Bibbulman Track - Weeks 1 & 2

September 22, 2015
Dookanelly Campsite, Western Australia

Third time's a charm. I've had already 2 catastrophes trying to write a blog about my hike. The first, with pics and all, won't open again so that I can upload it. Just crashes this app. The second attempt the other night I lost when my phone died before I could Save it:(. Since we have wonderfully long afternoons in the shelters, I'll try again. Words only for now. Don't want any problems.

I started this hike Monday, the 7th at about 5 pm. Peter, my Warmshowers host, drove me out to Kalamunda after work. That worked out well for me because I had some resupply boxes with map sections to mail that day anyways.

I had decided to let him drop me a ways up the trail do I only had a short hike to the first shelter. I'm not a purist so skipping 8 kms didn't bother me. At the shelter I met Chris and Kirsty from Scotland, a young couple living here and on their first long hike.

I should probably orient y'all a bit about the Bibbulmun. It's one of the longest tracks in Australia at 1020 kms give or take. (That's roughly 600 miles for those who need me to do the conversion. I'm finding I need to convert because my hiking mind works in miles, but I'm doing it less.). It's in Western Australia (a state) in the southwest corner from east of Perth down to the southern shore and then east to Albany. This trail is a popular multi-day hike but I have no idea how many end-to-enders there are in any year. Right now there are 8 that I know of that are within a day or two of me.

The shelters are a bit nicer than the ones on the Appalachian Trail (hereafter referred to as the AT). They have a picnic table perpendicular up the middle and double wide bunks on either side sleeping eight. Other ones have the bottom bunk continuing all the way across sleeping 4 more and a large long picnic table out front under a roof. There's usually a fire pit and always a water tank with rain water collection as our source. It says to treat it but I'm not. None of us are. Rain water tastes do good and the tanks are closed. Most of Australia drinks tank water!

The next night I was alone in the shelter. And that was fine. I started slowly going hut to hut, about 5-8 miles a day. My body is used to sitting all day and my feet are no used to walking much less carrying 28 lbs. Have to break her in slowly. I did get some foot spin early on, but it has subsided. I ache, for sure. And struggle up hills. But this old body is still strong and loving the challenge.

The third night I had 2 older guys who are E2Ers. (End-to-enders.). Bob and Terry. And also Ari was camped. The next morning Ari said he, like the 2 guys, had double hutted that day and with the heat and the weight of his pack, he did himself in. He'd decided to go slower so we've been at the same huts ever since. And he's been named Waugal because with his dark completion and his yellow and black raincoat he looks just like the Waugal emblem for the trail markers.



The weather has been mostly dry and sunny. We've had some rain and wind but nothing too bad and only a day or two. Daytime temps in the 70s I'd guess. But nighttime is cold! Brrr. High 30s, low 40s. I'm using all my gear to stay warm. There's nothing extra. Most nights I'm in the shelter. When a large group of women were on the trail for 3 nights, I used my tent. After Spacey, my backpacking tent seems so small. Not seems, IS! Makes me love and miss Spacey (Big Sky Revolution 2P with Porch) all the more!! Luckily won't have to use it too often. But some campsites don't have a shelter due to fires last fall. And you have to use a tent.

The following night, Lorna, a Brit in her 40s, who's been traveling the world for 14 years joined us. She's now The Littlest Hobo. And the following day, Samantha, now Comet, blazed in! And that was our merry band of hikers for a week or two.

The park folks do prescribed burns in an attempt to control these highly flammable forests. And during the first week one night we could see a forest fire way off in the distance lighting up the sky. Quite a sight!

The next afternoon while resting in a shelter, a ranger pulls up (yup, every hut is accessible by road), and says the two prescribed burns got out of control and ran together. 50 kms of trail are closed ahead. No diversion suggested. Looks like we'll need to hitch down the highway. But I'm thinking, why not walk. It looked like the road was only 25 kms and I bike on these roads all the time. I told the group I was walking it. And since they all hike faster than me, they went ahead that day. Since my plan was to camp along side the road, I got extra water later in the day. Oh was my pack heavy then! So I took the forest road over to the busy road and checked the mileage on Google Maps. 39 kms! A bit further than I had estimated. Oh well. You're walking 600 miles, this is just part of it. So off I went. Wow! What a force the road trains made against me going by! On the bike the push me along. And there sure were a lot of vehicles. Then I notice a car on the other side (the direction I'm walking) pull over. Hmmm? Then it does a U turn and pulls up next to me. It's a mom and young son. Want a ride? I think for a minute and said No, I think I'll walk. But thanks!

And I continue walking. I start struggling with myself about turning down they ride. Do I really want to walk this godforsaken road for 2 more days? To prove what? If another car stops, take the ride, Stupid! And then, bam! Another car stops. I hadn't walked 3 kms down that road. So I took the ride and surprised my buddies when I arrived at the roadhouse in North Bannister. I get there and there's no cheap rooms left. That's okay. I'll camp up the trail. But I'll come back to join you for a drink.

One problem the fire diversion created for me was too much food. The first 6 days I had the opposite problem: too little food. The first leg took 2 days longer than I had planned. I'd stashed good 70 kms down the trail at a road crossing and mailed more to the roadhouse.
Waugal had too much food so he often shared stuff with me. Comet had extra toilet paper, thank goodness. And everyone heated water for me. Besides having too little alcohol for my cat stove, their methylated spirits didn't burn the same and big flames shot up around the pot not actually heating the water. That problem now resolved with having me Pocket Rocket back thanks to Jacko, the guy who had my bike for me at trail's end.

