Day 21, 43 km to Springsure, 26 Jun ‘24)
I got on the road @ 07:07am..
8am: a friendly truck driver from Springsure, Anthony Mahady, who passed me yesterday, stopped to tell me “It’s about to start pissing down rain”, & to offer me a lift into Springsure. He was going there & had room on his ute, so he took my trolley in to Leo at the Truck-Stop caravan park, to store it safely..& I will try to make it the 40 km in and stay there tonight if I make it.Thanks heaps Anthony!
Within ~5 min I came to this sign.
My Thinking as I go:
Wow. Once I start adding contingencies ( like more water, or raincoats) to my day pack it gets heavier, which isn’t an issue with the trolley. But then again, with this climb today, to not have the trolley should be a help…
If it looks like I won’t make it, I might be able to get a lift to the truck-stop/van-park, and then get a lift back to the same spot tomorrow morning ( without the trolley), & do the rest tomorrow.
The truck-stop/van park is a couple of km closer than town centre, so it might be about 38km…. Here goes…
Sure enough it does start to rain. “Luckily” (thanks creative love) I changed my normal practice & put my waterproof pants in my day pack, which I am carrying. Just missing waterproof gaiters.just trying some cloth.
At about 09:09 I come to another sign..
to try to keep up the walking, I’m going over some poems & songs and stories I’m learning, in order to be able to think about them, when I can’t be carrying around a book. and in order to let them into me further. Fun too, learning the pleasures of wisdom.
The lady in this hybrid camry stopped to offer me a lift but then realised i was walking on purpose. We had a brief chat.
(Yeah sometimes the road is a bit wobbly) She's the third person to stop today and ask if i need a lift.. good to not have the trolley today. Thank you creative love and thank you Anthony.
Amanda & another worker from the Rolleston pub pulled over on their way to an appointment in Springsure, to ask where my trolley was? & to see if i still wanted to keep walking (or wanted a lift)? I said “You bet you!” But thanks for your human thoughtfulness. Reminds me of true mateship.
Within an hour, 3 workers from the mine, by the looks of them, stopped to check out how i was going, on their way back towards Springsure. Thanks fellows.
I saw a stick lying on a guard rail, and remembered that having one (or even better, two) walking stick(s) had helped me go faster, in Victoria, and NSW, and reduce the weight on my feet. I think it is working.. thank you creative love for helping me see those two sticks and to recall what I already knew.
At three thirty, I came accross this welcome sign of progress:
I think I’m getting slower. At ~4:55pm I’ve still got a way,
& my feet are stinging…
At 5:45pm this comes into view:
Then, as the sun sinks… this is where I’m heading:
Yes! At quarter past six in the dark, I found it, & the fellow’s name was not Leo, but Lopez; and…. the trolley was out the back. The cabins were fully booked, but the men’s single quarters had a bed for $60. I ordered a hamburger with the lot, a flat white coffee, & sat down (lay down until someone-else walked in to the shop). Thank you creative love.
Got talking to Lopez’s wife, Trina,
and drew a picture of her 2yr old. What fun, reminded me of my grandchildren. Thanks you folk for looking after my trolley today.
Lay down in my room with my feet up, sent a text to thank Anthony, & brag about a P.B.; & talked to my lovely lady on one bar of reception - with a bit of breaking up & a ring back.
Who knows I might make it to my friends’ place in Emerald by Sat night. See how these feet hold up…
Then a day off on Sunday… if they are round this weekend, I’ll go along to church with these good friends, & good people.
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