1st week of break

 (Tue 30/07/2025)

Due for camera (cystoscopy) to check site of cancer last year, in hospital this Arvo, in gown, on bed, checked and ready… 

but unexpected turns of events (needing extra time) with previous patients meant some had to draw the short straw and miss out today. I was one such person. Rats! But my same walking companion (thoughtful true-blue friendship) can be trusted in my old stomping grounds. So I am looking forward to what good will come despite my dashed expectations. It’s off to High School teaching for the next two days, then a busy community-based Friday.  No new date for the cystoscopy sorted yet. So no clearer vision for times in the future. We’ll soon learn by going into our future.. Yee Har! 

Tomorrow’s forecast for Orange: 

Look at the maximums through the sunny arvo. Cold winds the last few days

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A break for a medical check-up, and see how the fam & my community at home in Orange is faring. (Thurs 25July2024 - ?)

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(The trolley is being baby-sat in a shed in CT; until I return (this year or next year?), hopefully with a support vehicle; Glenn is planning to give me a lift to the Townsville airport; to fly to Sydney thence train/bus to Orange, NSW.)

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Still getting advice and listing pros & cons re. whether to go up the Greenvale way, or through Townsville & up the coast. It might depend on whether I can get a mate or two, with a support vehicle, or not. It certainly was fun with my daughter & son-in-law last week around Balyando Crossing. Well we’ll find out by asking, listening, looking, learning, & living into it, following the thread laid by creative committed love. Here goes!

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Thanks to everyone who has acted in the support crew role so far. Especially as I’ve come to sparcer country up here near Charters Towers. You rock! I have grown and hope to be a better neighbour to everyone I rub shoulders with on planet Earth because of it. If I am, the blame for that might come back on your shoulders as much as mine.

Thanks for the team-work struck up in an impromptu manner, but no less team-work because of it, maybe even because of that - a deeper kind of team-work. Don’t let yourself become stressed out, or cynical. Keep teaming up with creative friendship and determined helpfulness. We might get a chance to meet again. I hope so. Feel free to comment here, and leave a phone number or email address, I should eventually get it, or ring me and leave a message on 0461258293 (but fill me in on where you fit in, I’ve met a lot of people by now). Visit me, my family, my community, in Orange, NSW.  

My biggest support has actually been creative-friendship/ determined-helpfulness. Thank you.

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I’ll post here on this blog, when I know more myself about the next leg up.

One step after another. One leg after another. “Following the thread” (read, or listen to, the very old children’s fantasy book called The Princess & the Goblin, by the Scottish author George MacDonald, to get a lovely “picture painted” of this metaphor).

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A great trip to Townsville with Glenn, & met his Mum & a friend of hers over coffee.

Saw the beach at Townsville, and the sights from Castle Hill(?) before Glenn dropped me at the airport. Thanks Glenn, (& Mrs Walker, & Viv.). How thoughtful and lovely to see Magnetic Island etc..

Then Jesse, who showed me round CT yesterday, met me earlier than I had said, but right on time, as soon as I walked in, at the airport. We had lunch together, good news about prices, even since yesterday! Jesse shouted me lunch and we talked till the last minute. Thanks Jesse. All the best with all your amazing plans for the future. 

Again, how amazing to live in such a world where there are people who reflect an overall view of that "golden rule" (though it works better as an expression of relationship, than as an expression of a rule). Thanks to wise & open-handed friendship.

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Rest Day in Charters Towers

Wed, 24/7 (with a date like that, it is likely to be flat-chat, eh?)

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What an amazing young family has taken me in. The old family friends in Emerald whom I stayed with (Mary & John) are their grandparents, & asked about their shed housing my trolley while I'm having a medical check, and seeing how the family is going in Orange (NSW). They said yes, but went further  yesterday a with a hot shower, lovely dinner last night, warm bed, washing done, breaky this morning. This morning after some breaky:

Thanks so much Em. & Trav. Thanks too to the underlying friendship and family connections that make life on Earth so homely, but also exciting & challenging.

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Jesse, (who checked in on me back in between Eumamurrin & Bymount (11 days out of St.George), and gave me some water…) is visiting Charters Towers (& his business here) today (from Townsville). It will be good to see that friendly face again.. (& he has kept contact via texts over the last month)

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The plan we sorted last night, is that Jesse will drop by & take me to a cattle sale this morning before 8:30am, & we might see some of his block too. Thanks Jesse for taking time to slow & share life with a “stranger”. Reminds me of every parent who welcomes the little strangers who are their children, & reminds me of the one whose home we all now live in, who has welcomed us “strangers”. Looking forward to a day “out and about” Charters. 