So I got my resupply stash by the road and then the very next day I'm picking up my box at the roadhouse. Too much food. But luckily Hobo had a friend who met up with us at the roadhouse and was meeting up again in our first town. She could take my extra food! Problem solved!! This trail has long distances between towns many places. It was12-14 days to the first town, hence the 2 food drops. Then leaving our first town of Dwellingup, I had to carry 7 days of food. Ugh! It's heavy! I'm not in shape yet. Luckily the huts are now about only 20 kms or 12 miles apart. I'm usually in by 2 pm for an afternoon's rest. Then I have to be sure not to eat everything up too early in the week because I'm starving! Such a bad bad diet on the trail. Nothing heavy is rule #1. Filling is #2. And I have to like it or I won't eat it. I know. I dumped a Back Country dinner down a hole one night because it was awful. I'll eat healthy again after this hike is over but for now it's just EAT something.

The trail has been quite beautiful because it's spring here and the wildflowers are in bloom. Massively! I can't stop taking pictures. Please do check out my Bibbulmun album on Facebook to see some of them. And I'm trying to learn some of the trees: jarrah, parrot bush, banksia, snotty gobble, and marri with the honky nut. Gotta love the names! Right now the trail is mostly in the shade. I'm afraid as it gets hotter we'll be out of the bush too. I lost my visor in the first week and haven't yet been able to replace it. That's the only eye shade I use. Gotta work on that.

In Dwellingup, Waugal and I took a zero (no miles walked) and Hobo and Comet hiked on because Hobo's friend, Suzie Snoozee, joined her for a night. This way at least, no one is hiking alone. There's do few E2Ers that one could end up doing a lot of it alone. That would be lonely, day after day. It's okay on my bike. But not here. And it helps with group thinking. We've got a fire diversion ahead tomorrow. The fire last February burned down a big old wooden bridge across the river. The diversion goes way out and around making for a 30 km day...18 miles. Not up to that. So I suggested we try and swim across. It's a quiet river. Waugal and I got garbage bags in town to put our packs in to float them across. We may build them a raft. The river is cold. It's just spring. We're hoping that the "summer crossing" on our map will be narrow and not too deep. The girls left us a note here at the shelter that they were planning the same thing. Hope it worked! We'll be there tomorrow! All part of the adventure:))




Livin' the dream,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Bibbulman Track - Weeks 1 & 2

September 22, 2015
Dookanelly Campsite, Western Australia

Third time's a charm. I've had already 2 catastrophes trying to write a blog about my hike. The first, with pics and all, won't open again so that I can upload it. Just crashes this app. The second attempt the other night I lost when my phone died before I could Save it:(. Since we have wonderfully long afternoons in the shelters, I'll try again. Words only for now. Don't want any problems.

I started this hike Monday, the 7th at about 5 pm. Peter, my Warmshowers host, drove me out to Kalamunda after work. That worked out well for me because I had some resupply boxes with map sections to mail that day anyways.

I had decided to let him drop me a ways up the trail do I only had a short hike to the first shelter. I'm not a purist so skipping 8 kms didn't bother me. At the shelter I met Chris and Kirsty from Scotland, a young couple living here and on their first long hike.

I should probably orient y'all a bit about the Bibbulmun. It's one of the longest tracks in Australia at 1020 kms give or take. (That's roughly 600 miles for those who need me to do the conversion. I'm finding I need to convert because my hiking mind works in miles, but I'm doing it less.). It's in Western Australia (a state) in the southwest corner from east of Perth down to the southern shore and then east to Albany. This trail is a popular multi-day hike but I have no idea how many end-to-enders there are in any year. Right now there are 8 that I know of that are within a day or two of me.

The shelters are a bit nicer than the ones on the Appalachian Trail (hereafter referred to as the AT). They have a picnic table perpendicular up the middle and double wide bunks on either side sleeping eight. Other ones have the bottom bunk continuing all the way across sleeping 4 more and a large long picnic table out front under a roof. There's usually a fire pit and always a water tank with rain water collection as our source. It says to treat it but I'm not. None of us are. Rain water tastes do good and the tanks are closed. Most of Australia drinks tank water!

The next night I was alone in the shelter. And that was fine. I started slowly going hut to hut, about 5-8 miles a day. My body is used to sitting all day and my feet are no used to walking much less carrying 28 lbs. Have to break her in slowly. I did get some foot spin early on, but it has subsided. I ache, for sure. And struggle up hills. But this old body is still strong and loving the challenge.

The third night I had 2 older guys who are E2Ers. (End-to-enders.). Bob and Terry. And also Ari was camped. The next morning Ari said he, like the 2 guys, had double hutted that day and with the heat and the weight of his pack, he did himself in. He'd decided to go slower so we've been at the same huts ever since. And he's been named Waugal because with his dark completion and his yellow and black raincoat he looks just like the Waugal emblem for the trail markers.



The weather has been mostly dry and sunny. We've had some rain and wind but nothing too bad and only a day or two. Daytime temps in the 70s I'd guess. But nighttime is cold! Brrr. High 30s, low 40s. I'm using all my gear to stay warm. There's nothing extra. Most nights I'm in the shelter. When a large group of women were on the trail for 3 nights, I used my tent. After Spacey, my backpacking tent seems so small. Not seems, IS! Makes me love and miss Spacey (Big Sky Revolution 2P with Porch) all the more!! Luckily won't have to use it too often. But some campsites don't have a shelter due to fires last fall. And you have to use a tent.

The following night, Lorna, a Brit in her 40s, who's been traveling the world for 14 years joined us. She's now The Littlest Hobo. And the following day, Samantha, now Comet, blazed in! And that was our merry band of hikers for a week or two.

The park folks do prescribed burns in an attempt to control these highly flammable forests. And during the first week one night we could see a forest fire way off in the distance lighting up the sky. Quite a sight!

