Sorry for the lack of updates over the last couple of days. We’ve been travelling down to Sydney from Noosa, so pretty uneventful really. We had a 10 hour journey on Wednesday and then on Thursday me and Andrea met up with one of my relatives in the afternoon - the sprightly Noela.
So tomorrow we are leaving Australia for the land of the fatties, the big U. S. A. We’re both really excited - our flight tomorrow afternoon can’t come round soon enough. We’re flying to Los Angeles and then we have another mammoth drive up to Eugene in Oregon, where we should arrive on Sunday night. We’re hoping to get straight into the American lifestyle and have some pancakes on Sunday morning at one of those diners on the highway - hopefully they do actually exist and it isn’t just in the movies!!
Before we leave Australia we made one of those cheesy lists of our best bits. It takes the form of an alphabet. There are a few letters missing where we couldn‘t think of anything good to say, so here goes:
A- AVALANCHE PEAK. This scared the hell out of both myself and Andrea, but the more we look back, the more we are pleased that we did it. Some simply incredible views. The only time so far when I couldn’t get my camera out for the snaps.
B- BLUE MOUNTAINS. Just beautiful. A massive surprise only 3 days into our trip.
C- COFFEE PALACE. If it hadn’t been for the noise this place would have been great. Free pancakes and great location in the heart of St Kilda and moments from the beach. A few nobheads in the hostel let it down for us.
D- DUBBO ZOO. Kangaroos, turtles, monkeys, meerkats and giraffes. Although we continue to wait for our first croc sighting.
E- EMILY & PAUL. Our fantastic New Zealand hosts. I’m not missing sleeping on the floor though guys!! ;)
F- FALLS CREEK. Stands out as one of our favourite places we have been. Amazing views, great walks and a fantastic lodge. It couldn’t have been much better.
G- GO BUSH. Our New Zealand Bush experience. Remote, beautiful and lots of fun.
H- HEATWAVE. Someone put the temperature up in November when we got to Australia. It got us into the habit of 5am starts for running. We won’t miss that in the US.
I- INTERNET in McDonalds. Considering I’m sat in McDonalds with a Big Mac and surfing the web, I feel it should be given a special mention.
K- KIWIRUN. How could we not mention it!! The best two weeks of our trip. Some great people and great sights. A must for runners across the world.
L- LIZARDS. We have a soft spot for lizards after owning a bearded dragon for a year. We probably ended up spending half our time in Australia looking for them!
M- MILDURA. We had to mention Mildura for being the worst place we stayed. The crappy cabin along with the intense heat and not a massive amount to do in the town meant that our stay there wasn’t particularly enjoyable.
N- NEW ZEALAND 10000 CHAMPS. It’s not everyday you get to say that you are New Zealand 10000m Champion! A very special day.
O- OUTBACK. One of our first experiences in Australia and one of the most memorable. How will we forget the vast, open and desolate landscape.
P- PENGUIN PARADE. The sight of 30 or so little penguins sprinting up the beach was so cute. I wish we could have got some good footage of it.
Q- QUEENSLAND gold coast. A city of contrasts - the beautiful natural beaches meet the skyscrapers of ‘surfers’s paradise’. Worth a visit, but don’t stay too long.
R- ROADTRIP. Essentially the best way to describe our trip so far. Without our trusty vehicles we wouldn’t have had the flexibility to do half of the things we have done so far.
S- SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK. We will always have a soft spot for the Olympic Park, particularly since we are such big fans of the Olympics. It was amazing to be able to see the park and how it is now being used. If London can do the same come 2012 they will be doing very well.
T- TONGARIRO CROSSING. One of the highlights of our North Island New Zealand trip. Fantastic views of Mount Doom (Lord of the Rings Reference) and the dormant volcano. Running it was slightly unconventional but what else can you do on a running tour!!
W- WILDLIFE. We would never have said that we were wildlife fans before coming to the southern hemisphere, but with the massive variety of animals native to Australia, you just can’t help but get into it.
X- XMAS DAY in batemans bay. We were both missing home on Christmas day this year. We managed to cheer ourselves up with a dip in the sea and a lunchtime bbq. No good tv though! Where’s Noel Edmonds when you need him!
Thanks to everyone for reading the first 3 months of our blog. We hope you enjoy the next 3 from the US!!
Friday 29 January 2010
Tuesday 26 January 2010
Preparing to leave Oz…
So here we are on our last proper day in Australia. I say proper because the next three days will be mainly spent doing the 14 hour drive back to Sydney ready for our flight on Saturday, and today was the last day in which we had a full day and the opportunity to do things.
The time here in Noosa has gone very quickly. I know obviously that time doesn’t speed up or slow down but sometimes it seems crazy that time is one of the few constants in the world. No matter what happens, time keeps marching on a the same rate. I suppose that‘s kind of comforting when you think about everything you have to look forward to in the future. But on the other hand, that clock which is ticking away the days till I have to return to work needs a punch in the face.
Anyway, today we decided to make say our final farewell’s to the places in Noosa which have made our stay memorable - so we went to the beach, we went to Lake Weyba for the afternoon and we also took a trip to the school playing field where we have spent a considerable amount of time training this week (it has a grass track and plenty of shade for core exercises). It was for yet another training session though so we are not completely sad.
Now that the final few days are upon us, and those days are likely to be of the less exciting sitting in a car variety, we are now both really looking forward to going to the states. It seems very close now. I’m also looking forward to finding out which films we can watch on the plane, and the strong possibility of journey sweets….we’ll have to wait and see….
The time here in Noosa has gone very quickly. I know obviously that time doesn’t speed up or slow down but sometimes it seems crazy that time is one of the few constants in the world. No matter what happens, time keeps marching on a the same rate. I suppose that‘s kind of comforting when you think about everything you have to look forward to in the future. But on the other hand, that clock which is ticking away the days till I have to return to work needs a punch in the face.
Anyway, today we decided to make say our final farewell’s to the places in Noosa which have made our stay memorable - so we went to the beach, we went to Lake Weyba for the afternoon and we also took a trip to the school playing field where we have spent a considerable amount of time training this week (it has a grass track and plenty of shade for core exercises). It was for yet another training session though so we are not completely sad.
Now that the final few days are upon us, and those days are likely to be of the less exciting sitting in a car variety, we are now both really looking forward to going to the states. It seems very close now. I’m also looking forward to finding out which films we can watch on the plane, and the strong possibility of journey sweets….we’ll have to wait and see….
Top of the World Rankings
One of the advantages of racing in the southern hemisphere at the beginning of Januray is that there is a good chance, if you win your races, that you may end up top of the world rankings list. Thanks to KiwiRun Andrea is currently top of the world rankings for the outdoor 3000m and 10000m! We’ll now be checking every day to see how long this streak lasts!!
Here is a link to the site that you need to check everyday… It’s interesting to note that the half-marathon time is around 90s quicker per 10k that Andrea’s world leading time, but I’m not going to let that spoil it.
Top of the World!!
Apart from that moment of excitement the day was pretty quiet. We have been enjoying our relaxing stay in the beautiful seaside town of Noosa, where we still have one more full day. It’s nice not to have to wake up and drive 5 hours to our next destination which has become a part of our lives whilst in Oz. Our main activities were a short trip to the beach for a swim and then later on sitting outside on our porch in the warm afternoon.
In the evening we rented the Disney animation ‘Up’, which we both really enjoyed. It was a bit of an emotional ride for us. One of the things that particularly struck a chord was that the main character had a book of the things that he wanted to achieve in life that he had made with his childhood sweetheart (who later became his wife). After his wife passed away he couldn‘t bring himself to look at the book as he believed that they had not done any of the things they had wanted to achieve. Late in the film he flicks through the book and sees photos that his wife had put into the book (when she had been ill) of many of the fun moments they had had together. A touching moment. Me and Andrea couldn’t look at each other at this point because we both had tears in our eyes! Definitely worth a look if you get a chance, and, don’t worry if you think it’s all sad as there was a happy ending.
Here is a link to the site that you need to check everyday… It’s interesting to note that the half-marathon time is around 90s quicker per 10k that Andrea’s world leading time, but I’m not going to let that spoil it.
Top of the World!!
Apart from that moment of excitement the day was pretty quiet. We have been enjoying our relaxing stay in the beautiful seaside town of Noosa, where we still have one more full day. It’s nice not to have to wake up and drive 5 hours to our next destination which has become a part of our lives whilst in Oz. Our main activities were a short trip to the beach for a swim and then later on sitting outside on our porch in the warm afternoon.
In the evening we rented the Disney animation ‘Up’, which we both really enjoyed. It was a bit of an emotional ride for us. One of the things that particularly struck a chord was that the main character had a book of the things that he wanted to achieve in life that he had made with his childhood sweetheart (who later became his wife). After his wife passed away he couldn‘t bring himself to look at the book as he believed that they had not done any of the things they had wanted to achieve. Late in the film he flicks through the book and sees photos that his wife had put into the book (when she had been ill) of many of the fun moments they had had together. A touching moment. Me and Andrea couldn’t look at each other at this point because we both had tears in our eyes! Definitely worth a look if you get a chance, and, don’t worry if you think it’s all sad as there was a happy ending.
