Day 69 Calliope River

Thursday 24th June, 2021 17km

The road this morning, a bit of traffic and I
had to jump into the grass a few times

1817.4 / 3281.5km

Today was a short day to Calliope River. The road is a narrow country road that is busier and I have to pretty quickly get off the side when traffic passes.

Not much to show for the effort, a tunnel of spear grass to walk through. Only 17 kilometres and I'm almost there when a lady in a Ute stops and starts a conversation. She is a horse person and knows about the trail. She offers me a lift and I automatically decline. She continues talking and continues to offer. I've only a couple of kilometres to go and in the end I say ok drop the pack into the Ute and we drive about 3 kilometres to the Calliope River crossing.

Twinings Australian Afternoon Tea, just the shot
after a hard day walking and talking

Calliope River crossing

It's amazing how much information people are willing to part with in a short space of time. I knew within 10 minutes that she had horses, her sister in law was a "bitch" who had made her and her partner leave and find somewhere else to live and they were working hard to get their place up to scratch, the dual cab ute should probably be scrapped as it was falling to bits. All the while the baby slept in the back seat. She pulled up at the river crossing behind a large camper shakes my hand and disappears in a cloud of dust. I was exhausted.

As I drop the pack on the ground the camper in the truck appears and I go to assure him that I was just another camper. What followed was a couple of hours of discussion.

The river was just running

Don is a retired University lecturer who came over from the USA in 1973 and settled here. He travels the winter months from Victoria and this time is looking at the Fitzroy and Don River catchment areas which he says is the second largest in Australia. He drives and camps and stops in towns occasionally to fill supplies. Never in a hurry by the sound of it.

The windmill being made redundant with solar

We have a good yarn on just about every subject that naturally follows when two old farts get together including our health. He is looking for the source point of the Calliope and Dee Rivers some of the maps and notes I have may help him. Tomorrow was going to be another short day but myself and Don arranged to have a chat in the morning on the offer of a lift to make up for the time I might lose. I've decided to relax in the morning, he is not an early mover. I'm normally on my way by first light but I can breakfast first and see what happens.

The Calliope is still running at this point and the water is much better than what I had so I load up and filter to cook and have a couple of cups of tea. One being a tea from Don called Australian Afternoon Tea. It's not a bad brew. Very smooth not bitter (wish that was a paid endorsement)

I can hear the Dawson Highway from my tent. Busy traffic noise in the background makes me homesick,...........not really.

An old grain silo

The old gates that were in line with the old crossing

Day 68 Dee River to Centre Creek

More of these type of fig planting

 Wednesday 23rd June, 2021 25km

1800.4 / 3298.5

The walk continued through this valley and then turned down a fence line that takes you across to another road leading over a range.

A line of figs down the fence line

The walk is steady and not all that inspiring. Civilisation is much closer and the houses are more numerous and the private property signs prolific. Wonder what makes people think they need these signs? I'm pretty sure it's evident if I'm on a road between fences and there's a gate with a track leading to a humpy its a private property.

The track turns down a cleared fence line

The day is supposed to end at a waterhole. But when I get there I find a lot of cattle carcasses. One still at the smelly stage. I don't know whether someone's using the place as a butchering zone or these are animals that have fallen in the waterhole and have been dragged out, anyway I move on. Which is to say back the way I come as this camp was a 900 metre diversion off the track. In the end I find a spot about 3 metres off the road near a fence. I was having dinner and watched 3 cars pass and not one driver glanced over and saw me. Quiet night with a few drops of rain.

The track climbs over a range

all the way down that road

Day 67 The Marble Quarry

Camping amongst the speargrass

Tuesday 22nd June, 2021 25.2km

1775.4 / 3298.5km

The quarry had something going to nearly midnight and the notes said the trucks start early. I expected 6am early but it's 4.30am early when the first truck rattled its way past. Oh well all I can do is wait for daylight and move on.

The road continues past the quarry and then becomes much quieter. After that it's an amble through a valley which is very open and fairly treeless. There is a cold wind blowing and I stay rugged up for a fair while.

The quarry

I meet a lady driving a tractor with a large bail of hay. She stops and we chat for a bit. She is 74 and while the rest of the crew are up the other property near Nebo she is getting things ready for when the cattle arrive back. She also works as a nurse in the disability sector three times a week in Rockhampton. I'm feeling a little lazy at this stage.

I said goodbye and continued the day. Towards the end I meet Cedric Creed and his two sons 11 and 8 working in some yards. He is one of the section coordinators for book 4. The valley here and Creeds seem to go a long way back, with a cemetery I walked past and roads named after them.

grass and few trees

Cedric's wife Therese, another coordinator, as the story goes, was a school teacher in Melbourne who was fed up with the job, read about the trail and went and bought a horse, even though she had never ridden one before. Eventually got it together and rode the trail and met Cedric in this area where she stopped for a while.