The next afternoon while resting in a shelter, a ranger pulls up (yup, every hut is accessible by road), and says the two prescribed burns got out of control and ran together. 50 kms of trail are closed ahead. No diversion suggested. Looks like we'll need to hitch down the highway. But I'm thinking, why not walk. It looked like the road was only 25 kms and I bike on these roads all the time. I told the group I was walking it. And since they all hike faster than me, they went ahead that day. Since my plan was to camp along side the road, I got extra water later in the day. Oh was my pack heavy then! So I took the forest road over to the busy road and checked the mileage on Google Maps. 39 kms! A bit further than I had estimated. Oh well. You're walking 600 miles, this is just part of it. So off I went. Wow! What a force the road trains made against me going by! On the bike the push me along. And there sure were a lot of vehicles. Then I notice a car on the other side (the direction I'm walking) pull over. Hmmm? Then it does a U turn and pulls up next to me. It's a mom and young son. Want a ride? I think for a minute and said No, I think I'll walk. But thanks!

And I continue walking. I start struggling with myself about turning down they ride. Do I really want to walk this godforsaken road for 2 more days? To prove what? If another car stops, take the ride, Stupid! And then, bam! Another car stops. I hadn't walked 3 kms down that road. So I took the ride and surprised my buddies when I arrived at the roadhouse in North Bannister. I get there and there's no cheap rooms left. That's okay. I'll camp up the trail. But I'll come back to join you for a drink.

One problem the fire diversion created for me was too much food. The first 6 days I had the opposite problem: too little food. The first leg took 2 days longer than I had planned. I'd stashed good 70 kms down the trail at a road crossing and mailed more to the roadhouse.
Waugal had too much food so he often shared stuff with me. Comet had extra toilet paper, thank goodness. And everyone heated water for me. Besides having too little alcohol for my cat stove, their methylated spirits didn't burn the same and big flames shot up around the pot not actually heating the water. That problem now resolved with having me Pocket Rocket back thanks to Jacko, the guy who had my bike for me at trail's end.

So I got my resupply stash by the road and then the very next day I'm picking up my box at the roadhouse. Too much food. But luckily Hobo had a friend who met up with us at the roadhouse and was meeting up again in our first town. She could take my extra food! Problem solved!! This trail has long distances between towns many places. It was12-14 days to the first town, hence the 2 food drops. Then leaving our first town of Dwellingup, I had to carry 7 days of food. Ugh! It's heavy! I'm not in shape yet. Luckily the huts are now about only 20 kms or 12 miles apart. I'm usually in by 2 pm for an afternoon's rest. Then I have to be sure not to eat everything up too early in the week because I'm starving! Such a bad bad diet on the trail. Nothing heavy is rule #1. Filling is #2. And I have to like it or I won't eat it. I know. I dumped a Back Country dinner down a hole one night because it was awful. I'll eat healthy again after this hike is over but for now it's just EAT something.

The trail has been quite beautiful because it's spring here and the wildflowers are in bloom. Massively! I can't stop taking pictures. Please do check out my Bibbulmun album on Facebook to see some of them. And I'm trying to learn some of the trees: jarrah, parrot bush, banksia, snotty gobble, and marri with the honky nut. Gotta love the names! Right now the trail is mostly in the shade. I'm afraid as it gets hotter we'll be out of the bush too. I lost my visor in the first week and haven't yet been able to replace it. That's the only eye shade I use. Gotta work on that.

In Dwellingup, Waugal and I took a zero (no miles walked) and Hobo and Comet hiked on because Hobo's friend, Suzie Snoozee, joined her for a night. This way at least, no one is hiking alone. There's do few E2Ers that one could end up doing a lot of it alone. That would be lonely, day after day. It's okay on my bike. But not here. And it helps with group thinking. We've got a fire diversion ahead tomorrow. The fire last February burned down a big old wooden bridge across the river. The diversion goes way out and around making for a 30 km day...18 miles. Not up to that. So I suggested we try and swim across. It's a quiet river. Waugal and I got garbage bags in town to put our packs in to float them across. We may build them a raft. The river is cold. It's just spring. We're hoping that the "summer crossing" on our map will be narrow and not too deep. The girls left us a note here at the shelter that they were planning the same thing. Hope it worked! We'll be there tomorrow! All part of the adventure:))




Livin' the dream,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Posting Issues

Looks like the app for posting my blog from my phone won't work. Keeps crashing. I'll only be able to update to Facebook.

I'll keep writing the posts anyway. Maybe done will post. Probably too many pics:)


Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Brisbane to Perth

September 6, 2015
Perth, WA, Australia




Since tonight I head out for a couple of months hiking I'd better get caught up with my blog. But there'll be no pictures from Brisbane because all my extra gear (camera and iPad included) are near Albany where this hike takes me. Isn't it cool I'm getting to hike to my bike?!?!

I'd had a marvelous 4 day visit in Brisbane staying with Warmshowers hosts Lynn and Len Daniels in their delightful home. Always great sharing travel stories and connecting, eating scrumptious food, and sleeping in a bed. Much needed R & R.

My friends from Toowoomba came down for the day. Kathryn, Luke, and I toured the Koala sanctuary. Always more fun to tour a "zoo" with a child! So much fun seeing the world through his eyes! Sadly I didn't get to see dad Michael and Jacob as they had other commitments. Still so nice to feel like I have "family" this far from home. I had Kathryn drop me off up by the shops and I went browsing in a thrift store finding a few things I needed. That night I went to upload photos and realized I had left my small backpack with my camera on the counter at the thrift shop. Yikes! I'm so absent minded. If it isn't tied to me it's only through luck it makes it home again. But I wasn't worried. They were do nice there, I was sure if get it back. Just go up in the morning when they're open. So at 9 am up I go. Closed Mondays. Argh! But there's a phone number. I call. Leave a message. Then head into the city to shop and tour on my own. I call again. She answers. She'll meet me there whenever I want. She has the pack. Yippee. Phew!!! On my way home I retrieve it. She said I was lucky they hadn't taken everything out, priced it, and out it in the shelves:))

A dear Facebook friend, Frank Denman, toted me all around the city, and back and forth to the airport. Always fun to meet someone you know from FB. We had a fun day seeing the sites like Mt Coot-tha overlooking the city and walking downtown and up the South Bank where Expo was many years ago. These Australian cities are all on rivers. Brisbane isn't actually at the coast, but inland a fair bit. And the river winds through the middle. And lots of grassy parks. Was quite a relief to see a bit of green again after the sand and red soil of the Outback.