Monday 25 January 2010
The latest garden accessory…
Today we went to explore another part of the area - Noosa Waters - called so probably because it is where there are a cluster of little lakes and waterways. It looked like it held potential for a good picnic spot and a pleasant walk.
Before going to Noosa Waters we stopped off at the huge Lake Weyba. After some difficulty in finding out how to actually get to it (poor map, definitely not poor map reading), we made it to the lakeside where it was really peaceful with only a few boats floating about and a canoeist. It was pretty relaxing and we stayed some time just chatting on the lake shore. Before the burn started we then made our way to Noosa Waters.
The view across Lake Weyba
It turns out that Noosa Waters is a housing estate and the posh part of town. I’m not sure why we didn’t guess before. The place was immaculate, hardly a leaf out of place. Each house backed onto the waterside and every house had a boat at the end of the garden, just as if having a boat is like having a tv set or a garden shed. It probably explains how some of the restaurants and shops in Noosa get away with being so expensive. Attractive as it was, it wasn’t quite the picnic spot we were hoping for. I suppose it might be slightly odd stopping for lunch on the grass verge outside someone’s front door, so we moved on.
Noosa waters
Today we also discovered a 2nd hand bookshop where we thought we may be able to sell four books which we’ve been carting around for ages. Hopefully we’d lighten our load for the USA flight and also make some money for ice-creams. It didn’t quite work out that way as the shop didn’t buy, only traded. As Chris has finally resurfaced after being lost in Homer for quite some time and is eager to start ‘Macroeconomics’ it was up to me to pick an appropriate read. A book by Bill Bryson was the answer. It looks good, however is probably bigger and heavier than the four books combined that we left at the shop. Not all carefully thought out plans come together I suppose.
Before going to Noosa Waters we stopped off at the huge Lake Weyba. After some difficulty in finding out how to actually get to it (poor map, definitely not poor map reading), we made it to the lakeside where it was really peaceful with only a few boats floating about and a canoeist. It was pretty relaxing and we stayed some time just chatting on the lake shore. Before the burn started we then made our way to Noosa Waters.
It turns out that Noosa Waters is a housing estate and the posh part of town. I’m not sure why we didn’t guess before. The place was immaculate, hardly a leaf out of place. Each house backed onto the waterside and every house had a boat at the end of the garden, just as if having a boat is like having a tv set or a garden shed. It probably explains how some of the restaurants and shops in Noosa get away with being so expensive. Attractive as it was, it wasn’t quite the picnic spot we were hoping for. I suppose it might be slightly odd stopping for lunch on the grass verge outside someone’s front door, so we moved on.
Today we also discovered a 2nd hand bookshop where we thought we may be able to sell four books which we’ve been carting around for ages. Hopefully we’d lighten our load for the USA flight and also make some money for ice-creams. It didn’t quite work out that way as the shop didn’t buy, only traded. As Chris has finally resurfaced after being lost in Homer for quite some time and is eager to start ‘Macroeconomics’ it was up to me to pick an appropriate read. A book by Bill Bryson was the answer. It looks good, however is probably bigger and heavier than the four books combined that we left at the shop. Not all carefully thought out plans come together I suppose.
Sunday 24 January 2010
One week to go!!
We only have seven full days left in the southern hemisphere. Andrea often counts down the time in terms of the number of training runs or sessions that she has left. That meant that including today it is only 13 runs and 5 harder sessions. It still sounds like a lot doesn’t it! Today was Andrea’s double session day so we would immediately be able to knock two off each of those numbers.
Andrea’s first session of the day was a 10mile marathon paced tempo. So that she doesn’t run on an empty stomach Andrea normally gets up around an hour before to have a small bowl of cereal. As you can be out for a couple of hours on these types of sessions it stops you getting really hungry. Part of the loop that we found to do the tempo run on was on a main road without paths (although there was a cycle lane), so we decided to get up half an hour earlier so that there would be less traffic about. This meant getting up at the crazy hour of 4am! Andrea started the run at 5:30am and approximately an hour later had finished. It didn’t go so well today - it happens every now and again - so we decided to not bother with the second small speedier session later and just do an easy run.
The rest of the day was pretty relaxed. We went to the beach and then into Noosa Heads, which was pretty and expensive, to explore and get an ice-cream. When we came back we (or more accurately I) watched the penultimate stage of Australia’s premier pro road biking tour - The Tour Down Under, which is dominating sports coverage over here along with the Australian Open.
After we got back from our easy runs we had a barbeque without the carcinogenic bit, i.e. burning the hell our of the meat on an actual bbq. We enjoyed sitting outside on our porch until late in the evening (8pm), whilst enjoying a glass of wine or two… or perhaps even four.
Andrea’s first session of the day was a 10mile marathon paced tempo. So that she doesn’t run on an empty stomach Andrea normally gets up around an hour before to have a small bowl of cereal. As you can be out for a couple of hours on these types of sessions it stops you getting really hungry. Part of the loop that we found to do the tempo run on was on a main road without paths (although there was a cycle lane), so we decided to get up half an hour earlier so that there would be less traffic about. This meant getting up at the crazy hour of 4am! Andrea started the run at 5:30am and approximately an hour later had finished. It didn’t go so well today - it happens every now and again - so we decided to not bother with the second small speedier session later and just do an easy run.
The rest of the day was pretty relaxed. We went to the beach and then into Noosa Heads, which was pretty and expensive, to explore and get an ice-cream. When we came back we (or more accurately I) watched the penultimate stage of Australia’s premier pro road biking tour - The Tour Down Under, which is dominating sports coverage over here along with the Australian Open.
After we got back from our easy runs we had a barbeque without the carcinogenic bit, i.e. burning the hell our of the meat on an actual bbq. We enjoyed sitting outside on our porch until late in the evening (8pm), whilst enjoying a glass of wine or two… or perhaps even four.
Noosa National Park
When the worst of the day’s sun had passed we decided to go to the Noosa National Park which is situated only a mile or so up the road from where we are staying. It was still pretty hot so we didn’t fancy doing too much walking, however we decided to do a shortish out and back walk to visit Alexandria Bay - which is only accessible by foot and so should be quite quiet we thought.
The walk was pleasant despite the never ending steps we had to tackle initially. Once at the top of the cliff, we were walking through bush land which provided welcome shade although it unfortunately ruined what were potentially great views of the coastline. We didn’t see many people though so had high hopes of a quiet and peaceful beach when we emerged from the bush line.
Chris took a cheeky photo of me walking up towards the heads
We weren’t disappointed as there was very few people scattered on the beach, however as we approached the first couple of people on the beach we noticed that they were stark naked! We had accidentally (I promise) stumbled on a nudist beach. We weren’t tempted to join in despite the prospect of an all-over tan, so after a few minutes sit down, made our way back over the cliffs and made our way back to the apartment to enjoy the warm evening with a glass of wine.
Looking back at sunshine and sunrise beaches
The walk was pleasant despite the never ending steps we had to tackle initially. Once at the top of the cliff, we were walking through bush land which provided welcome shade although it unfortunately ruined what were potentially great views of the coastline. We didn’t see many people though so had high hopes of a quiet and peaceful beach when we emerged from the bush line.
We weren’t disappointed as there was very few people scattered on the beach, however as we approached the first couple of people on the beach we noticed that they were stark naked! We had accidentally (I promise) stumbled on a nudist beach. We weren’t tempted to join in despite the prospect of an all-over tan, so after a few minutes sit down, made our way back over the cliffs and made our way back to the apartment to enjoy the warm evening with a glass of wine.
Thursday 21 January 2010
Arse over feet
The apartments we are staying in have some body boards (or shark biscuits as the apartment owner likes to call them) which are available for patrons to use. For those that don’t know, body boards are half-length surf boards which you never get to stand up on. You just ride the waves lying on your front. I used to do a reasonable amount of it around 10 years ago, and even went on a holiday to the south of France with family and friends where we managed to surf most days. Andrea on the other hand has never had a go. Being a bit of a country bumpkin and growing up out in the sticks she hadn’t even seen the sea or heard of surfing until she got to Australia. So this was a totally new experience for her.
First we had to find a section of beach that we could use. It didn’t take long, near our apartment there is a patrolled section where at least if anything bad does happen there are some lifeguards nearby to save you. We read today that 48 people have already drowned in Australia since January 1st - double last years amount. This is largely because many families and groups overestimate their swimming ability and end up getting caught in dangerous rips which drag you out to sea. Even if you are a strong swimmer you have to be very careful with rips forming all over the Australian coastline. Obviously as Andrea hasn’t done any surfing before we wanted to be safe and stay with our feet always on firm ground and so we stayed in the patrolled section.
