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Kohitere trig track

Date: 25 March 2018
Distance: 15.5km
Time: 2:10

A glorious early morning start.
Mist in the valleys and tree tops.
The map of the course. We went all the way to Gladstone Road and back.
The only mud on the track.
Zigzagging up the cycle path.
At last a bit of down hill.
Gerry having a ball on the downhill.
Gerry and Nina heading uphill.
Some good viewpoints: Lake Horowhenua and Levin down below.
The track is mostly in the forest, protected from wind, rain and sun.
Shortly before we reached Gladstone Road, we crossed this scenic stream.
The final bit of downhill on the 4WD track.
We started seeing more runners and walkers on the way back.

Is it not funny how one always neglects your backyard? And I’m not talking about the weeds that are now thriving where once there was a productive and prolific vege garden behind our house. I’m talking about running trails and tracks that are so close that you always save them for another day. Continue reading →

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We’ve Gone Nuts – Tasmania’s 101km adventure run

Date: 3 March 2018
Distance: 101km
Time: 20:56.25

When a 100km event allows 28 hours (the norm being 20 hours), heed the warning sign. For some reason, I thought this event was flattish and not too technical. Not sure how I got that idea in my head, but that was what my head was willing to cope with. With a massively long cut-off time, you could potentially walk the whole way and still make it. It would be a great way to lure newbie ultra-runners (and allow walkers) into this sort of distance. The event terrain in a nutshell, as described by the organisers – “Tasmania’s Gone Nuts 101 Adventure Run will commence on one of Tasmania’s most recognised and visited icons, The Nut, at Stanley, in Tasmania’s North West corner. The race will hug coastline, climb through Rocky Cape National Park and traverse rugged coastal bush and calming temperate rainforest. You will be challenged by diverse landscapes, encounter native wildlife and birds, and witness some of the most spectacular coastlines imaginable. In this part of the world, rolling green farmland drops over cliffs into the pristine waters of Bass Strait. The beaches are also as diverse as they are unique, with sections of long white sandy beaches, small crescent shaped bays and rugged rocky bays formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.” Sounds nice, eh? Unfortunately, I apparently chose to ignore words like “cliffs”, “rugged rocky”, “climb”, and “rugged coastal bush”. Continue reading →

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Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park

While touring Tasmania for a few days leading up to our Gone Nuts 101km Adventure Run, we loosely decided to make our way north via the western side of the island, and go down the eastern side back to Hobart, from where we’ll fly back to NZ (via Melbourne).

We were really playing the whole trip by ear – our flights were sorted, two nights accommodation in Hobart on arrival, as well as accommodation for the few days around the ultra were booked. But for the rest, we just went where the road took us. Being not much of a shopper, and not too keen on big cities, I was keen to go where we could hopefully spot some wallabies, pademelons, wombats (my new favourite animal!), and if we’re lucky, a platypus or Tasmanian devil. Continue reading →

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The fifth leg – Queenstown (Tasmania)

Date: 26 February 2018
Distance: 4.2km
Time: 00:29

The fifth leg done. Heading into leg six with a smile.
If the run didn’t lift his spirits, this bright and jovial yellow house certainly did.
You don’t have to go far to reach the edge of town.
Crossing a scenic bridge en route to the cemetery.
The great train race. At least the train is a bit older than the birthday boy.
“Harry op die ou tremspoor.”
A run on a beautiful morning always leaves you feeling better than before.
A bit of shade on a bright sunny morning.

Traveling lots and staying in different places every night, meant that we couldn’t fit in as many runs as we would have liked to. You think you might run lots and stay active, and you plan for it, but somehow it is just too hard to make it happen. Especially when you travel on a shoestring, therefore limiting your motel, backpackers, cabin or other bottom of the range accommodation, by trying to camp or make use of the local free camping spots (which invariably don’t have showers, or even so much as a tap). Continue reading →

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Queens Domain parkrun – Hobart (Tasmania)

Date: 24 February 2018
Distance: 5km
Time: 29:06

A field of 150 participants on a rainy day.
The first short out-and-back stretch to make up the 5km course.
Hard to imagine you’re in the middle of a city.
A lovely course that should be great on a good day.
Gerry on the 600 metre stretch of trail.
Wet, wet, wet.
The turn-around point at the carpark, near the start.
A new track surface being tested by runners.
By the end, the camera was all wet and frosty too.

Who would have thought that Hobart houses one of the most impressive art galleries I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. The Mona (Museum of old and new art) – originally (and officially still) called Monanism, is a antique, modern and contemporary art museum, founded by David Walsh, a Tasmanian millionaire. From the outside the building seems to be on a single level, but once inside, a spiral staircase leads down three large levels that are built underground into the Berriedale peninsula in a labyrinthine style. In contrast to the Guggenheim Museum in New York where visitors work their way down with a spiral, at Mona visitors start at the bottom level and work their way up. Entry is free for locals, whereas overseas visitors pay $28pp. Continue reading →