Peninsula Day 43 (Fri)

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From last night’s campsite to Bramwell’s Road house .. & beyond..

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On to the road at 5:51am, 11 km to go (which means I did (42-11=)31km yesterday. Ok.

Richard and Kylie who gave me an apple yesterday morning stopped to say G’day and say they haven’t any apples left….

They said they’d wait for me at the Tip. (So I’d better get a move on). I said they’d better not, but see me on the way down! Thanks for continuing the contact.

Wow. The last two car- caravans passing me slow right down to just above walking pace to pass me and then spend up again. That really minimizes dust. But you couldn’t do that  all day. .. (maybe they aren’t passing Walker's on this road more than once a day? Others zip past at 100km. Some wine windows down to wave. Some lift a finger. Some look forward. How different are we in experience, worlds in our head etc. .??

A car load in convoy from Bendigo (Left to right: Zack (family friend), Levi, Tony, & Tracee,) from Bendigo stopped again, after yesterday

… to say G’day and get a photo together

6 week away from home for this trip. With other families. What fun. They had a bit of time, & might have more on the way back..? Thanks for connecting.

Back on the road again…

3.1km to go to Bramwell Roadhouse 

Other ways of getting here might have been used (if I kept walking):

Made it before 10am to Bramwell Roadhouse, 

I meet Karsten and Jack, and Stu. too. If I'm here tonight I hope to see them again.

Then in the camping grounds Stu. Points me to Jamie: 

who gives me some tips about the Old Tele Track, I'll need to let him know before I go if I want to get a lift back (on the Tele track) tonight… …

Mark and Melissa run this Roadhouse. I get a large coffee and two pies (which turns out to be three - oh well, I know what’s for lunch.).

I’ve got maybe an hour to work out which way to go… 

• The old tele track 72km, meaning ~210km to the tip, through New Mapoon, or 

• the alternative, detour. (111km), meaning ~245km to go to the tip, through New Mapoon,

either way will be fun, either way I’ll need to keep relying on my walking partner, hesed (thoughtful commitment, loving-kindness, family love).

This Roadhouse doesn’t sell any of the food things I was expecting (like noodles, cans of soup, soap, savlon etc) yeek! I can’t stay around here then .. I'll need to get going soon… if you pray, pray for wisdom from above (above me, and my ways) for me.. please.

Just before I head Scott pops over to me, and then his two boys join him. They have rooted to me twice in the last day or so, and are interested to hear something about me… 

I try drawing Patrick 

Then Sam (but I forgot to take a pic of the three of them). Thanks for connecting Scott.

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Off on the road at 1pm - doing the bipass, might need to catch a lift with Johnny’s mob on Monday or Tuesday to the Jardine ferry to get more provisions, then catch a lift back to my trolley again to complete it… See how we go.. 

Yusei (You say…), from Japan, 

Met on his Surly bicycle travelling from Sydney to the tip… we talked a bit together, then had to part..

Many people slow (or stop) to check how I’m going. Ruth and Dick from Forster (near the Northern Central coast of NSW), stopped. They’d been to Gunshot today and saw Karsten's Combie make it through. They stocked me with the thing I couldn’t have bought at most Roadhouse … fresh fruit: 3 mandarins and two avocados…. How good. I added them to my cold pie and that was dinner! Living like a king! Thanks for your generosity you two. While I’m writing this the overcast sky Letts a little rain out - enough to cover the screen of my phone but no more, and I'm hoping enough to lay some dust. I might try and walk till it gets dusty again (or untill I’ve done 28 or 30km for the day). Here goes…

About 6pm I met Beau, Bronson, Mark, Mick Pizzardi, & Leam,  who offered me a cold refreshing drink for the end of the day., 

joined after the photo by Sam, Will, and Brad 

As I was going Mark brought me a slab of what he assures me is  “the best ham in the country” (precooked, and ready to go), from Marsh’s Butchery in Stratford, Cairns.

I plan to have that tomorrow for lunch, after my thawed out sausage rolls which I plan to have for breaky.

Maybe I will have enough food to make it to the Jardine Ferry?

Thanks to my walking partner for making people like these who’ll stop and catch up with an old blokes and share their good things with him. Thanks heaps. Yee har!