The waves weren’t the best though and were crashing down very close to the shore. This presented another problem for Andrea - staying on her feet long enough to catch a wave. Eventually, Andrea did manage to surf a few waves and I think she did actually quite enjoyed it. It was just as we were going though that a massive wave came crashing down on Andrea. All I saw was feet and legs in the air and when Andrea emerged from the water, it was with a few scratches and a snapped body board!! Not quite the successful ending we were hoping for! Maybe body boarding is best left for the UK where the waves are half the size…
Andrea sticking to something she is good at ;)
Sunrise in Noosa
First we had to find a section of beach that we could use. It didn’t take long, near our apartment there is a patrolled section where at least if anything bad does happen there are some lifeguards nearby to save you. We read today that 48 people have already drowned in Australia since January 1st - double last years amount. This is largely because many families and groups overestimate their swimming ability and end up getting caught in dangerous rips which drag you out to sea. Even if you are a strong swimmer you have to be very careful with rips forming all over the Australian coastline. Obviously as Andrea hasn’t done any surfing before we wanted to be safe and stay with our feet always on firm ground and so we stayed in the patrolled section.
The waves weren’t the best though and were crashing down very close to the shore. This presented another problem for Andrea - staying on her feet long enough to catch a wave. Eventually, Andrea did manage to surf a few waves and I think she did actually quite enjoyed it. It was just as we were going though that a massive wave came crashing down on Andrea. All I saw was feet and legs in the air and when Andrea emerged from the water, it was with a few scratches and a snapped body board!! Not quite the successful ending we were hoping for! Maybe body boarding is best left for the UK where the waves are half the size…
The furthest point....
Now at the halfway point through our final road trip of Australia, it was time to move on today to one of the last few places we will visit. Noosa sits north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast and we had booked to stay in a shared apartment for a week. Following on from our seven nights in Noosa we then have three days to make our way back down to Sydney for our flight, but in the meantime there looks to be plenty to amuse ourselves in and around the area.
After another early start to fit in a long run with Ollie and an Aussie guy called Paul, we were on the road from the Gold Coast by mid morning following a rather long internet fix to sort out my entry to my first race in the US (woohoo). It seemed to take an age to get to Noosa, even though it was probably only three or four hours. Probably due to the intense temperature in the car. The apartment in right on the Sunrise Beach, where there is miles and miles of sand and not very many people (always a bonus). First activity tomorrow (ear permitting) will be to test out one of the free body boards they have at the apartments. Hopefully it will be easier than body surfing or else I’m in for a salty breakfast….
After another early start to fit in a long run with Ollie and an Aussie guy called Paul, we were on the road from the Gold Coast by mid morning following a rather long internet fix to sort out my entry to my first race in the US (woohoo). It seemed to take an age to get to Noosa, even though it was probably only three or four hours. Probably due to the intense temperature in the car. The apartment in right on the Sunrise Beach, where there is miles and miles of sand and not very many people (always a bonus). First activity tomorrow (ear permitting) will be to test out one of the free body boards they have at the apartments. Hopefully it will be easier than body surfing or else I’m in for a salty breakfast….
Tuesday 19 January 2010
A tale of two cities
It was non-stop action today as we aimed to make the most of our only full day on the Gold Coast. Andrea had a reps session to do first thing in the morning so we were out before 5:30am local time. It went well although it was already baking hot by 7am when we finished. On the way back we went for a swim in Burleigh Creek - watching our for Bull Sharks which Ollie said are pulled out quite regularly around these parts. We got back and had our breakfast before going to the beach and relaxing for a bit. Including another obligatory swim to cool down. Ollie then picked us up from the motel and took us to a really nice place on the Currumbin waterfront where we each enjoyed a burger. In the afternoon we went for a walk along Currumbin Creek boardwalks and Andrea then went for her second easy run around another local park to us.
In the evening we went to the Q1 tower in ‘Surfers Paradise’ - the worlds tallest residential building. Surfers Paradise is what a lot of people think of when they think of the Gold Coast - high rise apartments backing onto the beaches. However, this is only a small part of the GC and most of it isn’t as built up or touristy. The Q1 tower allows you to see how all of these areas merge together and how the built-up apartment towers meet the beautiful natural coastline. The Gold Coast is certainly a city of stark contrasts.
The view from Q1
Surfers Paradise
In the evening we went to the Q1 tower in ‘Surfers Paradise’ - the worlds tallest residential building. Surfers Paradise is what a lot of people think of when they think of the Gold Coast - high rise apartments backing onto the beaches. However, this is only a small part of the GC and most of it isn’t as built up or touristy. The Q1 tower allows you to see how all of these areas merge together and how the built-up apartment towers meet the beautiful natural coastline. The Gold Coast is certainly a city of stark contrasts.
It's oh so quiet...
Undeterred by the experience of finding accommodation in Byron Bay, we decided to try it once again on the Gold Coast which would be our next destination.
After arriving on the Gold Coast early (we thought 9am however we found out later that Queensland is on a different time to New South Wales so it was actually 8am) we spent some time initially driving round trying to find anything that looked like a hotel or hostel but nothing could be seen. However after a few detours we struck gold with a whole host of hotels and motels along one long strip (the Gold Coast Highway). We only had to go into two Motels to find somewhere within our price range, and like in Byron Bay, we took the last room available. Despite not being able to see the bottom of the pool (and not because it was deep either), the motel was pretty good and had everything we wanted.
We had a fairly quiet afternoon, or certainly Chris did anyway. After quite a bit of swimming in the sea over the past few days, Chris seems to have developed a blocked ear (potential ear infection?) and so spent half the afternoon shaking his head and yawning whilst I spent it repeating myself and talking very loudly. We did manage to have a bit of a drive around the area, with myself driving for a change so that I could talk into Chris’s good ear. The Gold Coast is made up of a number of different towns (or area’s) and first impressions is that it’s very nice. We didn’t get as far as the ridiculously named ‘Surfers Paradise’ whose high rise buildings were looming ominously in the distance, but apparently it’s best to avoid it anyway. We may have to go at some point though just to see how tacky and trashy it actually is ;).
Looking across the bay towards 'Surfers Paradise'
In the evening we met our new Kiwi Run friend, Ollie, who is also staying on the Gold Coast for a few weeks. It had cooled down a little by now so we went for a run and then had a bit of a look at the beach before going back for an early night. We have decided to keep our watches on NSW time as I tend to do most of my hard sessions in the mornings, Hence we will be getting up at 4.30am actual time tomorrow for the session….all in the name of athletics!
Me hanging onto Ollies coattails
After arriving on the Gold Coast early (we thought 9am however we found out later that Queensland is on a different time to New South Wales so it was actually 8am) we spent some time initially driving round trying to find anything that looked like a hotel or hostel but nothing could be seen. However after a few detours we struck gold with a whole host of hotels and motels along one long strip (the Gold Coast Highway). We only had to go into two Motels to find somewhere within our price range, and like in Byron Bay, we took the last room available. Despite not being able to see the bottom of the pool (and not because it was deep either), the motel was pretty good and had everything we wanted.
We had a fairly quiet afternoon, or certainly Chris did anyway. After quite a bit of swimming in the sea over the past few days, Chris seems to have developed a blocked ear (potential ear infection?) and so spent half the afternoon shaking his head and yawning whilst I spent it repeating myself and talking very loudly. We did manage to have a bit of a drive around the area, with myself driving for a change so that I could talk into Chris’s good ear. The Gold Coast is made up of a number of different towns (or area’s) and first impressions is that it’s very nice. We didn’t get as far as the ridiculously named ‘Surfers Paradise’ whose high rise buildings were looming ominously in the distance, but apparently it’s best to avoid it anyway. We may have to go at some point though just to see how tacky and trashy it actually is ;).
In the evening we met our new Kiwi Run friend, Ollie, who is also staying on the Gold Coast for a few weeks. It had cooled down a little by now so we went for a run and then had a bit of a look at the beach before going back for an early night. We have decided to keep our watches on NSW time as I tend to do most of my hard sessions in the mornings, Hence we will be getting up at 4.30am actual time tomorrow for the session….all in the name of athletics!
Monday 18 January 2010
Beach Babes
So, quite unintentionally, this section of our trip has turned into a bit of a beach holiday. Neither myself or Andrea would call ourselves beach types, it’s just something we’ve never been into. For myself it is not for lack of opportunity. Coming from Bournemouth where there are beaches just 5 minutes walk from my house I have just never been bothered about it. However, here the beach experience is much more enjoyable. For one thing the weather here is hot everyday (it almost goes without saying), so that the coolest place to be (if you have some shade) is by the sea. If you spend your time reading on the beach then when you get too hot you can just dive into the water and cool off - perfect. Which brings me onto the sea - it is much warmer than the English channel - you aren’t shivering the whole time you’re in the water - which makes a dip more enjoyable. And lastly Australia is a big country with a lot of coastline, so the beaches just aren’t as crowded as back home. I’m coming across like a bit of a grumpy old sod here and I apologise. The UK does many things a lot better than Australia, but beach holidays just isn’t one of them ;).
Being a Sunday Andrea had a long run to do. When Andrea returned we hit the beach for a couple of hours, doing a bit of reading and then some more swimming. Andrea is still drinking more water than she is bodysurfing on so she didn’t have much luck there. I managed to ride some good ones as the waves were possibly as big as we have seen while in Oz. We went back to the hostel for a few hours to escape the harsh sun during the middle of the day and then wandered up to ‘Cape Byron’ to have a closer look at Australia’s most eastern mainland point and Australia’s most eastern Lighthouse. On returning to the hostel we made the most of the beachside location of the hostel and went for one last dip in the water before we would be leaving Byron Bay for the Gold Coast in the morning.
