Day 99 Wide Bay Creek

Sun rising in the East

Saturday 24th July, 2021 24.5km

2368.5 / 2730.4 km

Off to an early start. It helps there is a full moon setting early morning, so there is plenty of light as I'm pulling down the tent.

Looking across the valley

The day is a fairly simple day with a busy road walk coming up so I head off just after 6am.

The initial road walk back through Miva shows someone last night, threw out their McDonalds rubbish as they passed through. It wasn't there when I walked down to the bridge last night.

Quiet walking through the forest

The trail quickly turns down a country road and I enjoy a couple of hours of peace and quiet. Sitting down for breakfast I can hear the traffic noise of the highway, checking the map I'm still 2 kilometres short. A couple of motorbikes roar down the highway and I think to myself, do you really need the exhaust that loud? I thought they were going to come past me on the track I'm on.

After breakfast it's a quick walk up to the highway then the slog with traffic racing past. Not the worst road but I'm glad to get to the end of it.

Then it's clue deciphering time as I enter a horse paddock and choose which gate to head for with a couple of horses taking a great deal of interest. I picked the closest one on the right and guessed right.

Looks like someone opened the tree
back up looking for an original blaze.
There were survey pegs in the ground
and a nail driven into the centre of the
blaze.

The trail then follows a road easement across the hill into a valley. I can still hear the highway occasionally but it's very peaceful. I get to the end of a formed road by lunch then go through a gate still following a road easement but now just a two wheel track across farm pasture.

Finally I get to Wide Bay Creek and there is water running fairly clear under a concrete causeway with grassy banks to camp on. A good day.

I loved the walk through this valley

A continuation in the valley

The grassy bank on the side of Wide Bay Creek

Day 98 Miva

The trail sign and a private property sign.
Always makes you wonder.

Friday 23rd July, 2021 23.9km

2344 / 2754.9km

Cold start to morning as I walk out of the State Forest area where they had been harvesting and chipping. A quick walk down a road then turn left along a track that follows the Mary River.

The road peters out to a track and enters a heavily forested type area that the owner has deemed a nature reserve. A lot of signs about private property again and then I start passing shacks built in the bush. Can't work out why people who want to live off grid have to have so much junk lying about. Sort of spoils the ambience I thought you may have been looking for.

I pass a shack that I'm sure I've seen in a movie where a kid is playing a banjo, I think I hear a pig squeal. (Movie reference)

Following the trail along the Mary River.
Getting spooky along here

I stop and have breakfast between shacks and it starts to rain, so I spend 5 minutes getting everything covered, have two bowls of cereal as I think I can afford it.

I'm sure I remember a boy playing a banjo on
this verandah once. (Movie reference Deliverence)

The next bit is a tricky creek crossing but with signage and a couple of up to date notes I figure it out OK. Then I am delivered back out of the duelling banjo country into some open farm land.

I pop across a major road then another country road which took me to the village of Miva. Two cars stop and have a chat and I turn off trail to head down to Dickabram Bridge.

Trail heads thataway

It was a camping site but now has a no camping sign up. They allow a 20 hour stopover for vans and since it has a toilet block I decide to ignore the sign. I would have moved further away if no toilets as I would have to go bush to pee and a BBQ rest area is not the right place for that.

Yep, that's the trail

Just as it's getting dark I meet a gent that one of the cars told me about. He has walked 10 kilometres from a bridge on that major road I crossed earlier as it goes across the Mary River. He puts his kayak in at this bridge paddles the river to the next bridge, walks back to the car after hiding the kayak to get the car and drives back to pick up the kayak. He is 70 and we talk for an hour on backpacking, walks we have done, and the enigma that is woman. One subject we can't resolve. He leaves me with his stash of sultanas and cashews then walks across the bridge to his car.

Look at me

Now it's dark I put up the tent, use the BBQ to heat some wraps and go to bed. It's a quiet road till someone crosses the bridge and depending on how fast they travel the noise level of the clatter of boards is loud or very loud. A couple arrive in a van but they setup the satellite TV and disappear real quick.

Dragon Fruit Farm

Dickabram Bridge

Day 97 Ooramera Creek

More State Forest track

Thursday 22nd July 23.9km

2320.1 / 2778.8 km

Another day of wandering through State Forest areas and then heading up the Mary River Valley.

Not much to report on but I was happy with the solitude of the trail today, a lot of birds and the day was warm.

Beautiful day for a walk and contemplation

The afternoon saw me walking up a track to come across a small balance bike in the middle of the trail. I could see footprints that I interpreted as a mother and two children. Looking around I couldn't see anybody so I put the bike against a tree of the side of the trail. Further up was a bucket with rocks in it, couldn't see anyone or interpret what had gone on?

sometimes the track is hiding

The trail finishes in State Forest at Ooramera Creek which wasn't running but I went downstream a bit and found a puddle that wasn't as scummy looking as the crossing on the trail. I found a lovely spot up out of the creek and had a relaxing afternoon. Not covering a lot of kilometres but making sure I'm not exhausted and enjoying the time and views.

