15th August
Nerang to Gringer Ck Campsite 6th day
An easy 17km walk was planned but it poured for the duration of much of the walk. Nevertheless some beautiful Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo) creek systems were the main feature of the day. Crossing the mighty Serpentine River was an anticlimax as the river wasn't even flowing. Just a bed of bauxite.
Getting to Gringer Ck was something to look forward to as we knew it was about a kilometre to a roadhouse. When I got to the hut there was a very strange man there. He was in flannels and wouldn't speak to me. When Rone arrived an hour later and put more effort into introductions all we could get were one word reply's. He told us his name but for anonymity I shall call him Cletus.
Cletus sat facing away from us all day, he had a beard and a balaclava on but not the type you would rob banks with as it showed his face or gave his beard room to be free. Because of the impression he gave I nicknamed him "Creepy Cletus" which Rone frowned upon as an un Christian thing to do. I replied that I am only reacting to the impression this person gave out here and told Rone he would understand if he saw movies like "Wolf Creek".
At the road house I got a works burger and bought some red wine which I poured into a convenient goon bag I had bought along. The wine lasted two nights. Of course Cletus didn't want to participate as he was probably plotting how to hide our dismembered bodies the next day. Rone and I did separate trips as I didn't trust Cletus with our gear. Of course this was only based on an impression and Cletus could of been the world's most wonderful saint for all we knew but the impression he gave was creepy.
Fortunately, Cletus was harmless as we survived the night although he had this rather peculiar high pitched snore which competed with Rone's aggressive pulling the rip cord of a mower to start it up snore. The notorious nocturnal visitors at this hut came. First there was a quenda which is like a bandicoot looking for something to eat but fortunately couldn't climb and then there was a notorious possum which a few harsh words, hand claps and a kindly shove seemed to repel this critter as well.
Day7 Gringer Ck to White Horse Hills Campsite