In bed before 8:30pm having only walked 25 km today, but with the disruption of sorting things out at Bramwell Junction. If I can walk 30km (or more) for each of the next 5 days, I should be able to get to the Jardine River Ferry & camping grounds (where petrol, and water & maybe some food stuffs might be bought) that afternoon before 5pm. Then another ~42km to Bamagar and 2km more to New Mapoon, where I want to have a full or at least half a rest day. If I can arrive in New Mapoon by lunch Friday 4th then stay in the Bamagar pub that night if I can’t find anywhere else, then leave my gear there and if I can book a taxi or someone to come and get me at 7pm Sat, leave early Sat for the Tip, and catch a lift back, since there is ~42km to the tip. Then Church at Bamagar, and Monday around New Mapoon, & see Joe on Monday night in Bamagar.

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I’ll Repost in about 3 or 7 days.. when I get wifi again..

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Pen.Day42(Thurs)

PeninsularDay42(Thurs)

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Thursday26Jun’25 from Moreton Telegraph Station camping Grounds on the Wenlock River towards Bramwell Roadhouse…

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Up around 5am and hope to be off by 5:30am., but in fact it is 6:15 am by the time i get going 

Hope to make the 9km to the truck stopping point on the side of the road (the road is wider every so many km, maybe 25km, for truckers to be able to check loads or take a break) for my breaky stop. Rats! No Muesli bars or toasted Muesli etc.!

About 8:45am Ash & his Dad, & their convoy car following stop as they pass me on the way to the Telegraph track, they (3) do it every year & counsel me against walking it with a trolley. Too much deep mud and water at or over top of tyres.

A couple from Geelong just been to the tip, stop to say G’day for 2 min, 

then back on our way ..

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Breaky break 9:15am; ~9km so far today… lovely spot.

Then off at 10am..

Richard & Kylie stop and ask similar before lunch, they give me an apple.

Thanks to you generous people. It’s hard to get fruit walking.. (Kylie gave me her blog/Facebook link too)

A couple of hours down the track, after lunch I think, Loz and Trevor from Gippsland meet me heading South, and offer water… 

& give me a banana and apple. Thanks you two. Just what I was wishing for… some fruit, & it kept me going…

Karsten & Jack (left to right) stop in their OKA (the only Australian made vehicle nowadays), and offer me a cold refreshing drink… how lovely is that.. 

5:40pm walking along (with all my company) sharing a cold beverage… 

they’ll book me in to camp at the Bramwell Road-house too. I might get in  around 8 or 9 pm??? Thanks men.

They think that people might be willing to drop my trolley off 25km down the track on the right…. From what Ash & his Dad told me, it’s only really if that happens, that I think it might be possible. We’ll see..

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Woah.. look at that hill coming up… the remaining 14 km and that hill might nock my feet and other parts out for tomorrow… what to do? I decide that if someone comes the same way, and stops, and asks if they can help, I will ask them to let the Roadhouse people I won’t be in till tomorrow.

Britney & Josh come from behind & stop to check if I’m ok

I ask if they are going to Bramwell Roadhouse, and they say “Yes”. 

I ask if they could pass on to the owners that (though Karsten & Jack kindly booked me in) I won’t now be there till tomorrow morning. They are happy to. How good is that! Thanks you two! 

Oh, after they go,  I realized that I should have asked them to pass that on to Karsten & Jack too, so they aren’t wondering what happened to me. Rats! I missed the next car that came along going North, but the one after that was going to the Bramwell Tourist Park, not the Bramwell Roadhouse, so were of no use. I hope Karsten & Jack might imagine what happened, or get a message from the owners/ managers or Britney & Josh, and not stay up late, or come out looking for me, 

And….

Thank you to 

you know who.

Now I do

what I love to.

Go to sleep 

in the keep

of love.

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Tent, dinner, wash, Off to bed before 8pm… tired, but tossed and turned till ~11pm.

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Pen.Day41Wed 25/06/2025 C.E.

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I can’t go at 5 or 6am, because I have to “fix it up in the morning” re my $20-$25 camp fees. 

How good is that!

So, I lie in my tent learning as I reflect &  write up yesterday’s blog (which during the day somehow got lost in the Internet Ether).

