Day 16 (from Charters)

 

I woke on the Eastern side of the road around here on the 16th Day (from Charters). Up at 5:35am, but not on the road till 7:15am.

Slightly sore tooth right, upper, gum (3rd from back).. started again brushing teeth, and used one of those little ‘bottle brushes’ for between teeth.. increasingly sore through the day till 1:15pm... But healing is at work too. Let's find out what happens, by looking, and feeling.

As I pass by at camp outside of fossicking area one of the fellows ask if i wanted a tea or coffee. I said I’d love one. He said, “But you’ll need your own cup.” I used the empty soup can from dinner last night, & had 2 coffees. Then they offered some breaky. I ended up accepting a bowl of Nutri-Grain  - lovely. We talked for about 3 hours. I drew a picture of each of them - for which they thanked me. It was fun. Russell said some amazing things about his story… which I should have recorded for all of you, I now realized. Rats. Here he was sitting as he told me:

Amazing to see what creative love has been doing in these other people’s lives too.

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We talked for about 3 hours. Amazing to see what creative love has been doing in other people’s lives too.

Russell & Steve Garner are fossicking for sapphires at a fossicking area… 

@11:15am I started off again,

and was gone by 11:30am. Thanks Russell & Steve. Thanks too, to creative love, enfleshing itself in men like these two, with their definite co-operation.

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This bloke pulled over just ahead of me and yelled out “Ya right mate?” On finding out that I was, just before taking off again he shouted out: “All the best!”

How amazing eh? I thanked him for checking though. And off we go.

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A lovely time catching up with one of my sisters on the phone. Reception just kept on, so we did too. 

This afternoon my tooth is getting sorer - if I touch it with my tooth from below or if I chew on it at all. So, I composed a request, poem-ish prayer, psalm about it - to the creator spirit, my walking partner. The results might affect what I have to do in the next week. We’ll see by looking, and finding out! I wanted to walk until I’d finished this creative, honest, open request. But I’d also like tomorrow’s walk to be less than 20km, to get to The Junction rest area, where there is a toilet block and rain water I could walk myself (& maybe some clothes) with. 

I check on the map 

& at this spot..

it seems I’ve  got

only 16 (not a lot).

I’ll finish soon.

Maybe at that hill.

There’s roo bones gnawed

before it. So I will

go up the hill, 

and hope to stop

soon after, 

or else right on top!

At 6pm a dingo/dog

gives 2 long howls,

& up the hill I walk, not jog,

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Interesting turn of events tonight… I talked with my Dad, who had planned to fly up, and hire a motor-home in Cairns, then come and travel with me early next week. But he couldn’t get a rental to hire him a biggish one, because he is over 78 yrs. So his agent will suss out smaller ones tomorrow with any companies that are open on Sat. But also my lovely lady’s good friend from school, a family friend has offered her ute for Dad to drive. We'll see what eventuates.

Also I was talking to my old doctor about my tooth ache and he reminded me that antibiotics sometimes ameliorate tooth aches till a dentist can fix it. And I happened to have one card of appropriate anti-biotic tablets with me. So I’ve taken the first tonight. I reread my “prayer/poem/Psalm thing” I guess that might do the trick until I can get to a dentist… it might give me 3-5 days of reprieve ... well, again …

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Creative love, it’s over (still) to you.

I’ve acted where I could as you led to

some tasks that seem to be in my purview,

while still I trust your oversight renewed.

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Day 15 (from Charters)

 

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Thursday 22 Aug

A poem-ish reflection of a lovely arvo & evening…, then up, clean up cooking utensils and stove, pack, and on the way about 7am…

The fellow towing this rig slowed down going the other way, stopped & checked: “Want water, food, or anything?” Nup. Ok. And off we both went again. 

Thanks bloke. And to the focus of that bloke-us. What a difference it makes to life to bump into the salting through our race of people who act like this…

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It was hot out in the sun. i had 3 breaks today. (From memory, ~10:30am; 1:30pm, and 4pm,  still for ¾hr or an hour, with my feet up, and the rest of me in at least dappled shade,) but then walked on after sunset. Sang songs out loud and told stories out loud, to the bush. Till I made ~30 km for the day, at about 8:30 pm. Then made camp, washed, ate a can of cold soup, and bed by ~9:30pm.

Second day of a bit of a sore tooth when crunching trail-mix..

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Day 14 (from Charters)

 

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Wed 21Aug2024 starting at the Lynd (well the triangle Roundabout) and getting to…

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Last night I started celebrating from what I had learned & participated in, and been “blessed” by, during the last 2 days. After I said goodbye to Dan Condon, and shouted“Yee Har!”, then there was a celebratory cold drink with others there, then a picture of Corey who was with me, now a poem-ish thingo: the ship sails.