One of Byron Bay's beautiful beaches
Riding a wave
Being a Sunday Andrea had a long run to do. When Andrea returned we hit the beach for a couple of hours, doing a bit of reading and then some more swimming. Andrea is still drinking more water than she is bodysurfing on so she didn’t have much luck there. I managed to ride some good ones as the waves were possibly as big as we have seen while in Oz. We went back to the hostel for a few hours to escape the harsh sun during the middle of the day and then wandered up to ‘Cape Byron’ to have a closer look at Australia’s most eastern mainland point and Australia’s most eastern Lighthouse. On returning to the hostel we made the most of the beachside location of the hostel and went for one last dip in the water before we would be leaving Byron Bay for the Gold Coast in the morning.
Sunday 17 January 2010
Body Surfing Part 2
After we had recovered from the trauma of our accommodation hunt (can I add that Chris did embellish slightly on some aspects in yesterdays blog in case anyone was wondering), today would be our first full day of exploring Byron Bay which would also be combined with my weekly double reps session day.
Thankfully it was a little less hot today for my sessions and they both went well, however I won’t bore you all with the gory details. In between the two we obviously had some time to kill and it seemed silly to come to Byron Bay, and stay in a beach side hostel, without spending at least some of the time on the beach. However, neither of us are sun worshipers, and I am in a period of wearing more clothes since my lobster episode in Coffs Harbour, so if we were going to go to the beach it was almost inevitable that we would end up in the sea. Chris spent some time body surfing and I spent a lot of time either trying not to drown or trying to rescue either my bikini top or shorts. The waves were pretty big (or certainly compared to anything I’ve seen before) and Chris managed to catch a few good waves. Unfortunately I didn’t see many of these as I was usually underwater having been completely taken out by the wave. Having done only minimal swimming (more paddling or splashing really) over the last few years I seem to have completely lost my ability to close my mouth or hold my breath whilst under water and hence I think I got my salt intake for the day within about 40 minutes.
When we were cold and shrivelled, we called it a day and as the weather was still relatively cool, we took the opportunity to have a wander around the town centre and in some of the shops. It seems like a good town centre with plenty of shops, restaurants, bars and café’s (if only we had a bigger budget eh!). Chris promised me an ice cream if he could barter down some of the prices but his technique still requires some fine-tuning so we went home empty handed.
We’ve another day in Byron Bay tomorrow - hopefully it will be another cool one as we plan to do a walk around the nearby national park…
Morning session stroll
The beach that we went to three times today!!
Thankfully it was a little less hot today for my sessions and they both went well, however I won’t bore you all with the gory details. In between the two we obviously had some time to kill and it seemed silly to come to Byron Bay, and stay in a beach side hostel, without spending at least some of the time on the beach. However, neither of us are sun worshipers, and I am in a period of wearing more clothes since my lobster episode in Coffs Harbour, so if we were going to go to the beach it was almost inevitable that we would end up in the sea. Chris spent some time body surfing and I spent a lot of time either trying not to drown or trying to rescue either my bikini top or shorts. The waves were pretty big (or certainly compared to anything I’ve seen before) and Chris managed to catch a few good waves. Unfortunately I didn’t see many of these as I was usually underwater having been completely taken out by the wave. Having done only minimal swimming (more paddling or splashing really) over the last few years I seem to have completely lost my ability to close my mouth or hold my breath whilst under water and hence I think I got my salt intake for the day within about 40 minutes.
When we were cold and shrivelled, we called it a day and as the weather was still relatively cool, we took the opportunity to have a wander around the town centre and in some of the shops. It seems like a good town centre with plenty of shops, restaurants, bars and café’s (if only we had a bigger budget eh!). Chris promised me an ice cream if he could barter down some of the prices but his technique still requires some fine-tuning so we went home empty handed.
We’ve another day in Byron Bay tomorrow - hopefully it will be another cool one as we plan to do a walk around the nearby national park…
Saturday 16 January 2010
Extreme Travelling
We did something today that we haven’t done whilst we’ve been away. We set off from Coffs Harbour without any accommodation booked at our next destination. For most people that is part of the travelling experience - rocking up at your next destination and finding somewhere to stay on your arrival. But to be honest that isn’t us. Free spirits we are not! We like to plan and know what is coming up over the next few days and more importantly how much of our budget is left. Not knowing where we are going to be next month gives me headaches so not knowing where I’m going to be spending the next night doesn’t bare thinking about! Some of you may be asking ‘why now?’ as we have been travelling for over two months. Well if you hang on a sec, I’ll tell you. The main reason is because of those damn KiwiRunners. Those guys just didn’t give us enough spare time to sort anything out. They kept us too busy!! Internet was available but because of all the planned activities we didn’t get a chance to do anything productive let alone browse the bbc news. When we did finally get a moment there wasn’t much accommodation available, mainly because it’s holiday season and the stuff that was available was just too expensive.
So we got up early, anxious after a sleepness night worrying that we’d end up spending the following night in some drug den, and hit the road before sunrise. Part of the reason why accommodation was so expensive was because we wanted to stay in Byron Bay, one of Australia’s premier seaside resorts; popular with families, surfers and backpackers alike. To imagine Byron Bay think Newquay, but with good weather and a lot more crowded.
As soon as we started driving into Byron Bay our worst fears began coming to life. Motel after hotel after hostel. All with no vacancies. Even the man in the information centre said our plight was hopeless. He even suggested a nearby dog kennels who sometimes have spare beds for struggling backpackers. Just as we were contemplating moving on from Byron Bay, we struck gold. The Backpacker Inn. Right on the beach, with its own swimming pool, free bike hire and free surfboard hire. All of this for only $70 per night (£40). One of the most expensive places we’ve stayed so far, but we’d take it and for three nights if only so we could put off going through this stressful experience for another few days!!
So we got up early, anxious after a sleepness night worrying that we’d end up spending the following night in some drug den, and hit the road before sunrise. Part of the reason why accommodation was so expensive was because we wanted to stay in Byron Bay, one of Australia’s premier seaside resorts; popular with families, surfers and backpackers alike. To imagine Byron Bay think Newquay, but with good weather and a lot more crowded.
As soon as we started driving into Byron Bay our worst fears began coming to life. Motel after hotel after hostel. All with no vacancies. Even the man in the information centre said our plight was hopeless. He even suggested a nearby dog kennels who sometimes have spare beds for struggling backpackers. Just as we were contemplating moving on from Byron Bay, we struck gold. The Backpacker Inn. Right on the beach, with its own swimming pool, free bike hire and free surfboard hire. All of this for only $70 per night (£40). One of the most expensive places we’ve stayed so far, but we’d take it and for three nights if only so we could put off going through this stressful experience for another few days!!
Friday 15 January 2010
Body Surfing and Botanical Gardens
Inspired by our beach trips whilst in New Zealand, we decided today to check out the beaches that Coffs Harbour has to offer. There were plenty of beaches to choose from and we didn’t have to try very hard to find one that wasn’t busy. We spent maybe a couple of hours at the beach where Chris had the unenviable job of trying to teach me to body surf. Not an easy role considering I don’t like getting my head wet and haven’t swum front crawl for years.
The beautiful beach
Having got a lot of ocean either in my mouth or in my eyes, we dismissed it as a poor effort and retired to the beach to relax. We thought we were safe considering the large volume of sun tan lotion we had put on but it seems my pasty Northern skin can’t handle the weather and I later discovered I had been transformed into a poor imitation of a lobster wearing a white bikini. So it’s full clothing for me now for a while.
Suitably fried we then headed off to look at a promising market that we had seen on our way to the beach. However, our bad luck continued as most of the stalls were clearing away for the day (at 3pm!!). Determinedly we carried on and headed to Coffs Harbour’s Botanic Gardens. It seems that everywhere in Australia has a botanic garden and we have visited a few over the past couple of months. Coffs Harbour’s version didn’t disappoint despite the fact that we had less than an hour to get around it before we would be locked in. There were a number of boardwalks (which are developing into Chris’s favourite type of walk) and a range of different plants and trees as you might expect. The most unusual was an orange electricity wire type tree, spotted right at the end. Of course, a certain amount of time was spent spotting lizards but that almost goes without saying these days.
Coffs Harbour's Botanical Gardens
Electric Plant!
So a slightly frustrating but on the whole good day spent at Coffs Harbour. You could easily spend longer here but the Sunshine Coast is calling. Our next stop on the journey is Byron Bay. It is slightly out of character for us but we will be attempting to fly by the seats of our pants and just rock up without booking any accommodation in advance. We will see what happens.
Having got a lot of ocean either in my mouth or in my eyes, we dismissed it as a poor effort and retired to the beach to relax. We thought we were safe considering the large volume of sun tan lotion we had put on but it seems my pasty Northern skin can’t handle the weather and I later discovered I had been transformed into a poor imitation of a lobster wearing a white bikini. So it’s full clothing for me now for a while.
