Woke to a very cold morning, at 4.30 am. I am so pumped for the second day’s walk. After removing the ice from the car it was time to drive to Esk.
The temperature was about -2 degrees as I alighted from the car at Pipeliner Park in Esk. I greeted those there and met the others as they arrived. Once formalities were over, at 6.35 am we headed off to finish at Lowood. At the initial stage passing through the park and racecourse as the sun came up, there was a heavy frost on the ground. In fact the heaviest frost in Esk for quite a few years! We were joined by one extra, and another two were not well to continue.
The trail left town and gradually gained elevation as we headed to Mount Hallen for morning break. Upon along the way cattle were met on the trail, but quickly departed on our arrival. Upon arrival at Mount Hallen – the 50 km mark, one of the unwell participants rejoined the trek. After a good break, it was time to set off on the longest stretch of 14.5 km to the next support stop. On the way one of the group developed a sore knee, so the support group was advised and met us at Malmborg Road. Bandaging did the trick till we could get to Coominya, the lunch stop. This stretch was also gruelling as the rail ballast proved difficult to walk on.
Once at Coominya, the group gathered to go to the Bellevue Hotel for lunch. Nice meal but took a bit of time, putting us back an hour.
After lunch, we headed off down the long straight towards Lockyer Creek. After a couple of kilometres, the trail veered left and then went straight for another couple of kilometres to the Lockyer Bridge. This historical bridge is currently under renovation to preserve its historical significance with its construction period 1885 – 1886.
Just after the bridge, a visit to Gerber’s Farm was made, with “Lancelot” the 8-day-old calf being bottle fed, and the rest of us enjoying a cheese platter.
Then off we set for Lowood. We only reached Nunn’s Road before I called it quits as the sun was setting and the air was getting cold and we needed to be back in Esk for a Thai dinner at Esk Thai restaurant. We waited for the Ipswich Hospital Foundation Bus and then headed back to Esk.
In Esk everyone went their separate ways for showers, change of clothes etc., then we met at Esk Thai for a great meal.
After dinner, Sue and I then drove to Toogoolawah to our cozy room and bed.
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