Debbie sells me some food to make it to Mt. Garnet and some breaky. I end up bequeathing my lovely folding chair ( given by Kev & Sue, back at Fletcher Creek), to Debbie, who says it would fit in the staff room. Thanks Debbie 

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and The Oasis Road House, for you supportive attitude and advice, and the lovely meal last night.

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Yup the Condon contract crew came as promised around 6:30am, collected the trolley to take up the road around 20km for me, and gave me a lift to the furthest spot on the triangular roundabout that I had been walked to yesterday. Thanks again you folk, and Dan for  Hope you enjoyed your lunch. 

The fellow with this setup stopped to check I was ok, and especially that I had enough water. 

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I said yup, ok; and yup, enough water. But thanks for checking. 

Thanks to considerate-ness, thoughtfulness and kindness, that showed its true colours through these people today.

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I found the trolley left where they said they’d leave it. Thanks to Haley, Marcus. Emily and Tara for your help via carting the trolley. Then I walked for a km or two before stopping around 12:30 for an hour.

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Then another 8 km to 8 mile creek. Where I met Ken, & Gail and their ex- show dogs. They helped me find a good tent-site. I washed, collected 10 litres of filtered water & lost one of my thongs down the creek. They gave me a cold drink & charged my phone & asked me over for a wine. Ken went searching down the creek and found my thong. I celebrated with their wine, then they offered  a cuppa, then to join them for dinner. Ken shared some of my (pretty dry) rice pudding. Thanks Ken. 

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We spent an evening together, & had a number of cups of tea. It was very special. And I did a drawing of each of them. Thanks you two. And thank you for your  thoughtfulness and clear communication, and for sharing some of the difficulties of life with me, as well as many amazing things. Good night. 

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Before sunrise I woke thinking of my neighbours beside me, and drew this poem-ish thingo out before the first Kookaburras laughed & I packed to leave; We’dNestDay arvo & after dinner.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to  such a lovely arvo & evening. I reckon there were reflections of an invisible someone there.

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Day 13 (from Charters)

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Tuesday 20 Aug ’24, 

Sure enough true to their word, soon after 6am the truck arrived and we lifted the trolley into the truck, 

and Dan said that they’ll call in tonight on the way back and check if the Oasis has got a welder & could do the job & if it hasn't he knows a young bloke (on a property?) nearby who could probably weld it for us. So that's a pretty good option opened now isn’t it! Thanks Dan. Thanks Haley for the offer at first, then following through with the offer by in fact collecting it, and then thinking how you could do it the next day, & now helping it to happen. You are a legend! I’m glad families and work places exist where friendliness and following through still grows. What a lovely garden to go through on a walk like this. Go well at work today. I hope it’s better than yesterday.

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What a lovely overcast day for walking here…

I arrive at the Lynd, and one fellow about to leave shares a bit of water-mellon. Another man, John from Melbourne and his family stopped for lunch and then head up to the Atherton table-land & 

maybe Cooktown before heading back in a month or two.

The trolley made it here. Debbie (the manager), asked me if I was doing the walk for cancer? I said Movember, so she said she would shout me a rump steak for dinner, chips & salad, and mushroom sauce. How good is that? She said there may be a welder (the machine) in the shed, but the handyman (who is a boilermaker), won’t be back till tomorrow lunch. 

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Creative friendship’s source….. over to you. 

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I’ll have to take the gear out of the trolley and see what can & can’t be done…

Then I ordered dinner early to try to be finished (& I nearly was), by the time the Condon truck came by. Well. Dan Condon and Tara (from Hughenden) popped in around 5:30pm or 6pm, took the trolley and me, to a nearby farm, borrowed their MIG welder and gear,  and he welded up all three of the breaks in the frame..  [Photo supplied by Tara (from Hughenden) - Thanks Tara]

by 7pm we were back at the Oasis Roadhouse, and Dan had said that the same truck that had taken the trolley the last 2 days would be here at 6:30 (I said I'd be ready by 6:20am) that way I’d get another 5 or ten km in tomorrow too. Too good eh!! I recalled that old adage “It’s not what you know, but WHO you know. And Dan agreed, for everything in life. Interesting repercussions eh..

I celebrated by having a drink with Debbie (the Manager, who had shouted me a rump steak, chips & salad, from the business) & Corey Lowrie who was there with me before I went to see the trolley fixed, and was just having a quiet one after dinner himself. He let me have a go at drawing him, while he told me about growing up on Bribie Island, hating school, and first jobs. How fun.

And thank you to the source of life and learning, and such good things as camaraderie, and mateship, and all of you people who have fostered it's life in the human race today!