Better get up it's 8:05am…

Got talking to Murray; 

whose wife, like mine is backing his solo attempt to make it to the tip.

Mac served me, and asked if I wanted my battery charger and battery (in my hand) plugged in… (thanks!)

while I sat etc… and paid my $25 for my unpowered campsite, bought two pies, and a flat white coffee (with one sugar), and internet for 2 hours. The next spot to stop that might be good beak between here and Bramwell (in 42km), might be a truck pull over spot at a dip in the middle, water on both sides. We’ll see. I’ll have to decide whether to stay for an extra night here, or push on by around 10am. Might depend on whether it’s overcast today or not. Can I leave that to you, my senior walking partner, to sort out?

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The folk here help me think of how I might refurbish my trolley lid in tatters,

and give me some of their gorilla tape to do it (both sides), so I decide to stay for the day, and fix the lid… (carefully cleaning both sides first). 

The plan is, that after fixing the lid, I’ll follow the thread, and maybe even loll about writing and posting this blog, and try to head off early tomorrow morning..

In this process, Chris & David (left to right) from Melbourne walk by, to say G’day…

We might meet as they return? [Rats! I missed hearing much of their story… (a lot to learn there. Help me grow - thoughtful commitment, please.)] Thanks men for a bit of your time.

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Johnny from Cawarral near Rocky, said G’day. I was a Rocky boy - 50 yrs ago.

Johnny managers MTQ, which makes turbo chargers for big diesel equipment in the mines around Central Queensland (e.g.  Blackwater, Moura etc). 

Thanks for stopping to talk, and share a bit of life together. 

He’s in a convoy going to the tip with his Family [I’m still learning to actively listen. One step at a time. A good time connecting as we pass by. ]

 (6 cars & vans driving out, and someone-else’ car in the foreground,- with my tent and trolley in front of that in front, middle):

I find an amazing book:

Compact, plastic sleeve covered, it is amazingly full… and in full colour, e.g. 

Small, and easily worth the $30.00, but heavy… I bought it, but now wonder what I’ll do with the additional weight.

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I’ve got thread, but no needle to sew my plastic “snakeskin” cover onto the cardboard trolley lid. The lady who owns the lease for the store, Wendy, gets a needle for me to sew them together:

I’ll also need a set of pliers (which I have, in my multi-tool), then black electrical tape (which I found looking for stuff this morning) to cover the sewing…

How good is that.

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Lunch time, here at the kiosk… (with tent in heat, in background)

I'll try a pie with peas, and sausage roll. And another coffee, or a cold coffee, if they have one(?)

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Grumpy (christened Guy) and Kerry, who work as helpers to Mike and his wife who run this lease (with the help of their grandson Mac for some time each of  the last five(?) years),  were very helpful, and brought an extra box to help with the lid…

Kerry got me two needles, and I taped and sewed the plastic cover to the cardboard box.. not to bad really. An all day job, along with meeting the blokes mentioned above and Ken from Perth… [sadly I missed getting a pic of Grumpy& Kerry, and Ken.]

Managed to get Mac with his granddad Mike:

A good time catching up with Ash from Melbourne who has done this trip with family about 5 times now.. I got his word on me taking my trolley on the Old Telegraph road from Bramwell. .. Not fully against it, but he thinks it would be hard to take the trolley..

Thanks for your time Ash.

I hope to get going early in the morning to minimise dust… wouldn’t it be nice if it rained lightly tonight? We’ll see.

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After ringing my lady late, I went for a shower and met (talking over the shower cubicles) Gerard:

from Sydney who is with 5 car-loads heading from Sydney and Brisbane, to The Tip, and he offered me his own Our Lady’s Scapular - a small piece of thick cloth with writing on it, on a neck band, to protect me “from eternal fire” it said on it. He was very fine if I’d rather not take it. I wanted to honour his thoughtfulness, yet I felt like I couldn’t wear it with integrity, so I declined. But afterwards I realized that this time with Gerard could have been a chance for me to ask him what it means to him & how he uses it? And this may have led to me understanding him and his stance better (no promises, but the option I took may have been a push away, rather  than a response to grow understanding). Rats! Another missed opportunity to connect in reality. Please thoughtful commitment and creative love give me another chance in the next 24 hr.