Suitably fried we then headed off to look at a promising market that we had seen on our way to the beach. However, our bad luck continued as most of the stalls were clearing away for the day (at 3pm!!). Determinedly we carried on and headed to Coffs Harbour’s Botanic Gardens. It seems that everywhere in Australia has a botanic garden and we have visited a few over the past couple of months. Coffs Harbour’s version didn’t disappoint despite the fact that we had less than an hour to get around it before we would be locked in. There were a number of boardwalks (which are developing into Chris’s favourite type of walk) and a range of different plants and trees as you might expect. The most unusual was an orange electricity wire type tree, spotted right at the end. Of course, a certain amount of time was spent spotting lizards but that almost goes without saying these days.
So a slightly frustrating but on the whole good day spent at Coffs Harbour. You could easily spend longer here but the Sunshine Coast is calling. Our next stop on the journey is Byron Bay. It is slightly out of character for us but we will be attempting to fly by the seats of our pants and just rock up without booking any accommodation in advance. We will see what happens.
Thursday 14 January 2010
Coffs Harbour
We were up at 5:30am so that we could get out to run before the intense heat hits later in the morning. Andrea again went into the Myall Lakes National Park (and saw a few kangaroos and wild dogs!!) while I ran around a football pitch (it reminds me of home).
Andrea running the quiet roads of Bulahdelah
We left Buhlahdelah early and arrived in Coffs Harbour at around 2pm. In the afternoon we didn’t manage much exciting stuff as we needed to shop for food and drink (something to entertain us with in the evenings!!).
In the evening we went on a walk for an hour along a cycle track which takes you past the Coffs Harbour Botanical gardens and along a river. We arrived back at the hotel at 7pm - enough time to do a core session and get dinner before watching the end of WALL.E.
We left Buhlahdelah early and arrived in Coffs Harbour at around 2pm. In the afternoon we didn’t manage much exciting stuff as we needed to shop for food and drink (something to entertain us with in the evenings!!).
In the evening we went on a walk for an hour along a cycle track which takes you past the Coffs Harbour Botanical gardens and along a river. We arrived back at the hotel at 7pm - enough time to do a core session and get dinner before watching the end of WALL.E.
Wednesday 13 January 2010
Bulahdelah and Big Lizards
The small town of Bulahdelah sits on the edge of the Myall Lakes National Park. On the map there seemed to be a number of walking trails, campsites and picnic areas, and as there are fairly limited places to run around the town itself, we decided to drive out to the National Park this morning for our run.
Unlike the Royal National Park which we drove through before New Year, Myall Lakes is much quieter and it really does feel like the road-less-travelled. We passed a few cars on the journey there, but they were quite few and far between and we didn’t get very far before I decided to hop out and start my run.
Part way through the run we spotted a sign for Koughman’s Landing and so turned off the main (ish) road. This lead to a beautiful lakeside campsite and picnic area where I finished my run. It was then time to sit on the side of the lake and eat breakfast. Just as we were beginning to pack up the car to return to the town, we made perhaps our best wildlife discovery yet.
Appearing from underneath one of the other cars, was a lizard. However, this was not like any of the other lizards we have seen, in that it was about 1.5 metres long and as wide as my leg. (well almost). Upon taking a closer look, we saw two other lizards exactly the same (one in a tree), and spent the next half an hour chasing them round the car park trying to get the perfect photo.
Myall lakes
Big lizard
The rest of the day was fairly quiet as we hung around our cabin while the suns heat was at its harshest. In the evening we did a short run before heading up Alum Mountain. Unfortunately we didn’t give ourselves enough time before sunset and so we almost got caught up the mountain in the dark with all the scary snakes and spiders out to get us.
Tomorrow we are heading north to Coffs Harbour where we are staying for a couple of days. It apparently has some nice beaches so we may end up checking them out.
Vid of said lizard in action
Unlike the Royal National Park which we drove through before New Year, Myall Lakes is much quieter and it really does feel like the road-less-travelled. We passed a few cars on the journey there, but they were quite few and far between and we didn’t get very far before I decided to hop out and start my run.
Part way through the run we spotted a sign for Koughman’s Landing and so turned off the main (ish) road. This lead to a beautiful lakeside campsite and picnic area where I finished my run. It was then time to sit on the side of the lake and eat breakfast. Just as we were beginning to pack up the car to return to the town, we made perhaps our best wildlife discovery yet.
Appearing from underneath one of the other cars, was a lizard. However, this was not like any of the other lizards we have seen, in that it was about 1.5 metres long and as wide as my leg. (well almost). Upon taking a closer look, we saw two other lizards exactly the same (one in a tree), and spent the next half an hour chasing them round the car park trying to get the perfect photo.
The rest of the day was fairly quiet as we hung around our cabin while the suns heat was at its harshest. In the evening we did a short run before heading up Alum Mountain. Unfortunately we didn’t give ourselves enough time before sunset and so we almost got caught up the mountain in the dark with all the scary snakes and spiders out to get us.
Tomorrow we are heading north to Coffs Harbour where we are staying for a couple of days. It apparently has some nice beaches so we may end up checking them out.
Vid of said lizard in action
Tuesday 12 January 2010
The Come Down
As Andrea mentioned yesterday we had to be up at 3:30am to get ready for our flight. After getting to bed at around 11:30pm the night before it wasn’t easy and knocked us both back for the rest of the day.
Our flight was pretty good. This time we flew with Air New Zealand - a bit of a step from Jetstar - and we actually got breakfast and films included even though it was only a three hour flight. Me and Andrea managed to sync ‘The Full Monty’ so that we were at the same moment in the film even though we were watching on two screens. And before you say anything it isn’t geeky, its just practical! There’s nothing worse than knowing what the punch-line is going to be before it happens!! Hehe.
We arrived in Sydney at 8:30am and had a three hour trip up to the small town of Bulahdelah to get to our next accommodation. Over the next 19 days we will be driving up the east coast of Australia, past Brisbane, towards the sunshine coast, where we will be spending a week in the small coastal town of Noosa. We will then be whizzing back down towards Sydney where we then fly to Los Angeles on the 30th of January. So lots to look forward to.
We were both feeling a bit sad about leaving KiwiRun today. We had such a great two weeks that we were both feeling not very up for the next 19 days. A case of post tour blues!! We have both really enjoyed the travelling parts of our trip so far so I’m sure that once we will be back into the swing of seeing different places we will both be feeling a bit better. We have eyed up a few national parks and places we want to visit in the surrounding area tomorrow which we will report on later.
Our flight was pretty good. This time we flew with Air New Zealand - a bit of a step from Jetstar - and we actually got breakfast and films included even though it was only a three hour flight. Me and Andrea managed to sync ‘The Full Monty’ so that we were at the same moment in the film even though we were watching on two screens. And before you say anything it isn’t geeky, its just practical! There’s nothing worse than knowing what the punch-line is going to be before it happens!! Hehe.
We arrived in Sydney at 8:30am and had a three hour trip up to the small town of Bulahdelah to get to our next accommodation. Over the next 19 days we will be driving up the east coast of Australia, past Brisbane, towards the sunshine coast, where we will be spending a week in the small coastal town of Noosa. We will then be whizzing back down towards Sydney where we then fly to Los Angeles on the 30th of January. So lots to look forward to.
We were both feeling a bit sad about leaving KiwiRun today. We had such a great two weeks that we were both feeling not very up for the next 19 days. A case of post tour blues!! We have both really enjoyed the travelling parts of our trip so far so I’m sure that once we will be back into the swing of seeing different places we will both be feeling a bit better. We have eyed up a few national parks and places we want to visit in the surrounding area tomorrow which we will report on later.
Monday 11 January 2010
The Final Supper
The last day of KiwiRun. It has come around far far too quickly. Time has gone whooshing past at a hundred miles an hour. Already today we have lost three of the group back to their respective homes and our own 3:30am wake up call tomorrow is rapidly approaching.
To celebrate our final day, or rather to help our battered legs, we did one of flatest runs of the trip so far with a lovely sunny run alongside one of the rivers in Wellington. Despite the brutal wind it was a nice way to finish our New Zealand running experience.
The afternoon saw our final supper together as a group. This took the form of a barbecue (indoors as by now it was teaming with rain) at a local farm owned by one of Steve's friends. We enjoyed delicious barbecued lamb sandwiches before the KiwiRun Awards were dished out. I won the award for lapping the most top NZ runners, whilst Chris won the 'Come on Andrea' award for the brilliant support he has given me on the tour (and in general).
Our plans for an early night failed to materialise due to having so many people to thank, swap email addresses with and say goodbye to. A sign of an absolutely fantastic two weeks...
To celebrate our final day, or rather to help our battered legs, we did one of flatest runs of the trip so far with a lovely sunny run alongside one of the rivers in Wellington. Despite the brutal wind it was a nice way to finish our New Zealand running experience.
The afternoon saw our final supper together as a group. This took the form of a barbecue (indoors as by now it was teaming with rain) at a local farm owned by one of Steve's friends. We enjoyed delicious barbecued lamb sandwiches before the KiwiRun Awards were dished out. I won the award for lapping the most top NZ runners, whilst Chris won the 'Come on Andrea' award for the brilliant support he has given me on the tour (and in general).
Our plans for an early night failed to materialise due to having so many people to thank, swap email addresses with and say goodbye to. A sign of an absolutely fantastic two weeks...