Cedric joined her on the ride through to Cooktown and eventually married and settled in the area. I asked Cedric if the story was true and he confirmed it. The best thing he did for me today was gift me some oranges. I forgot to ask him about the fig trees in this area that are planted in old hollow logs. He has some on his property and all along the road. Must be Creed thing.

the fig planting

Camp for the night with 5 oranges

 

Langmorn Station. A station stay place. Looks flash

Day 66 Upper Ulam Reserve to Eight Mile Creek

This morning's camp

Monday 21st June 27.4km

1750.2 / 3348.7km

Not much to talk about today. It's the winter solstice, so shortest day, that's the problem with winter walking . I've got 10 hours of good daylight and I like to have a couple of hours at the end of the day to relax have a cup of tea and cook dinner. So that gives me 8 hours to get the walking I need doing done, today that's 28 kilometres and even though it's flat I have to keep moving and not have the rest breaks I like. After a crap sleep last night the body battery is low to start with.

A lot of this

Anyway, the road is long and tedious and my main companions today are tip trucks going to and from a marble quarry up the road. I think I will pass it tomorrow.

I get to the designated camp spot by 4, sunset is at 5.30pm. The permanent water hole has no water in it, so it's a drier dinnertime. I will go to bed early and hope for a better sleep tonight.

Much the same tomorrow.

A tree eating a letter box

5.30pm

I'm buggeered and need to sleep

Day 65 Bouldercombe to Upper Ulam Reserve

The Royal Hotel now closed (Bouldercombe)

Sunday 20th June, 2021 19.9km

1722.8 / 3376.1km

I was up early as I didn't know how I would handle the climb. A zero day followed by a half day, 2 chicko rolls and a Pepsi was not good preparation.

The walk up to the hill is interesting when looking at the different houses and their letterboxes. I found a blues supporter, his house wasn't damaged in any way so I'd say they tolerate him.

The climb up the range turned into a bit of an anti climax. I turned up an old 4wd trail that I hoped would overlook Bouldercome Gorge which I think it did. I got to the top no trouble so on a good day I still have a bit of fitness, or it was the chicko rolls?

A NSW supporter

The trail then wanders across the range through small rural blocks and a mining lease. The wind kept the day cool. Not that cold I had to don the thermals but cold enough I didn't want to stop. So moving along to keep warm, I come to a gate I have to climb over as someone has put a lock on it.

I have to climb that

Then it's back down the range. The walk goes through more small acreages, most with horses it seems, then a short 900m walk up to the Upper Ulam Recreation Grounds which is the designated camp spot. The area is full of cars and people having a community get together.

I sit in a sunny spot across the road and read a book. They break up and when I move across I speak to one of the committee members who points out the facilities and asks I make sure the gate is shut. Then I'm on my own. I set up the tent under a roof so I don't get dew in the morning. The power is on so I charge up the battery bank albeit slow as the charger is definitely playing up in the cold.

The track up

On sunset someone's shooting but nothing's coming my way so I settle down for the night. Dogs barking continually all night with one dog visiting but obviously getting a fright when I roll over in the tent. It sets him off. I growl at it and it retreats barking all the way till it hits the road.

The last dog shut up about 4 am.

Looking back towards Rockhampton

An old dozer before airconditioned cabins

The track back down

Waiting for the party to finish

My neighhhhbor

Day 64 Kabra to Bouldercombe

Kabra's camp spot and single dongas

Saturday 19th June, 2021 16.5km

1702.9 / 3396 km

I left the pub about 7am and have to walk a kilometre back to Kabra proper.

The road from Kabra is bitumen, not exciting but easy to navigate along without getting cleaned up. I sat for a break at a farm where they advertise Avocados for $5 box. The pack is heavy enough so I leave them.

This morning's road

The trail then follows a road easement and this was more pleasant as now its just me and the birds.

It's a short day today and the trail comes out at the back of the Bouldercome rubbish dump. A lady coming from the dump stops to have a chat, then I get back to civilisation and the United Service Station. I am picking up something here for dinner so I get some cheese and biscuits. I then saw a chicko roll.... Should I??? Bugger it. It looks fresher than the other one. So lunch is the roll and a Vanilla Pepsi Max. After I downed that I went and got another chicko roll. Belinda thinks that any trouble coming is self inflicted and has no sympathy.

Mangos and Avocados 

Then it's down the road to the old Royal Hotel and I slip up to the trail riders compound near the sports oval and setup inside the fence. Saved $2. That's what the lions club charge for camping behind the hotel. I give them the rest of my silver change when I go past to fill up with water.

Short day today so I spent the afternoon reading. The book has to be returned in 3 days). Big climb tomorrow.

The gate to the road reserve

Looking back towards Gracemere

Pretty

Good looking dog but he wanted to take my
leg off

Day 63 Zero day at Kabra

Friday 18th June, 2021

I started to wash everything in the pack yesterday. The hotel allowed me to wash my clothes and I continued to scrub everything else. Some of my bags holding my gear were grubby and that sand from the camp at the Fitzroy was stuck on everything.

Kabra Hotel

I didn't check if I could bus it to Rockhampton as I had got my food drop pretty right here. I was out of most food which is much better than carrying too much. So it was wash, relax, watch TV and generally laze around. I've got a couple of niggles that appreciate a break even if it's only a day.

Being a Friday night the pub was busy at dinner time. The raffles were on and I gave them $5 worth of pocket change as it's getting quite heavy. Next thing I know I've won and they give two $50 notes. Not a bad exchange. Nearly thought about another zero day but in the end I've planned a pretty slow start so I'll keep moving.

Kabra hotel. Top pub. Good food.

Cleaning the water filter

lots of sand

Keeping the line full

Food for the next leg

winnings!