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Pen.Day40(Tue)

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From some km on the Eastern side of Moonlight Creek to Moreton Telegraph Station Camping Grounds

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One of the most demanding days of my life… I took photos, but I’ll have to paste them in as I write up the day on Friday or Saturday, didn’t get to write it up on Wednesday, fixing trolley cover all day.

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I’m alive, and grateful.

Pen.Day39(Mon)

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From Vera Creek to the other side of Moonlight Creek

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One of the most demanding days of my life…

I took photos and thought I made notes, that night, but they all seem to have been lost (in a Google update on Wednesday, or in my memory…) I’ll have to (re)write them in a break on Thursday… and post them here if I get to the Bramwell Roadhouse Friday night.

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Pen.Day38pm- towards New Mapoon

Sunday 22/06/25 arvo…Back into it.

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Joe & his daughter Pamela leave from Weipa about 3:50pm, and drop me off at a spot on the Billy’s Lagoon Road (which I walked to Mapoon 2 or 3 weeks ago), where 1 map tells me that there is (or was) a track that goes through to Bamagar Road.(they took the photo on their phone, so I'll have to get it when I see them next) 

[Pic from Joe goes here]

drop me off at a spot on the Billy’s Lagoon Road (which I walked to Mapoon 2 or 3 weeks ago), where 1 map tells me that there is (or was)  a track that goes through to Bamagar Road. If so, this will save me 20 or 30 km rather than going down to the Batavia Downs Road, which would save >50 km from sticking to the PDR (Peninsular Development Road), and have less dust too.

The road at first:

Looking back:

Looking forward:

I am a little hopeful, because the same map found me the Billy’s Lagoon Road, originally, which went well, and saved me a lot of dust, and at least a day. But, I know this road might not still be there, or might be over-grown so much it is not worth it. Every step I take, I am more committed to it. I think I have about 5 days of food and water. And Dad’s UHF, on chanel 24, or 40, if I do get close enough to civilization. I remember my (invisible, senior) walking partner, creative love, or providence, or thoughtful commitment, or …  & take heart again. Jo and his family have been good friends letting me park my car at their place & stay with them for ~4 days.

 I am surprisingly emotional as I say Goodbye, and kiss Joe (as well as Pamela). Around 5pm. 

This is to get me started, on the road, again, since Joe drives off to get stuff, and his new wife, from Cairns tomorrow at 4am, and won’t be back till Wednesday night, late. So the earliest I could get dropped off at this spot again would be Thursday morning.

I decide to go on into the cool dark evening, till something stops me, since I have my head-torch.

I gave to go through a Lagoon or creek with water half way up my calves. The trolley handles it with everything in it, though the bottom of the cardboard lid will start disintegrating, made to handle rain, not immersion.

 Then as I wander on I find a couple  Deb & Tim, lounging back on beanbag armchairs by a small Smokey fire (against mozzies). Deb is a shift-worker (nurse) from Weipa, getting some chill-time out this way, by a cul-de-sac near the next creek-ctossing. How surprising! For me, and for them. They talk, offer me a cold beverage, and are surprised to hear me say I have a map that says this track goes through to Bamaga road. Deb lets me take a shot of her HEMA map to show the creeks I have to cross: from Dropped Pin on Left to Bamagar Road on the Right… (West to East) & that is the Wenlock River at the top..

They suggest I camp there for the night, I can use their fire. And then do the crossing in the morning, They have checked this Lagoon for croc tracks and are hopeful of yet getting some fresh-water prawns to throw onto the fire (No such luck). But I start unpacking in the light of their camp-site as they pack to return home for work the next day. Thanks for filling me in… crocs likely to be in Cox’s creek, & Moonlight creek, which my track must cross (similar to the one I have crossed so far, and this one (Vera Creek, or was it Vivian Creek? - about knee heigh at the crossing). And thanks for your cold beverage, and message from Deb, to say G’day to her friend at the Bamagar pub. Deb & Tim whom I met near Weipa, at “Vera Creek”, say G’day Zan!

I don’t think to get a pic till their ute is heading off into the scrub:

This is my gear, after I laid the tent out by the fire (behind the fire is a tree, then a metre drop to the creek, knee-deep clear running water, no crocs to be seen)

I’ll do this crossing in daylight tomorrow, or decide to turn back. I have a wash in the creek and hit the sack by 7:30 or 8 pm.

