Day 338 | Mackunda Creek: nice stretch of waterhole
56 km | zzOz total: 8,876 km
Stampede!
She was a slow gentle climb this morning, somewhat soft and the wind was up and doing its bit to slow me down.
The cattle amused me, their dumpy running, oscillating front and back, jerky, then instead of running for cover, there’s a lot about down the hill they take to the road, 30 of them, a spread of ages from Mum’s to new calves and everything in between.
Even cattle a couple of hundred metres from the road decide to join in with the exodus, bumping their way across the Mitchell Grass tussock.
The sensible half peal off but there is a hardcore who decide the road is the way to go. Just as I close the gap the hill gets steeper, the track gets softer, or the wind does what winds do, I’m unable to go more than 9km/hour for more than 50m at a time.
Occasionally a few would peal off to the left but the rest would scamper down the road and the other would eventually join back to the peloton, or vice versa.
We pass a bull 400 m off the track, he’s worked out he doesn’t move for anything anymore, 3 cows head off down there, then stand about wondering what’s that’s been all about.
Finally after 7 km, it’s taken about 3/4 of an hour there’s a big downhill and the girls take off for the hills. Why didn’t that happen at the start I wonder?
There’s also roos out here, a lot, I count 41 for the day, actually I count more but realise that groups of 4 I’ve seen are in fact the same hoppers, they are quite a sight as they bound across the landscape, bit harder on the Mum’s who are carrying joeys in the pouch.
After lunch 8 big trail bike riders stop for a chat, on Day 9 of their tour of the Central Queensland Outback roads. That’s it, no cars for the day.
I decide to keep going to 60 km but a terrific campsite alongside a long waterhole presents itself.
My average speed has been under 10km/hour for the day, one of my slowest ever days on these types of roads and that wind doesn’t feel as if it is going to let up.