(11August 2024 - Sunday)
As I said last night it said a 40-70% chance of rain all day today, so I was glad when I found this shelter,
with a clean toilet and rain-water. It rained/sprinkled on & off through the night after 12.
Some lovely thinking/learning time early-ish this morning, and some reflections on starting a day well the night before, doing a day well, to go along with yesterday’s reflection on starting a day well at sunrise, and on a person standing as an image or icon of something bigger than themselves that they give themselves fully to (reminds me of John whom I met yesterday ~ “cancer will eat you, unless you are given to a passion”) - before sunrise. Then slept in till about 8am.
Colin came by on his way back from “the tip” (of Cape York), back to Newcastle and gave me some of his muesli (since mine was running low). (I had milk left, thanks to Russell yesterday)
Thanks mate. Happy travels. Did you say 20 hrs of driving? Wow! Thanks for the muesli breakfast.
Then John & Caroline popped in, on their way to the tip, (from Perth). We talked for a bit.
They are hoping to make it to the Undara Lava Tubes where they are booked in for the tour.
All the best for all the rest - of your trip.
It’s really raining quite heavy at 10:15am, vehicles keep popping in. Their people talking for a few minutes, then heading off again.. it's been pretty busy this morning compared to usual.
The folk driving this rig just came from Greenvale and enjoyed the stay & the meals.
I might make it there in 4 - 6 days. Looking forward to it.
Rosemary & Maurie Morrisson pop in and wait in the cold while I boil the billy. They bring their tea, and milk, & they share their special cake (cooked by a friend).
Then they leave some extra for me, and some bananas. We talk about audio books (The Cattle King, The Man Who Loved Trains the story of TNT), and Ian McGilchrist’s insights into Left & Right brain hemisphere’s functions), I drew a 1 min pencil picture on the concrete table
I heard about their reason for going to Brisbane for 6 weeks. God help Maurie. Thanks you two for your company (over a cuppa), and the lovely cake & bananas. (And thanks too, to the maker of Maurie & Rosemarie). They said I could stay at their place on the way through, but ring them so they can let the caretaker know, and it is 5 or 6 km off the main road, & there is a nice camp spot at the turn off of the main road. .
Maurie also told me of Father Rob Greenup, a Catholic priest in Mareeba whom he met at a Mass and a wedding, who had, 20 or 30 yrs ago walked to the tip, from Mareeba. I might see if he’s around to talk with when I get up there.
~12:30pm
Then there was Lee and Lester in the rig behind, and Tracey & Glen on the right, who were going the other way (in another car to the right not in the photo).
Thanks for your interest and passing on some stuff from your trips too.
Gary told me about The Blue Water Springs Roadhouse, coming up I might hit tomorrow (or probably the next day, since Google maps says it's 16km the other side of the Harvey Range Road at Basalt (maybe Glenn Walker from Charters mentioned this too) just before the Basalt turn off to Townsville, (later, I realise Glenn meant going South, as he was). That is heartening. Thanks mate. And thanks for friendly sharing of helpful info, just to aid and abett another in their journey.
Gary and Anne (from the snow in the Kiewa Valley) are taking their time to get back. They pop their window down to say G’day/G'bye as they go past and we talk a little bit more.
Wow, they tell me that another walker (a 23yr old) who left Melbourne (St. Andrews) in Sept 2022 to go to the tip too.
2pm
Cold. Rain. Phone calls to friends. More food to bed early and get ready for leaving in the am Ring Blue Water Springs Roadhouse, leave a message.
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