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I’ve got to screw back on the boards that let me carry a layer of water below the trolley, and pack it, so I’m not making too much noise in the morning. Then a night cap or cup of tea and off to bed. What an eventful day. And how fun to see things come together after they had fallen apart.. this might demand a poem-ish reflection tonight or tomorrow, in my breaks.

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Day 12 (from Charters)

Day 12 (from Charters)

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Monday 19 Aug 2024, 

The trolley is to be picked up by Haley & her crew tomorrow morning at ~5:55am at Room 1 of the Three Rivers Hotel. I'll try to take off then too to give myself a chance of making extra km’s tomorrow without the trolley. 

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Yup, it happens.They arrive, all pick up the trolley, and tie it in to the truck for me. Here they are, with the trolley up in the back of the truck behind them, (from the left, Marcus, Haley, Tom, & Riley, 

all intrepid workers at the Condon contract mustering mob. Thanks folk. Thanks too, Mr.Condon for your support through their efforts.

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Shortly after, I take off eating a can of chunky beef soup as breaky, wake goodbye to Elias who is opening up the servo in the corner, and “We’re off!” (& in that moment, of waving to Elias and turning to walk onto the highway, a change in perspective happens inside me with a change from a "Left" Hemisphere's way of using language and seeing the world, to a "Right" one. (Too much to explain here, but over a cuppa or a cold one it might work)

First sign of the trip ahead:

Next

Well, CMA members, I got to Hill-Top but I haven’t seen “the glove” to wave to ( or the tip sign) Maybe I was looking down at my phone as I passed it, writing up the mornings events. I hope you don’t feel disrespected Ron (was it you?). ( Or maybe it’s yet to come?)

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It sure was yet to come…but the glove - ah

could not descry, or somehow uncover.

So waved I backwards at the town & folks

who’d welcomed me (including you three blokes).

I’m off today! Some think that’s always true.

But they might also think that about you.

And what we say’s not big. It’s what we do,

that flies the flag of fake, or what's true blue.

I hope we meet again, & know we could.

Of all that ranges between “N” & “P” 

you’ll find the range that starts with O quite good

for finding walkers, talkers, even me.

And someone’s got my phone number, I'm sure!

There’s one or two of you, as well as “Mike”,

who comes from Greenvale, & who’s age is more

like all of yours. Just drive, instead of hike.

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This morning, a poem is drawn out [following & forming (simultaneously) the thread] as part of my road-work: P i l  g r i m  ROAD-WORK.

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After a break with my feet up, and before I get onto the road again, at 1:15pm who should be travelling past (the opposite way to me) but George, my lunch provider ~four days ago, on his way back to Charters Towers.. He sees me as he passed, slows down, stops, (backs up?) gets out, I realize it's him, and he sets up a sumptuous feast on a table under a tree, 

and we take off where we left off… 

at 3pm, we head off in different directions, but glad of our amazing similarities and differences. And richer for the time together. Thanks for making that work George! And thanks to who made George work so well. Thanks to this amazing ecosystem of contributors…

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Around 4:30pm I come across this sign, on my right:

a sign of something that divides the Eastern shores from the hinterland. I think I might be back here on the Great Dividing Range if I get to the Atherton table-land.

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About 5:30pm, before sunset I get to the trolley. Yee Har!...

Rats! …. 

The front towing assemblage has broken though, and it only tows for 20m then the body is dragging on the front wheels. It needs three welds, (or tech. screws etc).. Either back in Greenvale, or forward at the Oasis Roadhouse… I don’t have any phone reception. 

Trolley problems

Above, after the green tow handle, the grey/brown bar under the yellow cup, is horizontal when it works.

Above, the two pressed steel legs and the central round pivot point are normally vertical.. and the flat iron going backwards from the bottom of the pivot point should go on an angle up. It has snapped, and needs welding.

Above, the flat iron to the left of my finger needs to be bent back horizontal and welded to a piece of flat iron now slightly behind it. None should be too difficult for a reasonable welder. I am only a bush (stick) welder, who needs to grind back half of my work and fill it in again, but could possibly do it - then again, I didn’t bring a portable welder… they are pretty heavy.

Creative mateship, my walking partner, this is over to you! Though I suppose I can look out for the truck that dropped it off for me. They will probably be coming back after sunset. They might know welders around in Greenvale, or the Oasis Roadhouse? Or maybe they could give me a lift back, and then maybe back in the morning… or collect it again in the morning from here, then gently place it at the Oasis Roadhouse, & I'll see what I can sort out tomorrow arvo, when I walk there. What an adventure! 

Dan Condon was driving the truck, and stopped to talk. They’d had some difficulties today too. Yup he was pretty sure that the Oasis Roadhouse would have a welder, and the Condon truck could still drop the trolley off there for me in the morning. Thanks, you legends! 

