I Went For A Walk!

Posted at 20:39, Sat 29 March 2008 in Silly personal rants

Prologue

Tina and I receive absolutely no government payments, eg UB, Pension, Family Tax Benefits, Parenting Payments. We earn our income through bartering and selling off things we don't want or can't really keep considering our circumstances. I chose to do this trip because someone who I thought I could trust and who understood our circumstances let me down.

'Mr X' bought a cane stand, some ornaments, a six drawer  solid timber Tall-Boy and two solid timber three drawer side tables. The total for these items was $300 (worth around $700). However, Mr X didn't have any money at the time so I said he could pay me when he had spare over the next couple of weeks (this was about four weeks ago).

The first Friday came around, but no sign of Mr X. I finally saw him on the Monday and he had no money. He told me he knocked on my door Friday afternoon, but I must have been out. He said it would be a fortnight before he could pay me again because he went away for the weekend and spent the money. I was leaving before then, so I gave him my bank account details and explained again that that was all the money we would have for a while so please put some in the bank.

This story starts two weeks after that at around 1:30 pm 23 March (Easter Sunday). The kids had no Easter Eggs and we were down to rice and potatoes because there was no money in the bank on the Thursday night before Easter. I hadn't hitch hiked in over 24 years, but it was my only option to get some money to feed my family.

If you're feeling in the mood, search Google Maps for Ballogie QLD and you can follow the trip up and back.

1:30 pm 23 March 2008 - My Lucky Cup Runneth Over

Tina dropped me at the T-junction of Walkers Road and the Chinchilla Wondai Road at about 1:30pm. I'd gotten a late start really, because I was dragging the chain and didn't really want to have to start. I should have been ready and gone at 6 in the morning. **It's a basic rule for a serious hitch-hiker.** We said our good-byes and Tina left. I had only walked five hundred metres or so when a Yellow Mercedes pulled up at the junction. After a few seconds it turned toward me. They had seen that I had my finger out and was walking backwards, facing them. **When hitch-hiking, face your potential lifts so that the people can see your face**.

They pulled up and asked me where I was going and how far was it. An older lady was in the passenger seat, a younger man driving (I feel terrible because I can't remember their names). I told them I was heading to Rockhampton, but if they were only going up the road, anywhere would be fine. They offered to take me to Durong, about 30 k's up the road. The spot where I would turn North and head towards Mundubbera.

We had some nice conversation on the way. They'd been visiting friends who lived on the same road as my sis and brother in law. It turns out that they lived near Memerambi, towards Kingaroy. I thought they were going to Durong for a reason because they asked if the shop was still operating. I said that as far as I knew it was, but I wasn't a local. However, I did know that about all there was in Durong was a shop.

When we got to Durong, they drove past the shop and did a U-turn and dropped me at the junction of the Mundubbera Durong Road. It was then that the penny dropped. These people had driven 30 kilometres out of their way to take me here. Sixty Kilometres if you count the return trip! My faith in the inherent kindness of people was once again re-inforced.

 Approx. 2:00pm - The First Long Walk

Rather than stand at the intersection, I decided to start walking.
This road was long.
And straight.
And long.
I walked. The land on either side was maize crops or cattle paddocks. The verges of the road were alive with finches and wrens flitting between shrubs and long grasses. I surprised a few pairs of Quail along the way. Quite a few cars passed me, but no one stopped. Most were either full or had lone females behind the wheel. After around ten kilometres, the road dipped into a wide gully and the scenery changed to smaller paddocks that were greener. I was getting close to needing a rest, so walked on a few more k's, past a couple of houses and around a bend. I found a nice wide grassy patch across the road from the old Boondooma school and sat for a while. It was around four thirty in the afternoon I think. I had just walked fifteen kilometres.
**In my experience from back in the eighties, I got more lifts when I walked than when I stood and waited. Maybe a walking hitcher looks like they have somewhere to go**.