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Might get some drawings in, and help grow awareness of the issues & groups  I am sponsoring. Often people (especially blokes) are ignorant of them - for too long: prostate cancer, & Men’s mental health [Movember]; & the underlying narrative that used to help the Western world make sense & see purpose in the chaos of life (but which has now been overlooked because of what it deals with, and assumed therefore to be irrelevant) [The Bible Society]. I hope so.

(Click on QR codes at the bottom of this page, if you want to get involved with me in any of these endeavors.)

 

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FIDDLIN’ RIDDLIN’

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Q 01: What is the difference between “being presented”, & “being resented” ?

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Wow, what an education? I went with Jesse to the Charters Towers’ Sale Yards. We watched what things were going for. Stopped and talked to a dozen people, some of which recognised me from the last few weeks of walking. Bought a pie and coffee, & talked some more… 

Then Jesse took me 

to see an old track from a century ago,

which continues 

out to Mt. Isa. We had a squiz at some of his cattle on agistment..

& some housing developments he is undertaking. Wow. Another world. What fun. Thanks for a lovely day around cattle and developing the land here, Jesse. Good on you for sharing your life with this stranger.

Home to Travis & Emily’s, pack trolley, shower, have Charters Towers famous Red Rooster, “Rooster Feed”, play the question game, read a reflective poem  together. 

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Tomorrow, up around 6am, and Glenn will collect me after 6:30am.

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Walking Day 43 (from St George)

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Tuesday 23July2024

Cold shivering from 3am, so did some writing… and slept in till ~8am. Up, pack,

on the road ~9am, when the other campervan takes off too.

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We’ll find out what a day might bring, & we

choose to bring to it on this day, I say.

But finding out comes not to us by speech

but by our actions, looks, and listens, eh?

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Well, I haven't gone too long before a ute  pulls up beside me and a lady puts her head out the window and says "Paul?" I said "How do you know my name?" She responded that Glenn Walker was a mate..  Anyway this was Jane, whom Glenn said should be able to pick up my trolley today and take it into town for me. Well we took some water out to lighten the load, & got the trolley in her husband's ute (because her vehicle was T-boned yesterday). She took the blog address to help sponsor a worthy cause (@ the bottom of the page).

Thanks heaps Jane. And too, to creative extending friendship.

Before she's gone, Scotty who helped me out just after Clermont passed me driving back to town, did a u-turn and pulls up.  … gave me a wrap and a blueberry muffin to keep me going for the morning so that was a bit good. 

We chatted for a bit and caught up. He’s following the blog and helping where he can. Thanks Scotty! And thanks to keen observation and action.

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At the truck weigh station pull over, I met John & Lynne from Bingara in NSW heading home… 

we talked for a while and had to keep moving . Thanks John & Lynne for your friendly reaching out. The world is more a home because of people’s actions like yours. And isn’t it a lovely home. Be good to look after it eh?

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~12:40pm an encouraging sign…

though I might need to put my feet up soon..

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After a break with feet up, & a km further, @

~1:40pm another puzzling sign:

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Andy Grant from Deception Bay, and now Townsville, just filling up at a servo, as I was about to use the loo, struck up a conversation with me, 

then bought me a pie and two bottles of water, and gave me a heads up on a pack of dogs/dingos that came at him this morning on the way out from Townsville when he stopped on the road for a smoke. I’d better take this seriously..

I practiced drawing Andy. Hmmmm maybe 60%. For your friendliness, time, and pie and drinks; thanks! Thanks too to friendly ness and generosity that is shining out through this man.

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When I arrived at the mobile servo/store where they had stored my trolley for the day, I thought to try their coffee, if Glenn gets one in the mornings there. Lovely. 

While sitting at the table a young woman walked past & said you must be the Walker, you've been all over face book. We talked for a bit, she wished me well. Then she gave me $50.00 for dinner, or one those causes (though she said she was feeling like death warmed up)..

Thanks. I think we'll make it $25.00 for The Bible Society, & $25.00 for Movember. What a reflection of generosity, & backing goodness & having-a-go-ness! 

Walking Day 42 (from St.George)

Mon 22July2024; from Elston Hills, 42km S of Charters Towers (CT) towards CT.

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True to his word, (better than his word, because I was slow in getting everything packed, & me ready), Clem dropped my Trolley safely ahead then dropped me back at his front gate. With just a day-pack & a walking stick.

Clem & Tracene, thanks heaps for your very kind hospitality!

At 9am I was off. I passed a bit of a fence which we fixed up yesterday. 