Sunday 10 January 2010
Wellington
For some people today was their last full day and only opportunity to look around New Zealand’s capital - Wellington. It also is where Steve and Nick Willis grew up, so local knowledge was likely to be in abundance. We wanted to make the most of it and see as much of the city as possible in the time available to us.
In the morning we went to the track and did a run from there. While me and Andrea just did an easy barefoot run around a football pitch behind the track, the majority of the KiwiRun party ran up the Wellington hills. Having initially thought they were just doing a flattish run they were a little surprised to see the severity of some of the climbs. So far it has been quite a trip for running up hills and some of the guys (and girls) were joking that they have probably run up most of them in the North Island ;). What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!!
Leaving the track we headed into Wellington CBD and got a curry for lunch in our first sit-down meal of the day. We then had 4 hours to look around the city centre. We walked down a few of the main high-streets and then towards the government building before heading to the Te Paka Museum (Wellingtons national museum). On the way we stopped for an obligatory hot chocolate to rest our weary legs. For our UK readers the Te Paka museum is as interactive as the Science Museum in London and definitely worth visiting if you are in the area. They even have a kids section which Andrea made the most of (just kidding… that was me really ).
Looking over the Wellington skyline.
Te Paka - The only museum in the world to have a giant squid exhibition.
In the evening everyone met up again and we had our last group meal together as 3 of our party are leaving tomorrow (KiwiRun is sadly coming to an end). We had a mini-awards ceremony for the departing (the extended version will be held tomorrow night at a BBQ for everyone else). After dinner a few of us went to a Karaoke bar - where I did my first ever performance….alone (maybe next time Andrea, what do you reckon??) - before we headed back to the lodge. Again we went straight to sleep as we were absolutely knackered.
Proof that me and Dylan rocked the karaoke!
In the morning we went to the track and did a run from there. While me and Andrea just did an easy barefoot run around a football pitch behind the track, the majority of the KiwiRun party ran up the Wellington hills. Having initially thought they were just doing a flattish run they were a little surprised to see the severity of some of the climbs. So far it has been quite a trip for running up hills and some of the guys (and girls) were joking that they have probably run up most of them in the North Island ;). What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!!
Leaving the track we headed into Wellington CBD and got a curry for lunch in our first sit-down meal of the day. We then had 4 hours to look around the city centre. We walked down a few of the main high-streets and then towards the government building before heading to the Te Paka Museum (Wellingtons national museum). On the way we stopped for an obligatory hot chocolate to rest our weary legs. For our UK readers the Te Paka museum is as interactive as the Science Museum in London and definitely worth visiting if you are in the area. They even have a kids section which Andrea made the most of (just kidding… that was me really ).
In the evening everyone met up again and we had our last group meal together as 3 of our party are leaving tomorrow (KiwiRun is sadly coming to an end). We had a mini-awards ceremony for the departing (the extended version will be held tomorrow night at a BBQ for everyone else). After dinner a few of us went to a Karaoke bar - where I did my first ever performance….alone (maybe next time Andrea, what do you reckon??) - before we headed back to the lodge. Again we went straight to sleep as we were absolutely knackered.
Escaping the Bush!
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly trying to leave the Go Bush accommodation. Confused? Well let me explain. As you know yesterday, we ran into the bush to the Go Bush lodge. There are no sealed roads leading to the Go Bush lodge. In fact there are no unsealed roads. There is simply only a track which has been dug out by Danny (our host) using his machinery. The only way to reach the lodge is by a 4x4 jeep.
This is all well and good. When it is dry. We were ok having had some glorious weather the last few days. However as we tucked into breakfast this morning, the rain started to pour, and it got wetter and wetter. Danny, Steve and Richard were our jeep drivers, and Danny was getting increasingly worried about the conditions so we had to pack up quickly and leave before our intended departure time. Four of the guys (including Chris) were walking the first section and picking up a fourth jeep part way up the hill.
We set off on the 10 mile drive up the side of a mountain and then across the bush in convoy, lead by experienced driver Danny. It started off ok, keeping in a low gear with the rev’s high seemed to be working on the first few steep hills, however, it wasn’t long before we ran into difficulty. On a short steep hill which went round a bend, we ended up sliding back down and worried about chewing up the clay even more by making another attempt (and making it difficult for the jeeps behind us) we had to hop out and waited for Danny to drive the car up.
This was only the first tricky section and there were many times when we were sliding around, often going sideways and I found it difficult not to hold my breath. A number of times we had to make more than one attempt at a section, and I had visions of rolling down the mountain in a jeep!
When we met the walkers with the fourth jeep, we had another problem…the 4th jeep wouldn’t start. Pouring with rain and not yet half way into the 10 mile journey, we tried desperately to shelter in the roofless and windowless jeeps, and wondered what to do. There were no jump leads in any of the jeeps. But Danny has a plan for everything, and to everyone’s amazement he managed to get all the jeeps started by lifting the battery out of a running engine (and getting a few shocks in the process) and then replacing it with the ‘dead’ battery - whilst the engine was still running. Perhaps not the safest but it worked!
We finally reached a proper road and our vans about two hours after leaving. Cold and wet and facing a long queue for the one shower, but very pleased to have reached the other side safely. Then it was on to Wellington - five or so hours drive South!
This is all well and good. When it is dry. We were ok having had some glorious weather the last few days. However as we tucked into breakfast this morning, the rain started to pour, and it got wetter and wetter. Danny, Steve and Richard were our jeep drivers, and Danny was getting increasingly worried about the conditions so we had to pack up quickly and leave before our intended departure time. Four of the guys (including Chris) were walking the first section and picking up a fourth jeep part way up the hill.
We set off on the 10 mile drive up the side of a mountain and then across the bush in convoy, lead by experienced driver Danny. It started off ok, keeping in a low gear with the rev’s high seemed to be working on the first few steep hills, however, it wasn’t long before we ran into difficulty. On a short steep hill which went round a bend, we ended up sliding back down and worried about chewing up the clay even more by making another attempt (and making it difficult for the jeeps behind us) we had to hop out and waited for Danny to drive the car up.
This was only the first tricky section and there were many times when we were sliding around, often going sideways and I found it difficult not to hold my breath. A number of times we had to make more than one attempt at a section, and I had visions of rolling down the mountain in a jeep!
When we met the walkers with the fourth jeep, we had another problem…the 4th jeep wouldn’t start. Pouring with rain and not yet half way into the 10 mile journey, we tried desperately to shelter in the roofless and windowless jeeps, and wondered what to do. There were no jump leads in any of the jeeps. But Danny has a plan for everything, and to everyone’s amazement he managed to get all the jeeps started by lifting the battery out of a running engine (and getting a few shocks in the process) and then replacing it with the ‘dead’ battery - whilst the engine was still running. Perhaps not the safest but it worked!
We finally reached a proper road and our vans about two hours after leaving. Cold and wet and facing a long queue for the one shower, but very pleased to have reached the other side safely. Then it was on to Wellington - five or so hours drive South!
Friday 8 January 2010
Go Bush
As if running the 19.4km of the Tongariro Crossing wasn’t enough yesterday we had another 20km run planned for today, although this time over very different terrain… New Zealand bush!! Steve had planned for us to run deep into the Kiwi bush to reach a remote lodge 15km from any sealed roads. Once there we could relax and in the evening enjoy a Maori meal cooked in the traditional Maori way - Hangi. This is where meat, vegetables and even deserts are steam cooked underground using wet blankets and hot rocks. Sound odd? It didn’t disappoint. It was delicious ;).
The run in the morning wasn’t as early as the day before, around 9:30am. It was interesting to note as we set out that we had already finished the Tongariro crossing by that point 24 hours earlier and were on our way to the hot pools. Everyone was running, except for myself on the mountain bike and our guides - Callum and Abel (Callum’s 3 year old son) on the motorbike and Barry on the quad. We set out over the undulating course which included three river-crossings and some treacherous downhill and uphill (as evidenced by our guide Barry turning the quad bike over!!). The track we were traversing was set-up for mountain bikers (the 42 traverse) and was one of the best tracks I have ever been along (although I haven‘t done many). For around 40minutes I put the hammer down as I tried to catch Andrea (after giving her a 12 minute head-start) and had a blast storming down the track. Something I’d love to do again, but probably not great for my life-expectancy.
We reached the lodge via a flying-fox across the river before we settled down for the afternoon to relax and have a look around. For our evening meal our Maori host, Danny, had prepared our Hangi. A mix of chicken, wild boar, pork and beef along with a variety of vegetables and home-made salads. It was awesome!! We even had a traditional Maori desert which is something like a bread pudding in the UK.
As usual everyone was whacked in the evening so we were in bed at around 9:30pm. Another fun-packed day on our KiwiRun Journey.
One of the many bush views on our run
Hangi before...
and after
Our bush lodgings.
The run in the morning wasn’t as early as the day before, around 9:30am. It was interesting to note as we set out that we had already finished the Tongariro crossing by that point 24 hours earlier and were on our way to the hot pools. Everyone was running, except for myself on the mountain bike and our guides - Callum and Abel (Callum’s 3 year old son) on the motorbike and Barry on the quad. We set out over the undulating course which included three river-crossings and some treacherous downhill and uphill (as evidenced by our guide Barry turning the quad bike over!!). The track we were traversing was set-up for mountain bikers (the 42 traverse) and was one of the best tracks I have ever been along (although I haven‘t done many). For around 40minutes I put the hammer down as I tried to catch Andrea (after giving her a 12 minute head-start) and had a blast storming down the track. Something I’d love to do again, but probably not great for my life-expectancy.