Wednesday came and Frank picked me up to head to the airport and off across the whole continent to Perth. I got a window seat so I could see this big beautiful place, but the clouds didn't cooperate. And they didn't fly over Uluru (Ayers Rock) anyways:(. I flew Virgin Australia. And everything went easy peasy as usual. This time I kept Blaze long and with the seat bungyed on like I did from Longreach. That works well. She seems to get more respect when she's not folded and bubble wrapped.

And Carl Bentley, another Facebook friend, met me at the airport for a lift to my Warmshowers host's house. Peter Easton is so kind to put up with me for nearly a week while I prepare for this 2-3 month hike of the Bibbulmun Track, Australia's longest hiking trail. The season is perfect. Spring flowers are out. The weather's warming up a bit.

Peter's son, Angus, has been here several nights too. He got a chance to ride Blaze before she left. And they took me out yesterday to see Fremantle, a coastal town famous for the America's Cup. Very quaint with a wonderful indoor market much like I saw in Asia. And we had the best crepe breakfast there!


I've now set my feet in another ocean: the Indian Ocean!




The day before, Carl had picked me up to help me stash some food up the trail.


You can't see it, right?!?

This first section is 12-13 days walk between towns. I'm not in any shape for carrying that weight of food so I'm stashing some 4 days out and shipping a resupply box to a roadhouse 8 days out. Such a wuss. I know!


Carl took me out to see a weir on the track where I'll be going.





It still blows my mind how I can fly into a city that I've never been to and I have all this wonderful help and support: rides, places to stay, tours, gear transported. I don't take it lightly or for granted. So appreciated!!!!

Ya, my gear was picked up by Jacko and Annie Vanderbyl. Friends of a friend of a friend. Jacko hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2013. He met Violet B (trail name). She's friends with Bluebearee, a hiker friend of mine. She hiked part of the Bibb earlier this year before getting injured. She hooked me up. So Jacko met me at the Bibb office Friday and taxi'd me around town as I got gear and supplies. Then picked up Blaze and extra stuff. I had a box that must have weighed the same as the box of gear I flew in weighed. I carry all that "shit" on my bike?!?! Doesn't seem like a lot when she's loaded up. Just seems right.

Tonight, after work, in an hour, Peter's taking me out to the start of the Bibb. I'm just hiking in to the first shelter. It's hard to get my head around another long hike. I'm excited and anxious. Snakes are out. I've gotten my instructions. If I get bit, bend over and kiss my ass goodbye!! I can try and put compression on the wound (with the compression wrap I bought) and hope I can get to a hospital but probably not likely to happen. Have to step carefully in my sandals:)

Not sure how updated the blog will be. Facebook when I can. I have to say I'm looking forward to disconnecting a bit for these months. We'll see how well I do.

Gotta run. I have to take a long walk!


Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Longreach

September 3, 2015
Perth, Western Australia, AU




The first thing I did upon arriving in Longreach was stop at the airport. It's tiny. One flight a day to Brisbane. Small plane. Can you take my trike? Quick call to Brisbane and then everything was a go. Yippee. They wanted it with just the seat off and strapped to the frame...she narrowest then.

Then on to a camground, or should I say dustbowl? No rain means no grass, except for the front patch that gets watered. But they tack down these interesting pieces of mesh that hold the dust down so I set up Spacey on that. It minimized the dust problem pretty well I thought. Spacey looked so small in amongst all the big rigs.

Next I went to the dentist in town. I had called a couple of days ago, but hadn't heard back. Since it had been a week of this gaping opening, I wanted to be sure it got taken care of sooner rather than later. I walk in and they tell me they'll see me right away. But I haven't even had a shower. I'm pretty stinky. That's okay, they said. And they patched me up for a mere $350. A quick trip to the grocery store and back to rest. Ahhh.

I decided on 4 nights in Longreach when I found I saved $100 on airfare flying to Brisbane on Saturday morning. Then I decided on 4 nights in Brisbane before flying to Perth. Next I had to get these all booked. Let my Warmshowers hosts know my exact plans now as well as my rides to send from airports. Oivay. Logistics are exhausting. Done. Now I can breathe easier:)

Next day: Stockman's Hall of Fame. Info on drovers, aboriginals, woman pioneers, and the Flying Doctor. That's one big difference between their outback and our west. It's so big and remote, that in the early 20s a missionary saw the potential for using a foot cranked wireless radio to be able to contact a doctor. Stations had medical chests with the drugs all numbered and the doctor could advise you over the radio what to take. Then with small planes becoming available, the doctor was able to fly in and teat the patients or fly the sick or injured out to a hospital. It's still alive and well today.

I also saw an outdoor show that was so well done: comedy, performing ranch animals, and lots of info about being a drover.







I'd heard about a stagecoach ride in Longreach and wanted to partake. I don't like touristy things but this sounded like too much fun not to miss it. And it was!! A 30 minute ride out downs dusty, sandy road where the horses broke into a full gallop and the dust was a-flying sure felt like the real thing! And I got to ride shotgun! So cool. I was in 7th heaven!!!! (Video posted to Facebook, if you're interested.)











One night another couple from the campground joined me in town for pizza and a movie. That was fun for a change. I don't get out much after dark on the road, so it's a special treat when I do.

I've never packed to fly from a campground. I got a box in town for my gear, guessing the right size. Strapped it on the back of Blaze.



Then while I was over chatting with my neighbors doesn't it begin to rain for the first time in months! Quick, slide the box under the tent to keep it dry.

But packing up went well, other than more rain drops getting on my fancy luggage...yikes!







All packed and waiting for my ride. Very sad to be leaving the outback. I'll be back!

On to my next adventure: hiking 1000 kms on the Bibbulman Track ,Perth to Albany. That should take a couple of months.