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PeninsulaDays36-38

(Friday, Saturday, Sunday morning)

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Day 36 (Fri 20/6/25)

Travel back to Weipa, and a coffee with Noel again, at 12:10pm at Weipa's Coffee Shop (Shirl and Nacka’s- Sh'Nackas). Then back to Joe’s piano and rest, and a lovely meal. 

Day 37 (Sat 21-6-2025)

Saturday I got to help out with some mowing at Joe’s place and the St.Luke’s Church, then deisignated Sat 2pm to Sunday 2 pm as my rest day.. (but got my trolley out and looked through it, packing what I could foresee - I must make a list of camping things (including a needle and cotton).

Day 38 (Sunday 2025-06-22)

Off to St. Luke’s just before 9am, met a lovely bunch of people, and joined them for lunch again.  Arvo rest from 1:30- 2:20Pm, then final packing of trolley till ~3:30pm.

And then a trip with Joe and his daughter to drop me back onto the road that I walked on - to try the shortest route to walk back to Bamagar Road. Thanks you two! 

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Peninsula- Days 33-35 (Tue, Wed, Thur, in Mapoon)

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Day 33 (Tue 17 June 2,025 years)

• Reading “Through the eyes of our elders” - beautiful insights, good stories to hear and learn from…

last  week on Wednesday I met Zoe, and her daughter Daphne at the cultural centre, and saw some of their art works

• Staying with Manoa, a good man, originally from Fiji.. 

• Up very early looking at maps and thinking of options…

• Cuppa with Manoa before he went to work at the Community Justice Department at 8am

• Mowed a big lawn before lunch (creative love stepped in and it was overcast, even spitting rain for a bit, most of the morning so I got it all finished by ~11:30am)

• when I finished mowing, blew off the concrete & got some breaky, showered, dressed and had lunch with Manoa at the Wild Cape Cafe - Mapoon Steak burgers with chips.. yummm.

• Time to rest, and finish the reflection started earlier on different ways of approaching leadership and lore/law. Free two won..

• Cooked dinner, read another few people’s stories in “Through The Eyes Of Our Elders”, talked on the phone with my dad, hit the sack around mid-night.

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Day 34 (Wed 18 June 2,025 years since..) 

still at Mapoon, reading, talking with Joe about his plans to go to Weipa from Lockhart, but he now plans to go straight to Coen from Lockhart so it won't work to drive through the track I found from Bamagar Road straight through to Billy's Lagoon Road to allow me to leave the car at one end, walk it, and be picked up at the other end.. reading Through The Eyes Of The Elders Again.

 Manoa has a cuppa with me in the morning and shouts me to a burger & chips for lunch... ) 

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Day 35 (Thu 19 June 2,025 yrs.)

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various distances to compare and get a sense of the options and distances..

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The distances - to compare…

From Mapoon to New Mapoon, then the Tip

A. via the PDR a.m.a.p.:

B. Via Billy’s Lagoon Road & the Botavia Downs Road:

From the turn-off from the PDR to Bamagar Road to New Mapoon, then the Tip:

From the turn-off from the PDR to the Batavia Downs Road to New Mapoon, then the Tip:

From Melbourne to Cobram (roughly as I walked it):

From The end of Wilson’s Promontory to Cobram (roughly as I walked it):

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Melbourne to Mapoon accomplished. (New Mapoon awaits, just shy of the tip)

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So thanks to all the helpers on this way,

not fast, but list’ning, looking, moving slow.

This way of soles of shoes transmitting pain,

more time to think and wonder, ask to  know.

Still moving, but with options to slow down, 

and poke around a bit or lend a hand,

to hear some stories, laugh, smile, cry or frown,

and observations that help understand-

-ing grow between opinions that oppose.

That’s not quite right, I know, but that’s the walk.

(The gifts that came, of paradigms and those

new ways of viewing partnership, and talk).

For in reality it’s only pe-

-ople, who can grow to understand and change;

and while opposing o-pin-ions there be,

they keep their stances. They don’t rearrange.

My lovely senior partner in this walk:

creative love, or thoughtfulness that acts,

I owe most to, for when I’d nearly bawk

it's providence was gracious, and relaxed.