Approx. 5:00pm - On to Eidsvold

I sat for a while, had a drink of water and then picked myself up and started again. Within a few minutes a couple more cars passed me, then one stopped fifty or so metres up the road and started to reverse along the highway. I caught up to them and they offered to give me a ride to Eidsvold, about an hour up the road. The road goes North through the Allies Ck State Forest and on past Munduberra. We had a good yarn on the way and by 6pm we'd arrived in Eidsvold. There was a country music festival going on in town and they suggested I ask someone if they could announce over the loudspeakers that I was hunting a lift to Rocky. When they dropped me in town I thought about it, but decided not to (too shy, too stupid I guess). I hadn't even introduced myself to the couple that took me over a hundred kilometres. How rude.

6.00pm - The Long Cold Night

I started walking out of town north towards Mulgildie. It was getting dark quick, but it was still warmish. At around 8pm I decided to stop for a bit and see if I could rest. I reached a spot 8km north of town, at the top of a rise that had a bit of a clearing where a car could pull up easy and lit myself a small camp fire. No-one was stopping, which didn't surprise me. Who in their right mind would pull up in the middle of no-where to pick up some strange man on the side of the road? I let the fire go out and tried to settle down for the night.

I was laying down, looking up at the stars when a dark shape passed through my line of vision. It hit a huge gum tree just next to me and started climbing up the tree. I realised I had just seen my first glider possum in the wild. How cool! In the moonlight I could see it climbing around the branches. Eventually it took a leap again and disappeared back across the highway. I decided that it was too early for me to sleep, so I started walking again.

About three kilometres North of where I'd seen the possum I came across a real rest stop. This was Ceratodus, on the banks of the NoGo River. There was an electric barbeque, toilets, the old Ceratodus train station and water tanks. Luxury! I made the old train station my bed for the night...a hardwood bench, but at least part way out of the breeze and under cover. I haven't mentioned it yet, but I'd had naive hopes of getting to Rockhampton by nightfall and hadn't really packed anything to sleep under. I had my 'Travelmate' jacket which was pretty warm, a pair of jeans and my boots and socks to keep me warm. I also had a spare shirt that I used as a beanie and my backpack was my pillow. It got cold. Very bloody cold. I think I slept for about half an hour all up, in little bits.

As soon as it was light, I headed out onto the road again to try my luck. After about ten minutes, a feed truck came roaring past, stopped, and reversed up.

6.00am Monday 24th March - Mulgildie to Biloela

I jumped in the truck (a 12 tonne ACCO) and we made our introductions. He was flat out today because one of his drivers called in sick and they had heaps on. Animals don't stop eating on public holidays.
He was taking chicken and pig feed to Abercorn and could have turned off ten K's up the road. However, he decided to take me on to Mulgildie where there was a second turn-off. Looking at the maps now, I realised that he also had gone out of his way to make my walk a little shorter.

I walked the last kilometre into Mulgildie and on through town.  I was about six kilometres North of town and had been passed by a lot cars, when this car came past and pulled up real quick. When I caught up to the car and saw the people, I recognised them as the same couple that had driven me to Eidsvold yesterday afternoon! They were in a different car and had decided to go for a drive up to Biloela just to pass some time. This time I made sure to introduce myself. Now, if I get this wrong and you folks read this blog, send me a message berating me please. Tony and Liz are their names (I know Liz is right).

We had a good old time talking about this and that and the state of the land the need to respect this country and be a part of it, not just a user. I had a really good time talking with Tony and Liz and I hope to meet them again soon.

When I mentioned at the start of this story that we were broke, I was serious. We had NO money. Which meant that I was travelling on water stored in a couple of drink bottles (about a litre or so). I had been given a couple of travelling cups by the in-laws that had coffee, milk powder and sugar in to help give me a boost (I had a cold one at Ceratodus). Anyway, as we were heading into Biloela, T and L asked me if I'd eaten or anything. I said no but was reluctant to sound too desperate as I didn't want to accept 'charity' from people other than any lift I could get. We got into town and they pulled up at an ATM. When I got out and said my good-byes, Tony palmed $30 into my hand. "Go and get a good feed, " he said, "you need to keep your strength up".

When you've been screwed over by people as often as we have, it becomes hard to maintain your faith in the general good nature of people. It's people like T and L and others who went out of their way to get me closer to my destination that reinforce what I believe. The majority of people are good people who do help each other and do have good hearts. I still get deeply humbled every time I think of them. I'm glad no-one saw me after they left as I was walking down the street. A crusty old bloke walking along with tears on his face.