Odds and ends:



Dingos hung in the trees.



Me and Spacey (Big Sky Revolution 2P)



Carrying extra liters of water.



A lot of campers have these rigs where the tent us up on top so they're away from the snakes and crocodiles. Should I be worried?


Livin' the dream!

BagLady

Running With the Roos

August 22, 2015
Nearing Isisford, Qld, AU

First a big Happy Birthday to my little sister, Barb! I woulda closed but I'm so remote and finally off the road train route that I have no signal. Good for me. Bad for you. But maybe tomorrow earn I get to Isisford, an itty bitty town. That's your birthday back home anyways!




I've had more toots and waves and oranges given to me out here then anywhere coming up the coast. And so many folks just pull up to hear my story. Yesterday was no different when Peter pulled up in his ute, on my left side, on the shoulder. I had trouble figuring where this sound of a truck was coming from:).

Where ya going?

Longreach.

Where ya come from? (Always a tough question. Today? In Australia? My home?)

From Melbourne.

Whoa!! On that?!?

Up! I smile.

How far ya go in a day?

About 50 kms, give or take.

And on and on it goes.

And then I ask about where he lives and the drought, and the cattle.

This whole area's been de-cattled. Sold, or slaughtered, or moved.

Which tree is a coolibah tree?

You want to see coolibah trees? How about I come find you tomorrow and I take you down to our billabong to see them?

I'd love it!!

So today, mid morning, Peter comes up the road, we load Blaze on the back for a rest, and head back to his place. He stops at the house to get his ipad to show me what this place looks like when it's not in a drought. So green and lush and beautiful!

Then we drive down these dirt farm roads through a gate onto really rough terrain.



If I'd a known you were coming I'd have grated this track.

Next time I'll phone ahead!

We get back to where there are greener trees and a bit of lush bushes growing on the edge of this billabong, a pond in the dried up river that will never go dry. It was about 10 feet deep and a kilometer long. It looked murky, the color of the soil but not icky like stagnant water gets. Totally drinkable. And you could see there'd been lots of roos here getting there water.



Wanna see a whole lot of kangaroos?

Do I?!?

So we drive to open paddocks and there were roos running everywhere. Running along side the ute. Running way off in the paddock. Roos running everywhere! Such powerful hind legs and thighs! And fast. About 30 mph. Felt like I was on an Australian Safari. That's what it told Peter he should do during the drought: give people an outback experience like he was giving me! I was watching this kangaroo running along side the ute that had a Joey in her pouch. And the Joey fell out! Tumbled along on the ground. Momma kept going. She didn't even hesitate or look back. She'll go back and get it later, Peter said. It was a bigger Joey anyways. Saw one stumble too as it ran and it did a forward roll, got up, shook itself off, and took off. Seeing how many there were here, I got a feeling for the over population of them. They are a pest here. And they are not affected by the drought one bit.

We then went and checked in done cattle that he didn't sell or move south. They were looking pretty good we thought. Maybe because there was so few of them...only about 20...on so much land, they were finding something to eat.


Last he showed me this tree he'd found that had rocks that had been placed in the notch of the the tree a long time ago and the tree had grown around them. It certainly was the oldest tree around. Maybe a marker many years ago.

Time to get a move on, so Peter dropped me back at the road about 10 kms further along with a bag of oranges, a banana, and a large cold bottle of water.



Thanks Peter for a great outback experience. It pained me to hear your story of how hard it's been to hang on through the drought. I understand when some days you feel like just throwing up your hands and walking away. The terrain is so dry and dusty and barren. My wish for you and all the ranchers in this area is for heaps and heaps of RAIN!! Then you'll have flooding, but I'm sure you all know how to cope with that. I can tell from the signs on the sides of the road and meter markers that it floods here often. It's time for one now.

August 24, 2015
Nearing Longreach, Qld, AU

Hardest day yet...perhaps ever. I whupped. Don't even know how I'm finding the energy to write this except I want to capture today, as if I'd ever forget:/

Started with a miserable night. Couldn't get to sleep until well after midnight. Too hot perhaps. The nights are warm although once I turn my headlamp off I can unzip the doors and let the breezes flow through. Too dry for mozzies.

But I awoke at my usual 6 am. And I had told myself "Self, get up and go in the morning to beat the heat."...so I did. On the road by 7. I'm usually a 9 am starter. I retired!! I don't need to get up early ever again, well, except for hot hot days. And this was to be another day in the 90s. Ugh. I don't do heat.

When I awoke the wind was blowing as a tailwind so it was stoked! That didn't last. By the time I pedaled off it had swung around 180* to a headwind. And so the grind began. Now I can handle headwinds. And I can handle heat, sorta. And I can handle flies. But I had it ALL today. The trifecta!!! And I kept pedaling. I dint stop for my usual breakfast break because I was making no miles. Just a couple of cookies. About 12:30 I found an isolated shrub and decided to take a break. I forced myself to eat something: chopped egg and avocado. And I'd been drinking, warm water. Yuck. It just doesn't quench the thirst. But thirsty I was, is sipping I was. One car that went by mid morning asked if I had enough water. And if this had been a normal day, my answer of Yes would have been correct. But I didn't know that I would be so thirsty or go so slowly, all day. So in the afternoon, I decided to try and get some water. One bloke stopped to chat and I asked if he had water. He was a local. He gets out and pulls out juice bottle repurposed as a water jug, but there were things growing in there. Nope, he said.


I stopped an RV and they filled 1.5 liter container with COLD water. I kissed the bottle and thanked them profusely. Then I drank a quarter of it. The water out here is mostly bore water, pumped up from the ground and it's not a refreshing aftertaste. But I had cold water, for a while. I try to put stuff on the side of the bike not getting blasted by the sun to keep it cooler longer. When I was heading west, that was easy because the sun was on my right all day...so I out my food on my left side. Now I'm going north and some days I've changed the swapped the panniers midday to keep the food away from the sun. I didn't today. Even my kiwifruit tonight was warm to eat.




