I’ve been slack on the blog front for a week or so now, not
so much slack, but have been really concentrating on the running as that’s what
I’m here to do, and have been doing day in day out for nearly 13 weeks. It’s
taken me well and truly over the 2000km mark and the last crossing over the
border and into Queensland. I also worked out that over that time I have run 58
mountain marathons on average, which blows my mind, so how non-runners or
social runners get there head around me doing that every day over some of
Australia’s toughest terrain and with a full pack, I do not know.
The day after the 73km bush bash and river swims of The Guy
Fawkes National Park left me 38km away from the 2000km milestone. I was sore
that morning and tired from what was a difficult day out running that 73km
section.
Vickie was energetic and was pushing me to get me moving and
reach that 2000km mark where ever it may have been. Me, I wasn’t really that
bothered, I was stiff, sore and tired and it wouldn’t have bothered me if I
reached that mark the next day.
10km in and I hadn’t warmed up, my quads where repeatedly
asking me to stop, but I was this far in so I carried on.It was great that Vickie could spend the day with me and take the burden of my pack for the day, leaving me to just plod away in my own thoughts, thoughts of wanting to curl up with a latte on the Maui sofa.
30km in and Vickie had organised all the campers at the site
I was passing to come out and cheers me on, a great little booster, just what I
needed, she must of known I wasn’t my enthusiastic self!
8km of climbing would have me hit that next 1000km and see
me in the pub celebrating on another milestone of this massive run.
Celebrations were cut short as the following day I was back
it, it was going to be a short run though after having a late start and the
weather wasn’t the best, raining, well drizzling really for only the third time
on the trip!
I was in a great mood and joked and giggled all afternoon as
I ran in the rain.
We set up camp in the middle of the farm track we were on,
as I could just step out the van early the next morning and just get on with
the next day, I tell you, there’s no rest on this run.
The next day the weather was better, overcast and no rain
and a good opportunity to crank lout some KM.
15km in and I come across Vickie parked up at a farm gate
talking with a local cattleman. The next section of the days run would take me
through Ben’s land and over into Washpool National Park and through a valley of
yet more private land and a huge cattle station.
That night Vickie cooked up a storm at Bens place, and I
enjoyed a few beers with him learning a bit about what goes on in the world of
the cattleman. It was nice of him to let us into his place for a drink and a
chat and we ended up camping out the front of his place after turning down the
offer of sleeping on the sofa in front of his log fire, not sure why we did
that!
Late start again the time we had finished up brekkie and
said our good byes to Ben.
Today I would be running through Washpool NP before spending
the day running through some very remote private land.
It was a hard day to navigate, the trail was non-existent
which made it fun, getting lost, crossing creeks, jumping fences both barbed
and electric, as well as getting my shoes full of grass seeds due to the length
of it around these parts, which made me think of snakes more so than I have
before. It wasn’t until I reached the four wheel drive track towards the end of
the day until I saw one, and only the third of the trip.
Not bitten, but a little beaten up from scrub and slippery
sharp rocks, I made it to the finish for the day some 54km later.
The next day was only 30km from one main road to the next, I
only needed to go over three valleys for the day, it was much of what the day
offered before which made for a longer day than expected, but fun all then
same.
Boonoo Boonoo National Park……..what a name. The run today
would be on a dirt road that went straight through the middle of Boonoo x 2 NP.
It was another opportunity for Vickie to join me for the day and for me to have
a break from my pack. The day would finish in a tiny town called Liston. I say
tiny as most towns out this way in Australia can sometimes only have three
houses, but liston had one!
The following day would be border crossing day. Queensland
here I come! I would be taken the dirt highway to the border before heading
along the rabbit proof fence, not in Queensland and not in New South Wales,
just a sort of no-mans land. This would take me across more private land before
finally crossing the border for the final time of this trip and in to sunny
Queensland…….and it was.
Since the hop skip and jump into QLD it seems the trail has
become way more accessible with the Maui Mothership. This has made Vickie very
happy, but it means for me as a trail runner some unhappy days out there on
some sealed roads, and as I have mentioned many times before its not where I
like to be, but it seems to be good for knocking off some distance....
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