And off into a beautiful cool morning (@16°C) walking in dappled shade:

I’ll try listening to a good book for a while.

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A break around 12:30pm. Listened to bits of three very interesting books. A couple of mates rang and talked for a while, & finally arrived at the trolley, still intact. And had some dinner. 

A whole bunch of lovely common things, putting my feet up,

making a nice coffee with a coffee bag, & cream. Listening to audio books, writing a poem to my mum (who often reads her scriptures) thinking of her body getting frailer, feeling tired, but still determined to give and to love others. 

A campervan came to the area around sunset, but stayed to themselves. Nice to know there are others nearby though. In the tent myself by ~7pm , a phone call left to make, then read and bed. 

Glenn thinks a friend might be able to drop my trolley off tomorrow at the general store/ servo near where I hope to stay... He said there are a few big hills yet to come. If so, that would be lovely! Eh?

Good night.

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Rest Day B4 Charters Towers (Sun 21.July.2024CE)

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Lovely breaky of coffee, tea, toast etc with Clem Archer. 

His wife, Tracene, was flat out till 4 or 5am doing a special birthday quilt for celebrating a grandson’s special day this arvo. How lucky this boy.

How delightful to get some washing done, hung out, collected in, & share a morning with Clem looking at his farm (the site of family get-togethers of over 70 people for a couple of days a year), 

fences, yards, windmills, and to meet Adrian who was the windmill climber (with safety gear of harness, carabiners etc), a bite for lunch, a “Poppy Resta”, and then in to town to drive the ute back while they catch up with family in town. 

I might suss out CT, buy some muesli bars & fruit, and see if it will work to visit some acquaintances for a quick cuppa, or even get some takeaway to share. Recall that stance of learning, and joining in, instead of my default teacher stance (a problem with being a high school teacher).

Then back to the farm for an early-ish night. Thanks for the use of your ute Clem & Tracene. 

Tomorrow, see if I can make it at least half way to town. If Clem is able to drop the trolley in ahead of me…  I won’t need to tow it. Yay!

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Walking Day 41 (Sat 20 July 2024CE - from 60 km to …km from Charters Towers)

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Early this morning, it was cold. I wrote up a song I was singing the other day - to remind me that this is my modus operandi in life (Well, it is what I want to do.) So help me God!  - Join in with what creative love is doing…

Might end up sleeping through the frost, and let the tent dry out before I pack it away today?

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Yup. Then Glenn visits my campsite on the way back from dumping his first load of dirt at the roadworks I passed before Balyando Crossing (I think it was).

We have a chat, getting to know each other a bit more, & make a plan for the doing a praxis experience of the Movember thing.. human connection & mateship in practice: asking meaningful questions & actively listening; with a chance for people to participate as a model for a three minute sketch, take home the results of their gift to help a budding artist, and connect with another local person (& a visitor) at the Rodeo tonight. I'll be the budding artist. Glenn will be the conversationalist. Glenn’s wife will buy some paper and we’ll get some pens somehow, write a sign, take a card table, print the QR code for the Movember &/or Bible Society (Melbourne2Mapoon) sponsorship. I’ll take my little back-pack. We’ll have a bit of fun. See how things go. Glenn asks Clem if I can walk to his place 20km down the track, and camp there. Let’s see how things go! Talk about creative fun & friendship! I’ve seen this before!

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I’m listening to an audio book Thinking fast & slow. Very interesting…

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After a few km I find this memorial to an old bloke who was presumably a local. He was born the year before me, yet he died 4 yrs ago, presumably on this road. 

Cause to pause. Evokes some thoughts from “system 2” as that book (Thinking fast and slow) talks about, not the immediate easy conversation kind of thought. That other book I just read Kohelet, talks about keeping your own mortality in mind too. Interesting.

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Warren Mann stopped to say G’day. We talked for a bit. He had to go off the road, to let cars & trucks past. About 20 min. Great time.

Warren gave me a $20 note “for the church or whatever, or you can just use it”. I try not to receive cash, but we're doing this thing tonight at the Rodeo, so I’ll make this the first donation for Movember today, then send him the receipt. Thanks heaps Warren, for your time, your open-ness, and the cash for Movember (Prostate cancer research & support, & men’s mental health). Amazing people around this land. Lovely to share it with people like you, and bloody creative, determined, embodied friendship (abcdef) - what we in Australia used to call Mateship, or as John Williamson sang “true blue”.

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Another couple of blokes stop to check if I’m right, and have enough water. 