About 2 pm I thought I'd try finding shade and taking a midday break for a couple of hours. The tree was sparse and the shade spotty. I had to keep moving to stay out of the sun's scorching rays. They hurt. Ssssss!!!! While stopped i made a phone cLl...to a dentist in Longreach because about a week ago one of my temporary fillings cracked and then a few days later a quarter of it fell out. This was the fix in Wellington that cost me $700. I want it repacked and repaired. There's no pain and no swelling. I don't need a root canal as he had told me. They're going to work me in on Wednesday. Yippee! Having that open tooth has had me quite nervous that it would start to hurt, really hurt. But it's doing fine. Good job, molar. You're on my team!

I stayed under the tree an hour , then decided to keep going. Even at 3 mph I was going somewhere.

The wind challenged my answer for riding in the sun: my umbrella. It kept blowing it so hard I had to hold the edge of it with one hand...the hand that steered the bike. The other was holding the handle of the umbrella. And at one point it flipped inside out and broke a stay. But it still works. And when I have more energy I have a plan for mending it.

I had a goal of 60 kms today. More than I usually do, but I have a rough schedule in my head for getting to Perth. I expected to be in Longreach tomorrow. And I probably will. But I pedaled until after 5 before quitting at 62 kms! Wahoo! And then I collapsed. My skin tingles. I'm brown as a berry. I'm exhausted. I'm weak from hunger, but not hungry...and these freaking flies won't leave me alone! The headnet is so hot and I can't see well. Arrgghhhhh! No patience left.

Time for well deserved sleep. I'll bet I sleep tonight:))



I closed up and turned off the iPad to go enjoy these brownies a mate gave me yesterday when he stopped to chat. They were in a ziplock sitting just outside my tent door. Zipped. I picked up the bag and brought it in the tent, but right away noticed a creature, long with lots of legs in the bag. Oh no! My brownies! I threw it back outside and managed to unzip it, and this thing about 6 inches long crawled out and scampered away! (I just squashed an ant crawling across my mat.). Getting my last taste of the outback, I guess. I'm eating the brownies!!! How bad can they be?

Goodnight, again.



A friend I found on the road. He was about 6 inches long. I'll be the never held a conversation with a human before. Then a car came along and almost squished him right in front of my eyes.



An eagle. There are lots of them. The soar over me checking me out!



I only wish!



The flies are so annoying!



Kinda flat out here. Even the road is red!

Livin' the life!

BagLady

A Day in the Life of Me

August 20, 2015
Nearing Blackall, QLD, Australia




Dawn is breaking bright orange on the horizon outside my tent and I gotta pee, again. I situated my tent so that I would have morning sun to warm me up. It gets vodka at night in the Outback, although last night was the warmest it's been in months...most of the night...gets chilliest closer to dawn. I get up and take my socks off. Don't want to walk through the brush with them on in my sandals or they'll just get all dirty and prickery. Off to take care of business. I have lots of stories I could share on what I've learned on that topic, but not right now. It's morning and I'm sitting in the early sun enjoying a cup of Milo coffee, getting warm. Milo coffee is my own concoction. When visiting people and not wanting caffeine in the evening (before giving it up altogether again, for my heart) they would offer Milo. It's a barley chocolate drink. And quite yummy. And quite popular here. In the morning, I add a bit of instant decaf coffee to it with a bit of sugar. Yum!

I sometimes sit and read or knit or as this morning, write in my blog. I feel quite rushed most days. Gotta get going. Getting nowhere if I'm not pedaling. Feeling guilty. That's really when the fact that Blaze is slower than bicycles bothers me. Not when I'm pedaling and can enjoy the scenery more. Never then.

Time to pack up. There's a ritual. Get dressed first. Same clothes as yesterday. No decisions. Easy peasy. Then run a comb through my hair. Once a day, whether it needs it or not. (I have to remind myself every morning because it's something I forget to do since I never see myself in a mirror.) Stuff my warm sleeping bag in a sac. Stuff both bags into the bottom of the pannier, one wrapping around the other to reduce space, I hope. Then goes my clothes stuff sac. All of this is in a plastic pack liner (covered in duct tape as new rips appear) to keep it cleaner and drier, I hope. Then the plastic is rolled and my toiletries, book and notebook and maps, headlamp, pee jar (which is rinsed with soapy water every morning) in plastic bag, knitting. All the things I need at night. As I think about it, the toiletries bag (for showers) could go some place else, properly, as my toothbrush and stuff used daily are separate. Hmm I'll have to think where else would be good so I don't have to touch it every day. That's the rule. Guess I've slipped on that one. But another rule I have is don't change where you put things because I'll forget where it is. And if I go looking for something and it's not in the first place I looked, where I thought it should be, I put it there when I do find it because that's the first place I looked for it. Yes, things do get lost in this small space.

Meanwhile I've been making a pile of my bum bag, camera case, solar panel, anything that doesn't get packed. Next I pack my rear stuff sac with my camp chair, air mattress, sleep sac, fleece, rain jacket, and exercise strap. There are other things in there that never came out: town or other season clothes, backpack, art supplies, extra maps for other areas of Australia than where I am, hiking sandals, tent stuff sac that I don't use...and maybe one or two other things I can't remember:).



Out of the tent. Hang panniers on trike. The other pannier is solely food. Usually odds and ends of things like pasta, ramen, quinoa, lentils, spices, nearly empty jam and peanut butter jars, and whatever's left from the last grocery stop. I carry a lot of food. Always worried I'll get stranded with stores closed or something goes wrong. Always more than I need. So hard to plan. Have I told ya how much I hate planning? Well I do!

