Saturday 30 July 2022

Saturday 30.07.2022CE on the way to Moree, to and through Bellata.



Plan to wake @6:30am, and cuppa and breaky, leave at 7:30am with Keith, before his morning push-bike ride.

John, who lives just outside Bellata has offered to pick me up at 5pm and take me to his place foor the night, and maybe Sunday too. I said i'll join in on what ever he does on Sunday. He usually goes to New Life church in Narrabri, where I slept last night. Great.


Woke with gout in my left forefinger. Eek. God, help! Well, I have brought my colgout tablets, and though I've been skipping on my allopurinol (normal gout prevention) tablets, scared of running out, I took one last night. I'll do what I can, then, we'll see.


It dawned on me that if I was coming back on Sunday with John from Bellata then maybe O could take some spear socks and undies and save towing the trolley today, and collect it on the return trip on Sunday. So we left the trolley in Narrabri, to be collected tomorrow. 


Out on the road about 8am.

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Thanks for the lift back to where you picked me up last night Keith. 


Hoping that without the trolley today, I can make it to the half-way point between Narrabri and Moree. I think that will be several km past Bellata. But I'd have to work out how to get back to John's place, which is the other (Narrabri) side of Bellata.


Just thinking.. With this hike in fuel prices, it's more costly for everyone on this road. On all roads. Or even to mow the lawn, or run a generator. Heard this morning about grey nomads being stranded, or having to drive at 80 or 90 km/hr to save fuel.


Around 9:30am I try to check out the Edgeroy fuelstop toilets.. no go. But Imeet Dale Oliver who drives this truck down here. He offered me a couple of sandwiches. Love to get to know him more. But he has some work to do, & I have some walk to do.

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He comes from Cloncurry up in Qld, where a good mate of mine now lives, so I was hoping to pay Cloncurry a visit, on the way up, or down. Said we might see each other up there in 2 or 3 months time, if we happen to both be in town then.




These mountains are amazing. 

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The photos don't do them justice. You'll have to come and see them. They say that from up therevthe view is spectacular across the plains, especially at night, when towns, and farms, and mines have their lights on.



Cars, trucks, caravans,utes, tip trucks, tankers pasd all day. This is a lovely patch of road, with a wide flat shoulder. Fantastic for pulling a trolley on, or for NOT  pulling a trolley on.

With many graders, rollers, excavators  working on the fast train line to the left of the road.

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At about the 10km mark, I stop for a foot break, bandaid a toe, eat some trail mix, take a call from a good mate and Uncle to me, Paul Roe who has been connecting me with friends along the way.


B) Saturday 30.07.2022CE on the way to Moree, towards Ballata.




Back up on on, at 10:50am. See how this stint goes?


Recalling to mind & thinking about, and retelling Mark 1 a block of about 7 pairs of little stories to introduce Yeshua, ostensibly the one christened Leader of Humanity! (The best leader we could dream of, I reckon)


Around 12noon i come across this sign.. 

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I think I'd better ring John, because I think he said they live off a road like that…  but it was only a few km out of Bellata, this is about 13km. It may do a big U, and come back to the highway closer to Bellata. We'll see. 


Oh, look on Google maps!


No, it doesn't.  … Ring.


Yeah, we're eating tonight at the club at Bellata, at 6pm, so we'll see how far I get by about 4:30pm and plan what then. Thanks John!


I'm hoping to stop for a foot break at the 60M (60 km to Moree) sign. Then we'll see how far I can make after that.


A fellow I knew a bit of 40yrs ago, now lives in Narrabri, and just rang. We hope to have lunch or a coffee together tomorrow. We'll see what happens.


Here it is…

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Just before Valorban Lane on the right, and Ten Mile Lane on the left. But there's nowhere to put my feet up, so I'll just have to go on till I find somewhere. I can see some silos in the distance, which I think might be where Bellata is.



On the road again by 2:30pm. Another offer of a lift into town. This time it looked like Dylan whom I met earlier, heading back to Moree for something. Thanks for your friendliness. I think I need to actually walk this pilgrimage. What a beautiful culture has grown up in this beautifulv country. Creative love, please help us to keep the best and leave the rest! I have to see it lived, OR hear the stories from others whom I trust as true people, who have seen it lived out, before I seem to truly believe it. Thank you to creative love for inviting me to "come & see."


I keep thinking about the part of me that easily prejudges people and where they are at, the very thing Jesus commanded his followers NOT to do. Here's part of my thinking, entitled Grow up! Worked on this arvo and finished up tonight.


I made it (by jogging the last 4.5km) to the Tookey Creek Rest Area, about 48km from Moree this arvo by 5pm a total of 30km (without a trolley) today. How good! Then John and Jane-y picked me up. John, a joyful, racally farmer, the spitting image (personality, and even a little bit in looks) of one of my uncles, which helps me appreciate this personality more), take me home for a quick shower before we go back to the Bellata, to the Golf Course Motel for dinner with a friend, that they had already booked. Home and lit the fire and s cuppa tea on tank water, the beez knees. To bed in a very comfy van in the shed, with the heater on low all night. Tomorrow a rest day. Sleep in to 7:30 am.



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