Getting close to the creek camp

The creek. Not running and the colour is true.
I went downstream a bit to find some better stuff.

Day 96 Musket Flat to Sandy Hollow

Sculptures at Musket Flat

Wednesday 21st July, 2021 24.7km

2297.1 / 2801.8km

Today was the day of a mental mind game.

The walk goes through a lot of state forest on many varied roads and is fairly well signposted so no a mental challenge there.

However, as the news comes through about the latest covid updates it's apparent that I'm not going to see anyone in the family for the foreseeable future.

Old fence post embedded in a tree

On some of these long walks it's about splitting things into manageable chunks that you find achievable. Part of my plan was looking forward to time off with family. Whilst Fred was good company it wasn't quite the same, so back on trail hoping for a better result but it doesn't seem to be. That brings me down a bit and I spent the day readjusting the mind.

Should I stop and have a break?

What are my next goals?

How far can I go in Qld before I stop?

Should I cross into NSW?

Wouldn't take my pack

So the break as wanted is not going happen. A break now will not reinvigorate me as I want. I can now readjust the goal to the half way point. The resupply is easier as there are proper supermarkets about 7 days apart for the next 4 weeks except Kilkivan, where I dropped a box.

The road peters out

If I can work out how to get from Killarney back to Hervey Bay I have the ability to go the maximum in Qld. If I decide to drop into NSW I will be giving up the chance to see any family for a fair while.

The kilometres pass as I think, can't remember much but stopped and looked at a few things. The campsite tonight is a youth forestry camp with toilets and water. This takes a little pressure off finding a suitable stop.

I haven't come up with all my answers before I pull up for the night, more thinking. I'll break down the walk into smaller goals and achieve them and watch developments as they happen.

Through the State Forest

The camp is in this forest. I hope it contains
it's agro.

Sandy Hollow Youth Camp allowed me to 
stay the night. Much appreciated.

Day 96

Day 95 Bloomfield

Tuesday 20th July, 2021 24.0km

The grass was a little frosty

2272.4 / 2826.5km

Little bit of frost this morning on the grass. Didn't last long but definitely kept the bugs away.

The trail continues along the old wagon track firstly to a spot called Bloomfield that was the

coach changing station. I was interested in finding the teamsters grave but walked past without seeing it. The story was he went to sleep under the wagon and the wagon collapsed on top of him.

The trail through the forest

The track continues and I picked up some of the original stone pitching done on the road over the hill. I'm sure I read a sign that said the road and cutting over the hill was constructed by a chain gang. There was a wooden Chinaman according to the notes used to load gravel onto the wagons. Why Chinaman? that isn't explained. The trail then ends up at a place I think is called Elliott but referred to as Musket Flat. So called because the local first nation people dumped a whole wagon load of muskets and ammunition into a waterhole. The towns hey day was 1860's to early 1900's.

The camp area is provided in the settlement now only 4 or 5 permanents. One came and visited and we had a chat. There was a friend of the trail across the road but wasn't home when I rolled up. It looks like they are selling up so may not be around much longer.

The trail through the forest

Quiet comfortable night. Good campsite.

These signs apparently put up when money
made available from the Federal Govt .
 Best marked bit of trail so far

Some of the original stone pitching on the road.
One day a grader will move it all aside I suppose.

According to the notes this is a "Chinaman" used
as a loader probably for gravel onto wagons.

Good signage

An original marker post for the Old Coach Rd.

The camp spot - Musket Flat (Elliott)

Day 95

Day 94 Golden Fleece Rd

Someone saw me off

Monday 19th July, 2021 19.2km

2248.4 / 2869.7km

I got up at the normal time which for me is about 6am. It gives me time to pack up and be on my way by good daylight. At the moment sunrise is about 6.30, this morning though I'm going to have breakfast at the Cafe before moving out. It's cold again and I'm wearing my thermal undershirt, beanie and gloves just to go to breakfast.

Motel and Cafe up the road

Caravan Park

I decide after breakfast to have a cup of tea and wait for the sun to bring some warmth before

Imposing Mountain.   Mt Walsh

heading off. I did want to say goodbye to the lady who fed me the night before but she didn't show before I left.

I wandered back through town where the only movement was kids going to school. I could hear the cows in the saleyards as I had all night and was glad I wasn't sticking around for the smell later.

Live & Let Live hotel site. Now an Aloe farm.

The first bit was wandering back out to the trail. The official camp is about 2 k out behind the golf course. Very close to here is the site of the Live and Let Live Hotel, the first building in Biggenden. The trail now follows the old Maryborough to Gayndah coach road.

Looks like someone started a Barn raising

The trail follows the old wagon track, Golden Fleece Road doesn't refer to the old petrol station but the Golden Fleece coach stop. The road serviced the sheep stations around Mt Perry and had about 200 wagons hauling through on any day. With passenger coaches and mail runs it was a busy stopover. Looking at Biggenden today you can see remnants of a busy time. My camp near the Golden Fleece is on grass with nothing to show of this busier time.

Golden Fleece Rd

The serenity of the walk across farm paddocks

Close to the camp spot - penty of water in this lagoon. Added midgies to the mix though