Down comes the tent. I load the large stuff sack, hiking pole, and tent on the top of the rack. The two waterproof panniers are on rack. I have two large pods that hang off the seat. One has 2 stoves and fuel (petrol for Muka stove and gas canister for Pocket Rocket that I use in morning...overkill to be sure, but I never know...) and my water bladder. The other pod has repair kits for me and my gear and the trike, as well as all the cables, plug converters, extension cord for my electronics, and bug net, suntan lotion, bike pump, cables and ties for transporting Blaze.

I hang my 3 liter water bottle to one of the flag posts; tie my pee rag to the back of the seat; tie my sac of night water bottle, eating dish with utensils and lid, and the days snacks and vitamins to a flag post, and tie on my trash bag. Then brush my teeth. Done. One last "stupid check" to see what I've left on the ground...after I've pushed Blaze away a bit...and we're off! Another day on the road. And my heart starts to sing!

It's now the next morning and I'm in a campground. There's good and bad with civilization: yes, I had a hot shower and power and people, but also street lights and barking dogs and roosters crowing...and I can't see the sunset or the sunrise:(.

I'll describe yesterday's ride, as best I remember it. The terrain is fairly flat, with undulations. Dusty pastures, scattered scrubby brush. A drought. The mornings have road trains and grey nomads. Then I find the road gets quiet. That's when I like it best. Then my mind starts to work. Hmm. Got this hike coming up. Yup the plan is to get to Longreach (about 200 kms away) then fly to Brisbane, spend a few days touring there, then fly to Perth where I'll store Blaze and extra gear and go hike the longest Australian track, the Bibbulmun Track. It's 1000 kms (600 miles) from outside Perth down to the southern coast at Albany. Much like the Appalachian Trail with shelters all along the way.

So while pedaling, I'm thinking about things like what can I be eating that weighs nothing and is healthy, not junk...nada...nothing. How can I carry so little that it all fits into this large day pack I have with me and used on the Camino and Kepler? What do I need to pack? I need to repair my pack because it's tearing from carrying too much weight. As I thing new things, new ideas, new to-do's, I stop and write them on the list on my phone.

Then I think about getting a flight out of Longreach. Don't want to book until I know they'll take the bike. These are small planes. I decide to go to the airport with it unloaded and ask. I think with it left unfolded, but the seat removed it would fit through any cargo door and I think they'll be helpful. It's the Outback, for crying out loud. Everybody helps everybody out here!!

I think about where to stay in Brisbane and what I want/need to do there. Warmshowers? Hostel? Near airport? In city? When should I book flight to Perth. When should I book it for? Decisions! Decisions!

I think about what I need to toss from my gear to get it ready to fly. All the food stuff. Anything else? What about that blood pressure monitor? Do you really need to keep that? Pressure's still up. Oh well. Maybe hiking will be good for it? Hmmm? Then I probably want to check it when I finish hiking. Give it up. It'll be what it will be. And you're not doing anything more about it out here. Tried all your old tricks and they haven't helped. Ignore it now. That sometimes fixes things:)

And on and on. I think about coming back to the States and try to figure out what I would do there. Do I come back for the winter and get my thumbs operated on? The basil joints are getting worse and worse. Quite inflamed. I wouldn't want to do they surgery in summer. Is it bad enough she would do it now? What's the criteria for surgery? I have two friends that have had it done. I should write them and ask. There must be a million other things flying through too. Oh, look at that eagle flying overhead! It's checking me out!! And watch out for the dead kangaroo. Oh the smell of the Outback is rotting meat. Yuck! Then I just stare across the expanse and feel the wonder of it all. Feel it in my core where there are no words.















Then I think about how far it is to Blackall, 35 kms. What time will I get there. Are there any campgrounds? Do I want to stay in a campground? I stop and check WikiCamps. Yup. Expensive. $25 for a tent site. Camp dinner for $23. They sounds fun. Why not check it out. No rush today. I like that. The Outback is winding down too fast. Only 4 more cycling days:( I'm not ready for the city again. But it's getting hot out here, so it's time to leave. The heat will be unbearable. Then I think that I shouldn't have stayed 3 weeks in Toowoomba. Guilt. Shoulda pushed on. But it was fun. A great break. Wonderful family. Kids to play with. Nope it was right. This is right. New things are a-coming!


I'm hungry. 10:30. Time for breakfast. Pull to roadside, in ditch. Lay hi viz jacket on ground for sit cloth. Get out apple half, peanut butter, tortillas, raisins and nuts. Makes a great breakfast wrap.

And away I go again. Until I see a rest stop where I can pull in for lunch around 12:30. There's a campervan that's just pulled in ahead of me. And a lady hops out. "Crazy lady!" Or something like that, she says. And that's how I meet Karaleen and Glenith (I think) from Perth. Such fun sharing stories. They told me I can get a stagecoach ride in Longreach. I'm doing that!! I got contact info so we can connect up in Perth after my hike. They probably won't be back before I start walking. After an hour and a half break, no hurry today, I pedal off.

And run into a mob of cattle and horses grazing "the long paddock". Because of the drought up north, some ranchers are having to take their cattle to graze the wide sides of the road. They have to keep them moving, about 10 kms a day. And they stay out here indefinitely. It was wild! Cows and horses wandering on each side of the road, crossing over. Cars and trucks slowly creeping through the mob.












And then I come into town:


Tambo entrance.


Tambo Public Library



Blackall hotel.

My day usually ends with me looking for a bush campsite. I like to find a side road I can go up a bit to get away from the noise of the road trains. I start looking about 5 pm now with it not getting dark until after 6. That's a relief.




So I pull up and set up my tent. I need to find a spot with dirt not pokers that could prick through my tent or clumps of dried grass. It's not easy out here finding a spot, that's for sure. If there are trees around I try and figure where the dun will set and rise so I can maximize its warmth. That's always a guess too. After it's up, I crawl in and check again for anything that could puncture my sir mattress and remove it. Then I unpack Blaze putting everything inside that I'll need for the night and getting out my chair. Ahhh! Funny how it feels good to sit down after fitting all day. But I'm not pedaling! I usually read a bit just to unwind. Now that it's lighter, longer, I usually do a quick wash up with a cup of water and my bandana, just to rinse off the grime and dust from the day. Then I change into my long johns for sleeping. Refreshed and warm as the day is cooling.