And those provided as a partner too

who chose to say “G’day” (instead of stare

ahead, not notice, and then continue).

You’ve added to this life, I’m glad to share

this planet with you, thank you for your gifts,

attention, service, knowledge of the track

and friendly toots of horns, waves, finger lifts,

and time, and thoughtful questions coming back.

And even giving more than I had hoped

to others in some need of help around

the themes of living well, and help to cope

when friends aren’t quite enough upon the ground.*

And those who shouted coffee, lunch, a fish, 

a cold one on the road instead of pass-

-ing by, who stopped and gave some trolley lifts,

or cuppa tea, and sandwiches with class!

And those who saw me often on a stretch,

and kept the friendly banter going too.

My life is much the richer to have meshed

with yours. I hope that it’s the same for you!

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*  I had a link to two charities for this walk, things that are often ignored, but are quite openly available and attested as helpful by many people who state they have really benefited from help provided from that quarter: 

• Movember for Prostate Cancer & Men’s mental health,  I aimed to see $200.00 donated. We got >= $230.00 or $260.00, (but it seems to zero again every financial year, but I think now, I might have aimed too low, it was just that many folk are battling, and I didn’t want to be making people feel guilty for not giving money, when they are already stretched) and 

• The Bible Society who have translated very old documents from Ancient Hebrew, Ancient Aramaic, and Ancient Common Greek, into not only everyday English, but many other Australian Mother-tongues. These scriptures focus on a Leader of Humanity who would make humans proud of their race, not ashamed. I think our country needs more fair-dinkum followers of such a leader. I just had a link to their general donation page, so not sure how much got to them.

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Peninsula - Days 30-32 - (in & around Mapoon)

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Saturday (Day 30), I stayed at the Cullen Point Camp site, basically in the campervan all day 

and caught up on texts, phone calls, thinking with space to be.

Sunday (Day 31)

slept in… thinking about  the best preparation for future difficulties, then off to the little Mapoon church. I had locked my keys in the car, then misplaced my phone, so was 10 or 20 min late. But a lovely time, and lunch together afterwards. During lunch I drew most of the kids (about half a dozen?). A bit of fun…

Shiree (Manoa, the pastor’s wife)  give me a biggish frozen fish as I left church, (a grunter someone at the camp site later told me, interesting the first fish I caught in my life, at Emu Park, was also a grunter/trumpeter) I made sure to throw it up high, so that I could honestly say that I caught it myself). My job was to cook it for dinner tonight... in alfoil with butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper Lit the fire about 3, put it on the coals about 4:45pm…. 

I left a text message and voice mail for an acquaintance whom I met in Broken Hill years ago, Lawrie, and whom Jane said might be in Mapoon, to see if he could share the fish with me, but no answer… he might be busy, or away from Mapoon.

By ~5:30pm,  took the fish off the fire, had a shower, took it into the camper trailer away from the flies,(how good are fly screens!)  and what a lovely meal! Thanks Shiree & Manoa… thanks to creative love who made up people like them. An early night ..

Monday (Day 32)

I was booked at the camp-site 

till this day, so I probably have to rebook, or be gone by about 10am. 

I wonder what will happen? Well what I learnt yesterday morning was don’t frett, just do now what I should now be doing … that is straight-forward & easier!

I “slept in”, putting thoughts to writing on how what has been accomplished so far, got accomplished.

Then I think I’ll pack camp, 

go and wander through the original site of Mapoon before authorities of the time burnt the houses folk had built, as well as (the original mission houses?) and government houses.

 Then go back to the cultural centre, see if it works to contact Lawrie and Manoa (or Joe ?) again, and sit in the car near the shop before deciding where to from here, and what options there are... 

Shared a lunch with Manoa.

Looks like I'll probably stay at Manoa's place here in Mapoon, though they already have visitors, then Wednesday afternoon head back to Joe's place in Weipa to be there by sunset and put up the camper-trailer, then go with Joe on Friday to Coen and see how that goes, and whether I can be of service to him. Then decide after that... But unless something else crops up, to come back with a few others in a walking and support crew, to do a last stint, to New Mapoon (& the Tip) maybe next year, maybe with some locals lads and Manoa, from up here too. ???

We'll see...

Still a lot to learn...

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