Thank you again T and L. I WILL find you again and say hi. I owe you more than just $30.

Approx 9.00am - Nearly in Rocky

There wasn't much open in Biloela, so I went to the Choice servo and grabbed a sausage roll, a hot-dog, a coffee with two extra shots and the 'Bully' to read while I was eating. I made my way out of town towards Jambin and got a couple of short rides that saved me some walking. I guess I walked about 10 kilometres all up.

I got dropped at the Jambin store which was closed and walked across to the pub. I stood at the highway hitching for a while, and then weakened and went into the bar. I bought a Dry Ginger Ale with ice. It was hot this morning and I was a bit worried that I was starting to smell. Besides the publican, his wife and one other customer, the bar was empty. We had a little yarn and when he heard where I'd come from, the bloke at the bar (drinking Sarsaparilla) told me some trivia. There are 56 silos in the Kingaroy complex (or was it 58?).

I headed back out to the highway and started hitching again, but it seemed no-one wanted to pick a bloke up from outside a pub. After an hour or so I decided to grab another drink. A young bloke had pulled in just before and when I got inside he asked where I was headed.
"Rocky".
"Jump in, I'm headed there too".
I grabbed some water and a Powerade to get some fluids and stuff back into me and off we went. He told me he'd been down helping muster some cattle off a property his parents were selling and had decided to go home because he'd come off his bike and needed to recover before work Tuesday morning.

He took me all the way to Rocky and dropped me right at my ex'es doorstep. It was a bit after lunch if I recall correctly. I'd managed to get from Ballogie to Rockhampton, roughly 500 kilometres in a little over 24 hours. Not too bad for a hitch hiker on the back roads of Queensland.

Show Me The Money!

I gave my daughter the squeeziest hug I could and had a cuppa with the ex and her partner. I won't go into details about it, but I'd been hoping I could talk the ex into letting me take my daughter down to Ballogie on a train on Tuesday (if I got the money) for the school holidays. Basically, no was the answer because she thought 9 days of school for an 11 year old was too much to miss...

I got a lift out to the van park where I was to see the person who owed me. I said hello to a few friends and made my way to his cabin.

Now, I had been giving this guy the benefit of the doubt on my way up. I was hoping that he'd missed the bank and was going to deposit the money on Tuesday, and that he'd have it and I could spend the night at the ex's and get a train back to Gympie the next day. He is supposed to be a mate.

To cut a long story short, he said that all he had was $50 and it would be another two weeks before he had any more money. I was ready to explode, but did my best to remain calm. I had just hitched over 450 K's, spent the night freezing at a roadside rest area and walked about 40 k's to be told he had no money...

I left his cabin, while explaining that I wasn't happy and that my two children and partner in Ballogie were eating potatoes and weevil infested rice. I went back down to the cabin of some friends and steamed a little. There was no point in doing anything else. Getting violent would solve nothing. After about ten minutes, his girlfriend came down with a $100 note. I thought it strange how someone with only $50 could have a $100 note, but there you go. I reiterated to her the need for him to get the balance of the money into my account as soon as possible because we relied on that money at present as our sole source of income. My other friends had also owed me a few dollars and gave me another fifty. That would fed us, but I wouldn't be catching a train home in the morning.

4.30pm - Time to Head Back

My friends (Anita and Jim) at the park agreed to run me around town a bit to say good-bye to my daughter Lillian, and drop me out at the big roundabout south of Rocky.
Saying good-bye to my daughter was emotional to say the least. I so much wanted to spend at least one night in town to try and talk her mother around, but it was pointless with no money to get the train. I decided to head back straight away so that I could get food for my family in Ballogie. When Anita dropped me at the roundabout, I told her I'd be in Kingaroy by lunchtime and could she send Tina an email and let her know what I was doing. Tina and the in-laws had planned to go to town on Tuesday, so I wanted to be there to meet them.
I started walking. By this time it was 6pm and getting dark again.