We reached the lodge via a flying-fox across the river before we settled down for the afternoon to relax and have a look around. For our evening meal our Maori host, Danny, had prepared our Hangi. A mix of chicken, wild boar, pork and beef along with a variety of vegetables and home-made salads. It was awesome!! We even had a traditional Maori desert which is something like a bread pudding in the UK.
As usual everyone was whacked in the evening so we were in bed at around 9:30pm. Another fun-packed day on our KiwiRun Journey.
Mount Doom
At 5:30am, just over four hours after we went to bed, we were up again, ready and raring to go for our next challenge. Well, ahem, up and ready to go anyway. There wasn’t much raring from the group at that time in the morning.
Today we would do the famous ‘Tongariro Crossing’ which up to a thousand people do every day and hence why the early start. The crossing basically involves going up a mountain, along the top and then back down again, however what makes it so special is the fantastic scenery when you reach the top.
We weren’t just ‘doing’ the crossing though. Not content with hiking the 7 or 8 hours from one side to the other, the group had decided to run it. Yes run it. Less than twelve hours after my 10,000m effort I was feeling a little sore to say the least, but was determined not to spoil the party.
The route started off fairly flat, and despite our early start we still had to overtake a number of eager beevor walkers who had beaten us to it. It wasn’t long however before we got ahead, and with most of the guys racing off, Chris, myself and one or two others took the pace fairly steady, stopping to pose for photos and look at the scenery.
The route started to really climb steeply after about 20 or minutes of running, So much so that some of the time we decided to walk to conserve energy. It was actually quicker anyway at some points.
We reached the summit after about 1 hour 15 of running. We later found out that the summit was used as the setting for the Mount Doom part of Lord of the Rings. Having not managed to get through the films without falling asleep this means little to me, however the others were suitably impressed. Maybe next time I try and watch it, I will recognise it! The view was pretty spectacular and I was glad that my calves had not swayed me to wimp out on the run. The first section of downhill was a little tricky and we got a chance to test our skills at ‘scree running’ although actually ‘scree walking’ would be a slightly more accurate description. We were so good we had to stop at the bottom to empty half the mountain out of our socks and shoes. The long gradual descent then began which was much less testing and we were able to cruise down the other side.
After just over two hours of running, Chris and myself decided to call the running a day and walked in the last few kilometres, and were met with the cheers of the guys who had finished a little ahead of us. It only took us just over 2 and a half hours and by 10am the whole group was relaxing in a hot thermal pool in the local village, much to the disbelief of the lady on reception. ‘You’ve already done the crossing this morning!?!’
Me running across the volcano basin
Chris conquoring Mount Doom
7hour walk done in under 3. Too easy ;)
Today we would do the famous ‘Tongariro Crossing’ which up to a thousand people do every day and hence why the early start. The crossing basically involves going up a mountain, along the top and then back down again, however what makes it so special is the fantastic scenery when you reach the top.
We weren’t just ‘doing’ the crossing though. Not content with hiking the 7 or 8 hours from one side to the other, the group had decided to run it. Yes run it. Less than twelve hours after my 10,000m effort I was feeling a little sore to say the least, but was determined not to spoil the party.
The route started off fairly flat, and despite our early start we still had to overtake a number of eager beevor walkers who had beaten us to it. It wasn’t long however before we got ahead, and with most of the guys racing off, Chris, myself and one or two others took the pace fairly steady, stopping to pose for photos and look at the scenery.
The route started to really climb steeply after about 20 or minutes of running, So much so that some of the time we decided to walk to conserve energy. It was actually quicker anyway at some points.
We reached the summit after about 1 hour 15 of running. We later found out that the summit was used as the setting for the Mount Doom part of Lord of the Rings. Having not managed to get through the films without falling asleep this means little to me, however the others were suitably impressed. Maybe next time I try and watch it, I will recognise it! The view was pretty spectacular and I was glad that my calves had not swayed me to wimp out on the run. The first section of downhill was a little tricky and we got a chance to test our skills at ‘scree running’ although actually ‘scree walking’ would be a slightly more accurate description. We were so good we had to stop at the bottom to empty half the mountain out of our socks and shoes. The long gradual descent then began which was much less testing and we were able to cruise down the other side.
After just over two hours of running, Chris and myself decided to call the running a day and walked in the last few kilometres, and were met with the cheers of the guys who had finished a little ahead of us. It only took us just over 2 and a half hours and by 10am the whole group was relaxing in a hot thermal pool in the local village, much to the disbelief of the lady on reception. ‘You’ve already done the crossing this morning!?!’
Wednesday 6 January 2010
33:29
So there you have it. I’ve given the game away already. Four numbers and a semi-colon. No punch-lines, no build-up, no guess work, just straight in there. You don’t need to read any further as you’ve already seen the outcome. Confused?? Well maybe I should explain myself. I think I know what will help. Here is the title in its full form:
New Zealand 10000m Championships, 5 th January 2010, Tauranga (New Zealand)
1, Andrea Woodvine (Guest), UK 33:29.94min
A track Pb by over two minutes, an overall Pb by over a minute. 55th on the all-time UK rankings, top of the rankings for 2010 (although admittedly we are only 5 days in lol) and probably most importantly one of Andrea’s best ever races.
So I’ll start at the beginning…
The New Zealand 10000m Championships were the focus of our day today. Most of the others on the tour headed south to New Zealand national park to do some sightseeing. A select few (including myself and Andrea) were either running at or spectating at the championships in Tauranga in the evening. We headed to the north coast early at around midday, and having a few hours to kill, had some lunch in the park and watched a movie - Sherlock Holmes.
As the race approached the nerves were beginning to show and both Dylan Gant (from Canada) and Andrea prepared for their races. As with the 3000m on the Friday night at the Tauranga Twilight the conditions weren’t perfect - a little windy considering the runners were about to grind out 25 laps of the track. However, it was slightly better. Still it is something you have to consider before setting out, so we revised our aims and aimed to run low 34min. A target we thought realistic but would require everything to go well. Both the men and women were running together to we were hoping that there may be others around Andrea, but in something like a 10k you have to mentally prepare yourself to run on your own. Good job we did as when the gun went Andrea was on her own, stuck between the men and women. There was a small group ahead to gauge against and after a few laps there were some lapped runners to focus on as well.
Andrea’s first lap was 81s and amongst her slowest. After that she was like a metronome, churning out 80 and 81 second laps the whole way. There was only one lap, four from the end, where Andrea slipped to 82 seconds. On the last lap Andrea was able pick it up and finish with a 71s lap to dip under 33:30min - way better than what we had expected. An amazing surprise!
So both Andrea and myself were elated and the journey down to National Park in the early hours was one of both tiredness and happiness. This is the first race Andrea has nailed in a long time and hopefully the start of things to come…
Here is to a great 2010!!
Andrea doing her best metronome impression
New Zealand 10000m Championships, 5 th January 2010, Tauranga (New Zealand)
1, Andrea Woodvine (Guest), UK 33:29.94min
A track Pb by over two minutes, an overall Pb by over a minute. 55th on the all-time UK rankings, top of the rankings for 2010 (although admittedly we are only 5 days in lol) and probably most importantly one of Andrea’s best ever races.
So I’ll start at the beginning…
The New Zealand 10000m Championships were the focus of our day today. Most of the others on the tour headed south to New Zealand national park to do some sightseeing. A select few (including myself and Andrea) were either running at or spectating at the championships in Tauranga in the evening. We headed to the north coast early at around midday, and having a few hours to kill, had some lunch in the park and watched a movie - Sherlock Holmes.
As the race approached the nerves were beginning to show and both Dylan Gant (from Canada) and Andrea prepared for their races. As with the 3000m on the Friday night at the Tauranga Twilight the conditions weren’t perfect - a little windy considering the runners were about to grind out 25 laps of the track. However, it was slightly better. Still it is something you have to consider before setting out, so we revised our aims and aimed to run low 34min. A target we thought realistic but would require everything to go well. Both the men and women were running together to we were hoping that there may be others around Andrea, but in something like a 10k you have to mentally prepare yourself to run on your own. Good job we did as when the gun went Andrea was on her own, stuck between the men and women. There was a small group ahead to gauge against and after a few laps there were some lapped runners to focus on as well.
Andrea’s first lap was 81s and amongst her slowest. After that she was like a metronome, churning out 80 and 81 second laps the whole way. There was only one lap, four from the end, where Andrea slipped to 82 seconds. On the last lap Andrea was able pick it up and finish with a 71s lap to dip under 33:30min - way better than what we had expected. An amazing surprise!
So both Andrea and myself were elated and the journey down to National Park in the early hours was one of both tiredness and happiness. This is the first race Andrea has nailed in a long time and hopefully the start of things to come…
Here is to a great 2010!!
