Day 2 - that’s all she wrote

So after much discussion we set off this morning for Murgon.  I felt surprisingly fresh, despite the patchy sleep but still couldn’t stomach the thought of breakfast.  The bakery had a large selection, so I picked a savoury option of an Angus Beef pie and made myself eat it until it was finished.  Loaded 1l of water on board and hoisted the pack onto my back ready for the day’s walk.

Almost immediately my body protested at the intrusion but I persevered and started the walk.  Ticked off the first few kms at a slow but steady pace but by 6kms I had had enough and called it a day at Manyung.  Thank goodness for the Murgon cab service who came and picked me up and transported me the 12km to town.  Quick phone call to Brendon and my knight in shining armour is coming up tonight to stay, bringing my bike so I can do the next town or two on two wheels - but that will depend on me getting my gut under control.

So the two weeks I had planned is now in disarray as I come to the realisation that hiking/camping end to end is not in my capability at this time.  Instead I will go home, lick my wounds and plan to meet Rachel on the trail in a couple of places where I can do some day hikes/rides without the weight of a full pack on my back. Am I disappointed? Yes. Am I devastated? No.  All I could do was ask my body how much it could take, and it showed me. If we had perhaps started with an easier first day I may have made it a little longer and had a better base to start from. I’m also asking a body that already has too much excess weight on it to carry additional weight - so I can’t really blame it for arcing up at the load I put it under.

So for now I will kick back and relax while Rachel sets up her camp for the night, wait for Brendon to arrive and then head to the pub at Murgon for tonight’s dinner and ponder what might have been and what could still be.  This particular challenge may have beaten me, but I’m not broken!

Day 1 - over-ambitious hurts

 6am - we set our feet on the trail and start our rail trail adventure in Kilkivan. Day one is set for 27-29km dependant in which map you’re looking at, so we started early and planned our first stop at the 10km mark.  The track is well established although rough underfoot with lots of rocks - as you can imagine, it being a decommissioned railway line.  The first 22km is a gradual uphill through farmland - not a lot of cover and just the occasional cutting to provide shade.  We set our pace at 4km/hr and stayed on track until 10km when our plans of stopping were foiled by a particularly nasty magpie who swooped is from about 9k to 10.5k.  This guy was mean - he was a front on, swoop into your face type, but thankfully he didn’t like our hiking poles so it was just bombing without any strikes.

The cuppa on the side of the trail was hearty and just what was needed to revive us for the next 6km stretch, along with some rehydrated muesli and snack bars.  Following this break the pace started to drop off as we began to feel fatigue set in, and our next rest at 21km was really beginning to test our fortitude putting the packs back on.  So too was our second magpie of the day!

Another cup of tea at 25km, electrolytes for me to try to get my hydration under control - and we trudged the last 3km to Goomeri where we found some friendly locals who pointed us in the direction of the Showgrounds.

It’s fair to say on my behalf that everything hurt. Blistered  feet and toes, aching back and shoulders, sore shins and ankles - it was more painful than my first day in the Canyon and sadly the hydration issues I was having left me nauseated and in dire need of a bathroom. My left knee was swollen and the area below my melanoma surgery site was retaining fluid so keeping an eye on that was also a concern.

Tent set up was quick and I’ve never felt better than lying flat on my back resting my aching body inside my tent.   A hot shower helped ease the aches and pains and a short, limping walk to the local pub for a drink and dinner rounded out the night.

Rachel and I had some thoughtful discussion about continuing - with my back having small spasms and my feet screaming to be given a break I was ready to pull the pin there and then but we have decided to sleep on it to see how our rested bodies feel in the morning.

While I was exhausted and in bed by 8, sleep was a little elusive and was more that half awake half asleep state you reach when you are on alert.  I heard fellow campers go to the bathroom, the cattle truck unhitch and unload and rehitch across the road, the night boards singing and a fellow having a long conversation on the phone with a friend.  When I finally slept I was rudely awoken by both hammies going into simultaneous spasm and when I tried to get out of my tent, both calves went out in protest.

So now it’s time for some breakfast and a discussion of how we are going to progress.

Rail trail trekking - the night before the first day on the trail

Thursday 10 September finds us securely ensconced in our hotel-motel room in Kilkivan - right next to the pub and only a stone’s throw from tomorrow’s starting point on the Kilkivan-Kingaroy Rail Trail (parts of which are also known as the South Burnett Raul Trail).  Big thanks to my awesome hubby for dropping us here this afternoon - he’s getting used to driving me to my drop off points!

For the history buffs, Kilkivan was the site of the first discovery of gold in Qld in 1852 and what was probably once a bustling regional town is now a small town in decline with a lovely main street lined with shops, cafes and a pub that is owned by Fred Brophy - he of the travelling boxing troupe fame.  If you are ever passing by this way, the antique shop here is an absolute wonder and so well-stocked with beautiful pieces that you could easily spend an afternoon marvelling at the collection and finding hidden treasures.

We sussed out the rail trail starting point this afternoon, which has suddenly made this all the more real, tested our Jetboil set ups (portable cooking and tea stations) and packed/repacked our kits to ensure we have the optimal loads.

Dinner at the pub - rissoles with mash and steamed veges - the first of what I hope will be many delicious counter meals. Of particular note - 5-star gravy a specialty of Mrs Brophy and two friendly Jack Russell terriers who were happy to have cuddles and jump into laps for head scratches.

My pack is just over 18kg but sits well on the hips, distributing the weight to the strongest parts of the body.  Really important to ensure the set up is right as we will spend 29km tomorrow hiking from Kilkivan to Goomeri.  We are planning a nice leisurely walk, with an easy pace, frequent rest stops each hour and the better part of our day spent travelling.  

So for now it’s time for some rest in preparation for the adventure to begin.