6.00pm - And Another Walk

I walked South eight kilometres to the Gavial-Gracemere turn-off. There are good lights there and people could see me pretty easy. I'd been walking in the dark beside the highway with my wind up torch pointing behind me so that people could avoid hitting me. I didn't want to become road-kill.
I had a small 40 channel two-way radio on me that I hadn't used before now. I don't like calling truckies up begging a lift because I know that nowadays insurance issues, plus company rules prevent most drivers from picking up hitch hikers (or carrying any passengers except employees). However, after a couple of hours I weakened and put out a call to the north bound blokes to ask if they could the word out to the south-bounders that there was someone at the turn-off hoping for a lift. Straight away a bloke got back to me and said that he thought there was a Land-Rover doing a U-turn down the road to pick me up.

Approx. 8pm - On To Calliope

Col and Kibble were on their way back to Gladstone from Ayr, where they'd been doing a bit of crabbing. Talk about taking coal to Newcastle! Well, they had a reason. Kibble had an old mate up there who was dying from the big C and wanted to spend a bit of time with him. They'd obviously had a good time. Kibble had a can in his hand and made some room in the back for me. It was a VERY tight squeeze, but they got me and my back pack in, next to the over-sized Engel fridge and all the camping gear. Kibble offered me a XXXX Gold, and not wanting to offend, I accepted. The fridge was well stocked with beer and crabs.

They were going to turn off at Mt Larcom, but decided to keep going down to the Calliope cross-roads to get a me a little further along the road.  So, two beers later we said good-bye and good luck at the servo (another Choice petrol station). Thanks fellas.

Approx. 9.30pm - The Longest Wait

I got myself something to eat, and another coffee with extra shots at the servo, then headed over to the highway to try and get a lift. Traffic South-bound was sparse and no-one was stopping.
Over the road was a bitumen laying machine, so I thought I'd camp in behind it for a few hours and get some sleep. The only real rest I'd had was last night at Ceratodus, so I was getting a little worn out. I lay down on what looked like a smooth spot and started to doze off almost immediately...then I started to feel 'things' crawling on me. I brushed whatever it was off, but more started crawling on me. I got up and grabbed my torch, shining it where I'd laid. Bloody ants! Bugger it I thought, might as well go back over the road and try hitching again.

After a while I could see clouds building up (the moon was nearly full). Then it started to drizzle. I went back to the servo and grabbed another coffee to wait out the rain. I walked outside to the tables and a voice said "G'day Bro!"
A young bloke was sitting at one of the tables and we started up a conversation. He'd been to Byron Bay for Blues Festival and was on his way back to Townsville (and I thought I had a long way to go). He was hitching too.
"I planned the trip down OK, but not the trip home," he joked.
He asked me how much the coffee cost ($3). I realised he was broke when he said that that was a bit expensive, so gave him money for a coffee and we yarned some more. Eventually I decided to head back out to the highway. He was going to bed down under the hire trailers for the night and start again in the morning.

I stood, sat, leaned against the big light pole and dozed a little. That must have looked weird. By 2.30 in the morning I was thinking I'd never get a lift, so resorted to the two-way again. The first truck I called wouldn't give me a lift because his cab was full of 'crap'. Around 3am, I heard another truck coming up the hill and gave him a call. To my surprise and gratitude, he said OK and pulled up. He was pulling two trailers (B-Double) and was on his way to Apple Tree Ck do do a change over. I won't mention the company in case someone reads this and he gets in trouble, but thanks my friend, I'll drop in to your place when I'm back in Rocky and say g'day.

We both talked non-stop between Calliope and Apple Tree Ck about anything and everything. He had six kids with a seventh on the way. All between 14 months and thirteen years. He worked long hours to support them and by the way he spoke, his family were what kept him going. He also gave me some good lessons on the intricacies of pulling a B-Double down the highway. It's pretty easy to spit your back trailer across the highway if you don't treat the steering wheel very gently.

6 ish - Apple Tree Ck to Gympie

When we got to 'the creek', he talked to his mate that he was changing over with and he agreed to take me on to Gympie.

On the way from the creek to Gympie the driver and I didn't talk too much. I was trying to stay awake, but kept nodding. I didn't want to talk his ear off, but started up a few conversations just so I could stay awake and not appear rude. **It's bad etiquette to fall asleep in a car when hitching**.

I wasn't sure which turn-off I had to get off at North of Gympie, so I got him to drop me at the primary school on top of the hill North of town, then walked back to the Kilkivan turn-off. As it turned out, that was the safest spot for him to stop anyway. I said good-bye and thanked him profusely. It was about 8.30am and it looked like I might nearly get to Kingaroy on time.