I’ll sort out something there at the Oasis, you folk have helped. And I’m glad of that. (Everything has a use-by date, well a life-time. And trolleys are no different)

Right here is where I'll camp for the night.

That’s the full moon. (I've got the tent inside out to dry the inside off a bit. I’m about to turn it back the right way.)

Good night 

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Good night 

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Day 11 (from Charters; a rest day)

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Slept in till about 7am... 

Might go for a wander around town and see what happens Sunday mornings in Green vale. Wish my lovely lady was here. 

I need to do some food shopping before I go on. And, because this is a kind of pilgrimage too, I'll look to see if I can catch any other Jesus Followers (Christians of any brand who are learning as they follow Jesus) around; but anyone who is open to humanity & friendship could be good. I'm in this big human family with them, learning to be like the creative loving spirit I'm getting to know - friendly and working with all that's good & true, to build up our resilience and capacity for hesed-thoughtfulness*.

At the servo on the corner I meet Elias again (on the left, I drew his picture last night, at the pub), and Flor (Florence)...who gave me coffee & a breaky burger - delish!

and the servo serves as a grocery shop as well. So I stock up a bit as well. 

Then, out the front, against the highway, at a picnic table, I met the local branch (Greenvale) of the Country Men’s Association (CMA) who meet here on Wednesday mornings and Sunday mornings, and then they meet at the shed at the dump on Tuesdays and Saturdays (8-12). 

From the left: John (and Simba under the table) who had stopped & chatted yesterday (who had stated that I had too much gear for a lift), then Ron, & Dick (have a guess how old Dick is!) 93.75yr today.

They gladly include me & give counsel on roads to take and not take for the next week or so…

Around 10am, I say that I am a Jesus follower, and this is somewhat of a pilgrimage, but I think that the church in Australia has almost lost its… (here Ron gives me the words, something like “right to speak” or “chance to be heard”; with which I agree. So I am trying not to use the words that have been used by christians in the past to describe ultimate reality & personhood etc.  I said I noticed a “Combined Churches”, building on the way into town, but wondered if anyone met there. They said to make it work in a place like this there needs to be a presence in the town of two or three that make it keep working.. There used to be someone who swept the building, and kept it in order… Sounds like not any more. [I didn’t tell them then, that online last night I found that the local “Charters Towers Council”, which had upkept the building granted by the mines as they left, were stuck up-keeping a building which seemed to have no use in the community, yet was now demanding significant maintenance. so were asking for community input, failing which, they had to consider selling it. - Which backed up these fellows' story]  

So I stayed with the CMA there at the picnic table till nearly noon. Noting good ideas, suggestions, learning about pontoons for floating cattle etc. and about other people like Bill with his canoe and motorbike on top of a Hilux that broke its back axle, who had passed through and won some local friendships, notably Ron’s.

Thanks men, for your company, your interesting anecdotes, your candidness, and a fun morning. Very fun to be allowed to be in on the inaugural meeting of the CMA - as such.

Back to the motel, and put washing on, so it will be dry before tonight.

A good catch-up with my lovely lady in Orange on the phone this Arvo. Thanks dear lady.

Had dinner at The Three Rivers Hotel - with many other people… Elias gave me his left over powdered milk, since he plans to leave Aus in a fortnight. Thanks Elias.

Mike let me join him at his table. He bought a house here about 18 yrs ago. Has subsequently lost his faithful wife after 8 heart attacks, but he came for the roast pork special tonight. He doesn't get around as much these days, but, he let me practice my drawing using him as a model …

& took my phone number in case he visits Orange. Thanks Mike for sharing a meal, and half an evening, with me tonight. 

Then Nick’s mate Ben (? did I get that right?) talked with me while he was a model for a learning artist, then Bruce, then Boris, let me practice drawing them, and Nick sat and talked with me around the fire for a while too. And Nick shouted me a drink & donated me $20, which went to Movember. 

Thanks men, for your time and yourself to learn to draw a pic of, and your cash too Nick. Next time we talk Nick, I’ve got a question for you, about something you said tonight. (You said you don’t believe in JC. Why?) All the best to those whose jobs are just about finished on this power line today or tomorrow. I hope I see you more. If so, say G’day, and we can keep going where we left off. 

Thanks to my life-partner/ walking-partner, friend, who started up friendship and thoughtfulness of others by making a world up, and making us up (with a little bit of minimal help, from our parents, fam'ly and friends).

Back to my room, pack for the morning, and off to bed to wake at 5 am, the trolley is being collected about 5:55am. Good night!

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*  hesed = Hebrew word for committed love that’s in it for the long-haul, not really for what it can get, but for what it can give.

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