You can’t fire a canon from a canoe
After a hectic and tiring few days we decided to take it easy today and potter around rather than do the white water rafting or hot pools options. We wanted rest up before race day tomorrow and also catch up on some jobs such as washing, internet and blogs.
The highlight of the day (probably beating even the competitive team game of mini golf we played in the evening and for which white van team were severely handicapped by having me on their team) was getting an assessment done by Craig, the tour physical therapist. Craig ran through a number of musculoskeletal tests to see where we are tight, unbalanced or weak and then gave us specific individual exercises to work on the findings.
Not surprisingly I scored ‘tight’ on most of the tests, (even managed a v.v tight on the forward bend test) and weak on the core. Chris scored slightly better with ‘fair’ on the core and with a few less ‘tights’ than me. It was especially interesting to score so poorly on the core considering we have now been working on it a couple of years. Turns out we have been getting the core exercises a little bit wrong, however we now have a better idea of how to do them properly. Aided by Chris’s pages and pages of stick men diagrams from the session we can have a better attempt at developing strong core in the future.
One of my favourite quotes of the trip (and there has been many so far) was the above title of the blog. Craig, in trying to describe the importance of core, related it to firing a canon from a canoe and this tickled me no end. I’ll remember it though!
The highlight of the day (probably beating even the competitive team game of mini golf we played in the evening and for which white van team were severely handicapped by having me on their team) was getting an assessment done by Craig, the tour physical therapist. Craig ran through a number of musculoskeletal tests to see where we are tight, unbalanced or weak and then gave us specific individual exercises to work on the findings.
Not surprisingly I scored ‘tight’ on most of the tests, (even managed a v.v tight on the forward bend test) and weak on the core. Chris scored slightly better with ‘fair’ on the core and with a few less ‘tights’ than me. It was especially interesting to score so poorly on the core considering we have now been working on it a couple of years. Turns out we have been getting the core exercises a little bit wrong, however we now have a better idea of how to do them properly. Aided by Chris’s pages and pages of stick men diagrams from the session we can have a better attempt at developing strong core in the future.
One of my favourite quotes of the trip (and there has been many so far) was the above title of the blog. Craig, in trying to describe the importance of core, related it to firing a canon from a canoe and this tickled me no end. I’ll remember it though!
Monday 4 January 2010
Topping up the tan!
On the third day of our stay in Rotorua we had planned a day trip north to the Ohope Beach. This is a part of the Bay of Plenty and has miles of beautiful sandy beaches. Everyone on the group was going and we had heard that it was worth seeing so were looking forward to it.
The trip to Ohope took about an hour and we had Richard (Willis - Steves father) entertaining us with some interesting history and trivia about the area. After about an hour we reached Ohupi beach and spent our time as any people do on the beach - playing games, having a dip in the sea and most importantly working on the tan!! It was one of the hottest days we have had in New Zealand so far and later on Andrea did an uncomfortably hot run up one of the mountains into the bush running by a secluded beach with some of the other KiwiRunners.
Ohope beach
When we came back we had a group barbeque and relaxed playing some music and games. Andrea even got a massage from Craig (the tour physical therapist). It is a hard life!!
Me doing a baywatch run into the sea in slightly illegal running shorts! - watch out for me putting my arms up at the end..
The trip to Ohope took about an hour and we had Richard (Willis - Steves father) entertaining us with some interesting history and trivia about the area. After about an hour we reached Ohupi beach and spent our time as any people do on the beach - playing games, having a dip in the sea and most importantly working on the tan!! It was one of the hottest days we have had in New Zealand so far and later on Andrea did an uncomfortably hot run up one of the mountains into the bush running by a secluded beach with some of the other KiwiRunners.
When we came back we had a group barbeque and relaxed playing some music and games. Andrea even got a massage from Craig (the tour physical therapist). It is a hard life!!
Haka
The day started fairly early with a long run in the Redwood forest. I was fortunate enough to have two Kiwi International marathon runners to link up with - it was both nice to the have to company of two runners of a similar pace (rather than trying to hang onto the guys) and also not to have to worry about getting lost in the miles and miles of trails.
For the rest of the day we were given a number of activity options to choose from. Most of the group opted for the downhill luge (a sort of toboggan) but a few of the less thrill seeking types (Chris and myself included) decided to give it a miss in favour of the less adventurous but perhaps more of a New Zealand experience of visiting a Maori Thermal Village.
To begin with we watched a performance of the Haka which was entertaining if a little intimidating. We got a chance to try out the traditional Maori greeting of rubbing noses with the person next to us -- thank fully it was only each other! We then went on a walk around the many hot pools and saw plenty of smelly bubbly mud pools. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately!) we weren’t able to actually go in the pools though so had to be content with a number of photos. We also saw a Geyser which squirted about 30 metres up into the air and had a look in some of the little shops which sold Maori arts and crafts. It was an interesting and insightful look into Maori culture and we were pleased with our decision to visit the village - especially upon returning to the Motel and viewing the various injuries of the others on the Luge!
Scary haka
Geyser
For the rest of the day we were given a number of activity options to choose from. Most of the group opted for the downhill luge (a sort of toboggan) but a few of the less thrill seeking types (Chris and myself included) decided to give it a miss in favour of the less adventurous but perhaps more of a New Zealand experience of visiting a Maori Thermal Village.
To begin with we watched a performance of the Haka which was entertaining if a little intimidating. We got a chance to try out the traditional Maori greeting of rubbing noses with the person next to us -- thank fully it was only each other! We then went on a walk around the many hot pools and saw plenty of smelly bubbly mud pools. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately!) we weren’t able to actually go in the pools though so had to be content with a number of photos. We also saw a Geyser which squirted about 30 metres up into the air and had a look in some of the little shops which sold Maori arts and crafts. It was an interesting and insightful look into Maori culture and we were pleased with our decision to visit the village - especially upon returning to the Motel and viewing the various injuries of the others on the Luge!
Tauranga Twilight Meeting
Happy New Year!!
The day was dominated by the Tauranga Twilight Meet which was in, you guessed it, Tauranga - approximately an hours drive from where we are staying in Rotorua. The meet started at 4pm, so we had the day to try to stay relaxed. Andrea was planning on doing the 3000m on the track in the evening and having not raced on the track in around 18months was a bit nervous despite my best efforts to calm her down.
In the morning Steve (Willis-KiwiRun organiser) had organised a trip to the local Agrodome so we could watch a traditional Kiwi agricultural show. It was a funny interactive spectacle involving sheep, cows, ducks and dogs. One of our group even got a certificate for milking a cow - something to show the folks back home!! We then went back to the motel to relax for an hour (Andrea slept) before driving to Tauranga for the meet.
Nick Willis
Most people from the tour were running and Andrea was one of the first up. Despite only having done one slightly speedier session beforehand we had hopes that Andrea could at least match her current Personal Best of 9:28. That time in itself is one of Andrea’s best times and a good indicator of when Andrea was in her best form. The wind was a little blustery, but undeterred Andrea went straight to the front and ran a very strong race. Picking up for a 70s second last lap to finish in 9:28:87min. Missing the Pb by a few tenths of a second but given the circumstances a very good run. We are back at the same track in 3 days time so that Andrea can run the New Zealand 10000m track championships so this was a good tune-up, hopefully it’ll be less windy. There is a video of Andrea’s race kicking around so we hope to get a link to
that online in the next few days.
Andrea on her way!
Quite a few others ran in the 3000m races with a few Pb’s and Nick Willis (Beijing 1500m Olympic Silver medallist) won the 800m and 3000m events in his first races back since surgery in April. Overall a fun day had by all.
The day was dominated by the Tauranga Twilight Meet which was in, you guessed it, Tauranga - approximately an hours drive from where we are staying in Rotorua. The meet started at 4pm, so we had the day to try to stay relaxed. Andrea was planning on doing the 3000m on the track in the evening and having not raced on the track in around 18months was a bit nervous despite my best efforts to calm her down.
In the morning Steve (Willis-KiwiRun organiser) had organised a trip to the local Agrodome so we could watch a traditional Kiwi agricultural show. It was a funny interactive spectacle involving sheep, cows, ducks and dogs. One of our group even got a certificate for milking a cow - something to show the folks back home!! We then went back to the motel to relax for an hour (Andrea slept) before driving to Tauranga for the meet.
Most people from the tour were running and Andrea was one of the first up. Despite only having done one slightly speedier session beforehand we had hopes that Andrea could at least match her current Personal Best of 9:28. That time in itself is one of Andrea’s best times and a good indicator of when Andrea was in her best form. The wind was a little blustery, but undeterred Andrea went straight to the front and ran a very strong race. Picking up for a 70s second last lap to finish in 9:28:87min. Missing the Pb by a few tenths of a second but given the circumstances a very good run. We are back at the same track in 3 days time so that Andrea can run the New Zealand 10000m track championships so this was a good tune-up, hopefully it’ll be less windy. There is a video of Andrea’s race kicking around so we hope to get a link to
that online in the next few days.
Quite a few others ran in the 3000m races with a few Pb’s and Nick Willis (Beijing 1500m Olympic Silver medallist) won the 800m and 3000m events in his first races back since surgery in April. Overall a fun day had by all.
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