed when I get there. Something to look forward to.

Food box prep

In the other towns, I will resupply from local stores and if I need something else Belinda can post for collection from local post office.

Mt Perry

Other times were spent eating, drinking and being merry. Fred looked after me well and we had a good dinner at the RSL Piabla. He then drove me back to Mt Perry to start again. I stopped there at the caravan park for the night and will start walking in the morning. Hopefully Belinda can visit before I need to cross into NSW in about 6 weeks or so.

Mt Perry Post Office

The old picture theatre in Mt Perry now a restaurant
and accomodation. For sale but needs repair.

Day 83 Gin Gin - Mt Perry Road

Thursday 8th July, 2021

State Forest on the left, National Park on the right

Guava growing beside the road

Supposed camp at Boolbinda School

The Tunnel

My water which I took from the tank

Following track and Sunday Creek

Some yards

Following track and Sunday Creek

Now gravel road but I took his picture
as I liked his colour

I had a day planned that wasn't all that long leaving me a short 8 or 9 k to Mt Perry the following day...... that was the plan.

It started out OK with a continuing walk along the Gaeta Road that moves from the forest area back into cattle station country then as you get closer to the main Gin Gin Mt Perry Road, and smaller blocks.

A walk up the highway found me following the notes down a road for a kilometre only to end up at a fence, gate and a very large padlock and chain. I walked back to the main road and kept going down the hill knowing there was a turnoff further down that will get me to the Boolbinda tunnel.

I turned down a track only to see a BNT sign. So the track has changed, no updates on the website. Now the tree was starting to grow around the sign so it had changed from the notes a long time ago. No excuses for treating us users so shoddily with outdated information that could potentially have us in conflict with property owners. I have climbed lock gates before but I went round today because I knew there was another way and didn't want the hassle.

I got to the designated camp site of the Boolbinda School only to find it's now a cow paddock with a biosecurity sign and numbers to ring, and whilst it has rainwater tanks there are no taps to fill any bottles. So more out of date information. Is it really a campsite?

I decided to move on. Read the notes, but now I have very little confidence in them at all. $30 is what I paid for this book, I should send it back as a product not fit for purpose and get a refund.

At least there was a tunnel around the corner from the school when it came time to turn off the road. I was faced with following the book notes or just following the street signs to Mt Perry. Like a fool I chose the notebook and if it had disappointed me again then we could always say, that doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is madness.

However the walk down the trail through Sunday Creek Road is like a highlight of this section and not to be missed it's about 8 kilometres of following Sunday Creek along , a two wheel track then a cattle pad and back to a track then gravel road. Whilst I was getting tired it was another highlight of this section and the water and camping reserve was exactly where the notes said although not marked on the map.

I was glad the cow cocky had grazed his herd across the reserve as it made it easier to find a clear campsite. There was another group camping here in cars and I shared their fire, hot water and conversations into the evening.

The ups and downs in emotions on this trail are hard to describe. Overall though, I do have the shits with the management of the trail but continue to make my own adventures with what I've got. The phone finally died this night and the following morning Day 84 I walked the 4 kilometres into Mt Perry and got picked up by Belindas father and taken back to Hervey Bay for a break and some maintenance on equipment. Which will include a new battery pack I hope.

Day 82 Gaeta

The Gaeta Road

Wednesday 7th July, 2021 26.7km

2096.5 / 3002.4km

I managed to get through the night without getting black. The pack up was a bit tricky with the fly being saturated and dropping things into the soot. However I did manage to get things done without looking like I was in blackface.

Hazeldean Station

A short walk down the road and then a turn down Gaeta Rd. Another enjoyable walk along past a couple of working farms to the old Gaeta School. I was thinking of trying out the monkey bars, I was a champ at primary school at swinging across skipping about 3 rungs at a time.

Gaeta School

The road goes past a few blocks cut up from what I assume was a bigger farm, there are a few frontages so I assumed they were about 5 acres or so. They have a good oval, BBQ and volunteer fire brigade shed where I was able to pick up some rain water. But of course with the changes into smaller blocks the camping opportunities diminished and the notes from the trail book became a little confusing with actuals. I eventually cross a grid into state Forrest on the left and

Mt Gaeta I assume

national park on the right. Again I get confused as they are not mentioned in the notes. But it also meant I was past a recommended camp spot where the road passes between two dams. So I continued on looking for water.

I eventually found a muddy puddle at a quarry type area but set up camp in the lovely bush setting just off the road. Another day of contrasting countryside that has made 4 days of enjoyable walking.

A Fig growing in a fallen tree

An audience

My water. I had to backwash a couple of
times to get my required amount.