Then I start some dinner.



Veggies mostly. Either a cold salad or a stir fry over pasta or polenta. Simple. Tasty. My salads have egg and avocado and feta cheese mixed with chopped whatever I have on hand. A bit of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, some salt...oh, my mouth is watering now! My favorite supper!

If it's warm I sit outside a bit and watch the stars come out. It's so dark. And so quiet. And I'm so happy.

Then I crawl in, inflate my air mattress, put it in a silk sleeping sac, stuff my pillow case with one sleeping bag, fluff the other one over me, and grab my book to read or play games on my phone. And rest. And sleep 10+ hours!



Livin' the life!

BagLady

Roma to Augathella or the Outback Ride Continues

August 16, 2015
50 kms north of Augathella, Qld, AU

"You're not living up to our agreement. I said you can wander over my arms all you want as long as you stay off my face. Don't make me get out the bug headnet again!! You promised!!!!"

I can tolerate the flies anywhere but walking on my face, up my nose, in the corners of my eyes, into my mouth or ears...nope...that's not allowed. I figure if I leave them alone on my arms then they won't be on my face. And how the heck do they keep up with me pedaling at the blistering speed of 6 mph?!?!? Sometimes it looks like they're flying faster than I'm pedaling. Ok. It gets a bit boring pedaling all day and my mind struggles for entertainment do it analyzes things...like the speed of flies.



But I have to say I haven't tired of pedaling through this gorgeous country. There's so much variation of the foliage and the soil. I started to notice a week or more ago this funny looking tree across the landscape. It had a fat trunk that is shaped like a case or bottle and the branches all come out of the top. A Dr Seuss tree, for sure! I even took pictures of it. Then when I got to Roma, I found out they are known in thus area for this tree: the Bottle Tree. It's quite slow growing so I know the ones I saw around town and out in the paddocks are quite mature. I still love seeing them and trying to get a great picture. (Nope, can't post my pics because I took them as a portrait not landscape shot...and they won't load:()

In Mitchell I decided to stay at the campground and what a lovely one it was. Family owned and run. Well maintained. So nicely kept they had Grey Nomads who came back every year. (Grey Nomads are the retirees touring the country pulling their trailers usually. And they are aplenty out here! ). They were the nicest folks. It was so pleasant there, I stayed an extra night. Out behind the campground was an Aboriginal Interpretive trail out to where an old aboriginal community used to be. The whites were in one died of Mitchell creek and the blacks on the other. In town I had lunch with a guy who grew up in Yumba, the aboriginal community. He said it was great fun being there. They'd play ball every Sunday. And fish and swim in the creek. He had to walk to town to school after the government closed down their school. In the 1960s the government, who had set up the community in the '30s and supplied simple small houses (which they expanded on), told them to move off the land and then a few years later bulldozed down their homes. Sad time.

It's a couple of days later, it's 6:30 at night, the sun has set leaving a fiery edge on the horizon, and a new moon just above it. And it's warm...ish. Normally the chill sends me into my tent by now. Spring is in the air!!!



Without clouds, and there hasn't been for weeks, I'm not getting those great full sky sunsets.

Back to the Mitchell campground. The second night was most interesting. There's a fund raiser for children's charities called Variety Bash and some of them overnighted there and not at the showgrounds. This was 130 vintage cars (older than 30) driving from Cairns, through the Outback, and finishing at Fraser Island 10 days later. They got their route instructions in the morning before the took off for the day. They stopped at schools and other venues sharing gifts for the kids. Each day was a different costume. The day we saw them was Santa...300 people all dressed as Santa! Each car has to raise $8500 to participate and then pay for their own food and lodging. They are also fined along the way, so they have to bring extra funds for that. And most do it year after year. I've gotten the idea that there's a lot of fundraising for charities done here. I've been asked many times if I'm doing it for a charity.



It's been a bit if a challenge finding places to put up Spacey, my new Big Sky International Revolution 2P tent. There are a lot of prickly plants when I do find a patch of dirt without grass clumps. I don't want to puncture my new air mattress. ExPed had kindly replaced the replacement I got in NZ. It blew a gasket! Didn't go flat, went fat! But within a very quick time a distributor in Brisbane had one waiting for me at the Morven PO. So either the new one, I rub all around the floor of the tent trying to find anything that might poke through and remove it. One more nighttime chore.

I had a tailwind the day I rode to Augathella. I didn't think I could make it because I spent a lot of time chatting with a local rancher, then some Grey Nomads who stopped over while I was breakfasting. But when the wind switched to my backside and I could get up to the teens per km, I was sailing. It was Saturday and I wanted to get to the grocery store before it closed because I knew it wouldn't be open on Sunday. Pedal. Pedal. Whew! It's only 3:30. What?!? Closed? At noon? Dang! Do I stay 2 nights until it opens Monday or hope there's enough food in that pannier to go another 120 kms? I'll stay the night here and decide in the morning. In the morning it was a go. I always have extra food. What was I worried about?

Back to tonight. It's so quiet. No sounds except the rare car or road train. No light except the sliver of the moon. I'm sitting outside beside Blaze and Spacey and I'm in heaven. Why do I love being in the middle of nowhere all by myself? I keep asking myself that and I can't come up with an answer. It just feels right. Peaceful. Serenity. Home.











Got a couple of good roo shots one day as they crossed the road. They're only out early morning or at dusk so this was a delight.











A rancher I met yesterday said he killed 11,000 of them on his property because they are such a pest. Next he's planning on installing a fence that hopefully will keep them out because the eat too much if the pasture grasses and compete with his cattle. But they're so cute!

And some "a day in the life" shots:












Livin' the life!

BagLady