8.30am Tuesday 25th March - A Bit of A Walk and a lift to Kilkivan

I walked back to the Kilkivan turn-off (6km)...the traffic was busy, but because of the hills and the crazy drivers I didn't bother trying to hitch until I got off the highway. At one spot the road went down a hill, across a little bridge and up into a 'three laner' over another hill. There was no way I was going to run the gauntlet across the bridge (no pedestrian access ) with the way the traffic was moving. I probably would have caused a major pile up or something. Luckily, there was a road that went off beside the highway and around the hill (Spring Valley Road). It is part of the old highway and goes through a cutting and back on to the highway. It's quite pretty and very 'rainforesty'. Quite narrow too. About as wide as one lane is on todays roads.

I got to the turn-off, crossed Bell's Bridge and stopped at a small lay off just up and around the corner from the bridge. After about ten minutes, a bloke pulled up in a 4WD and offered me a lift. He was going to Biloela for the first time (he had work in the mine), so we had a yarn. He asked about Biloela and I told him what I knew of the place from living there for a while back in '84, and from delivering freight there as well. He'd come from West Australia, his girlfriend lived in Gympie.

When we got to Kilkivan, I could have told a white lie and would have gotten a lift all the way to Goomeri. However, I got him to drop me at the Gayndah turn-off and gave him the tourist map I'd picked up at Ceratodus so he knew roughly which way he was going.

10 ish - Kilkivan to Kingaroy...and home at last

I walked up the hill and started hitching from another lay-off. I was over trying to walk anymore and decided that I'd stay there until someone stopped. About half an hour later, a young bloke in a near new SS Commodore picked me up. He was going to Dalby and could take me all the way to Kingaroy.
Legend.
We stopped at Goomeri for fuel and continued on. He'd had the car 18 months and it still looked new. "It's the first good thing I've ever owned, so I want to look after it" he said. He told how when he first got it, he went a bit silly and got done doing 90KMH in a 40 zone at some roadworks. Luckily the cop gave him a go and only booked him for 90 in a 60 zone. He was still down to nil points though and had learnt to behave through necessity.

We headed on through Murgon and Wondai and on to Kingaroy.

We got into Kingaroy before lunchtime! WooHoo! I had made it on time. I phoned Tina who told me that they didn't go to town because two of our in-laws' sons had come out to visit, but she'd organize something. So I went for a little tour around town. My first time in Kingaroy. Every second person looked they were either related to each other or were related to Joh and Flo. Just my perceptions and not intended to offend if you come from Kingaroy.

I put some money in the bank for my sis-in-law who had given us a loan last week, then had a look at a snack bar to buy a burger. A little too expensive, so I settled for a cheap 'Maccas' plastic burger and then headed to the pub on the corner of the road where Tina would be coming into town. I figured I'd sit outside and wait for the car and hoy them when I saw them. It took fully five minutes for the barman to get me a schooner...in an otherwise empty bar...then, as I walked out the door and put my pack on the ground, someone yelled "There's Brad!" from a strange car. They didn't come in the White Commodore as I'd expected, but were in our nephew's car. Lucky I walked out when I did and that my (step) daughter just happened to be looking out the window at some 'hotties' up the road. Otherwise I think we would have completely missed each other because they were expecting me to be at Woolies.

I skolled my beer, expecting them to be wanting to head off straight away. Instead, we had another one, then did a bit of shopping, visited more rellies in town and then headed off later that afternoon for home. Thanks Daniel and Jared. I had a good afternoon, even though I was starting to feel the effects of the trip.

When we got home, I got a second wind and we yarned for a while, had a feed and then I had a shower while Tina went over to the in-laws to pick up the ute. I ended up going to bed sometime that night, exhausted, but happy that I'd completed the 'mission'.

Epilogue

I'd managed, in 48 hours, to travel  around a thousand kilometres to feed my family. I walked about fifty kilometres of that and got about three hours of broken sleep. I met some truly nice people.

To everyone who gave me a lift, if you recognize yourself, post a message so I can thank you again and let me know your name if I've forgotten it.

Oh, and if I have to, I'll do it again. Only this time I won't be so patient with Mr X.

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