..Thanks blokes. Very thoughtful! Glad to be living in a world where people like you exist! Thanks to fair-dinkum friendship for sharing this world with us, for free! Over the top!

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A quick catch-up with Glenn again. 

Family issues might mean it won’t work at their place. And, it might not work at the Rodeo tonight, unless I can get there (40km) myself, cause he’s got another family bbq before it too. No problems. Over to you determined creative friendship. I want to join in where I best can. I’m here for the learning too. Let me learn by following your thread…

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But Clem Archer, of Elston Hills (in about 9 km) , a mate of Glenn's, will let me pitch my tent at his place (& maybe use his toilet/ shower too). Thanks Clem. Look forward to meeting you. 

Oops, here we are.. at 5:24pm! In we go!

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And what a lovely evening with Clem. It turns out that all the tickets and places at the Rodeo are taken, sold, no more allowed in, so, we had to have a cold beer and stay at Clem's place. His wife was busy sewing a special birthday quilt, but still managed to cook us a lovely pizza, and we got to talk for about 2& 1/2 hours about almost anything & everything. What a gracious man, and lady. A lovely patch of lawn for the tent, a look, a hot shower, a cuppa tea & a slowly burning fire of good hard wood.

Clem uses the hollow logs as his chimney. Very effective. Thank you Archer family, for your lovely hospitality. 

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I talked things through with Clem somewhat, & currently the plan is to have a day off walking tomorrow, do my washing early, join in with Clem, where I can with his work on the farm, stay tomorrow night too, then head off Monday morning, probably taking two days to get the 42km to Charters Towers. Find something useful to do on Wednesday, or start walking towards Townsville (?) and get a lift with Glenn to Townsville on Thursday morning.

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This arvo, as I walked, I found a cheapish flight from Townsville via Brisbane to Sydney leaving ~1pm Thursday, & hitting Sydney @5:10pm, probably too late to catch the Bullet (train) to Bathurst, but we'll have to sort that out then.

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Shower, then to bed!… Good night...

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Walking Day 40, Friday19 July 2024.

 

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Walking Day 40, Friday19 July 2024.

Up around 6:30, & onto the road soon after 7:10am.

I get to say G’day to Glenn Walker (the trucker from CT whom I met yesterday), as he is about to pass our camping spot at the gravel pits. 

I walk

On his way back with an empty truck, he pops in to take a photo, to stick on Social Media. He thinks we’ll be able to dig deep in Charters for Movember. And said to stay at his place for as many nights as I want. How beautiful. Thanks Glenn.

Meanwhile Fiona and Frank catch up and do a U-turn to offer breakfast and coffee.. Beautiful.. Like family. We talk about almost anything & ev’rything.

I walk on about 11am. But looking back… there's their van where they have fed me for coffee yesterday, gave me lunch for yesterday, fed me dinner last night, breakfast this morning, and have now given me a bag of fruit, and a frozen dinner for tonight that should be thawed by then. What a beautiful home away from home...

I hope we can meet up more, and offer them a place in Orange NSW. 

What an adventure, with walking partner as creative friendship..

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I’ve been editing that poemish thing to remind me of where I need to head - learning to be an active listener rather than a re-active yabberer. From that ancient text by (or at least through the eyes of) a slightly jaded(?) Son of David who was goading people to see the meaninglessness or at least vaporous nature of life lived as Western culture mostly sees it, “under the sun”, in a basically self-refering Universe. (Not sure if he ever got back to a more meaningful view of the world or not, but another Son of David sorted that for us).

From a book called Kohelet (often translated as Ecclesiastes). I’ve quoted it's text that inspired my poemish thingo at the end in the Notes section, and tried singing the edited version as I walked this arvo, and put a link to the audio, (that should download if it doesn’t just play): it is called Get real..

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Just before sunset, I pass this sign 

and pull up to decide what to do, and see if I could pitch a tent nearby & put me feet up. Joog rings me to say he must have missed me. Yup, just after I pulled off the road. He turns back and brings a power aid and a beer, and has one with me. I find out more about him, he’s from Georgetown up North, but moved down here to help his Dad & Granddad, married a local girl, & had 6 kids together.  And he’s been thinking, about my journey North, a lot of dirt roads with corrugations, and hundreds of km between towns with only a few trucks per day, unless I go through Townsville and up the coast through Cook Town then West. I’ll have to think about that in the next few days and get those maps out. Thanks Joog! (Missed a photo, till he was heading off..

 but really appreciated the beer together and I will appreciate the Powerade tomorrow.) And thanks to the designer of this world and Joog & me!

We say goodbye, and expect to meet again.

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