An Igorot Journey

Mt Glorious 22k mountain trail run 2012

2012-02-06T23:38:00.001+10:00

22-kilometre 2012 Mt Glorious mountain trails race. Saturday, 4th February.

Mt Glorious on the northwest of Brisbane is apopular destination for those seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle ofcity life. A cool retreat in summer, the mountain has rainforests, walkingtrails, viewing spots, picnicking places, birdwatching and many otheractivities. Walkers and hikers are spoilt for choice with paths of varyinggrades: Maiala Park short walks with parking, picnic and toilet facilities, rainforesttrails and tracks with loops and circuits and climbs to peaks and descents tocreeks, and the odd swimming hole. I now know of two. I’ll have seen them and wadedacross them in a biathlon (aquathlon) today. There’s also the longer and steeper trails, used for fire management, forest ranging or for theoccasional trail walk hike trek or even run. One such summer trail run is the 22-kilometre 2012 Mt Gloriousmountain trails race.

Map of the route.

The final weeks of summer in Queensland are inFebruary. It’s the best of times, and the worst of times – for running and hotweather.

The first Saturday of February was fairlytypical. Temperate early morning with expected high humidity and mercury may berising. The clouds in the sky seem uncertain on what to do, linger or go. I wasuncertain also on my running battle armour. I gathered up the necessities:hydration pack, cap, watch, phone, energy bar, water bottle, camera, sparesocks, footpads and shoes. It all appeared bulky and heavy, and that’s withoutsunscreen. I looked at what I can leave behind, maybe the tiny plastic bag forthe mobile phone (in case of rain). Then I thought if some people can runbarefoot, maybe I can run butt naked. But I feared getting sunburnt, and theladies might burst out laughing. Wear a g-string perhaps. This conundrum wasall too hard to fix so I just upped and went.

I drove to The Gap to catch the runners' chartered bus toMt Glorious. I was expecting more runners than turned up. Others obviouslydecided to use private transport. The bus left at 06:05 up Waterworks Roadtowards Mt Nebo. I was looking forward to viewing parts of the D’Aguilar rangenational park on the drive up. However the bus turned left to Payne Road and Ithought we’re taking the bumped-up Gap Creek Road on the edge of Mt Coot-tha. But the bus turnedagain and I realised finally that it was not suited to the narrower ascending and windingmountain roads and is taking the long way around, going anti-clockwise to CedarFlats. So leaving The Gap, we go through the northwestern suburbs: Ashgrove,Bardon, Red Hill, Paddington, and Toowong. And then along the western freeway,Ipswich motorway, Warrego highway thence past Fernvale to Northbrook parkway,venue of the start line at the base of Northbrook mountain.

We arrived there around 07:15. The atmosphere was carnival-like, with a bandof bagpipers and bright sunshine greeting the runners and their supporters. Theentries are limited to 150 or 160, but there seemed to be twice that number. Thewilderness had come to life right there on the side of that deserted mountainroad.

The sun was up and smiling at the runners. Ijust hoped it did not get too warm.

There was no mist. The fuzz was from my camera.

The runners were sent off in three waves aboutfive minutes apart. The faster runners were in the first group and soon thebagpipes called them to arms, or to legs, I mean to ass-emble. Each group wasbriefed separately just before the get go by the race director. Greg Waitedpatiently for the boys and girls to lend their ears.

And then the first wave of runners scooted off.The second and third groups followed soon after.

Just metres from the start line, we come to acrossing on a creek swollen from all the rain this wet summer. It was at least 5m wide with water up to knee deep and no way around. Runners had no choice but to wade across.

Once across the creek it was all steep hillclimbing (about 450m ascent over 3.75km) to the top of Northbrook mountain.

The trail was tough and the tough runners got going–if only I was one, but I was just rough, and doing it the toughest. Like onmany previous runs, I brought up the rear, guarding the runners from leechesand snakes, or was it just my imagination. I was actually avoiding gettingtrampled while ruing my sodden shoes.

From the hilltop on Mt Northbrook, the courseflattened out and then we started descending down the long, winding, rolling zigzagstowards England Creek. There were speed bumps (some were mole hills bigger thanmountains) along the descent but I finally got to the creek at about the 10kmmark.

From here it’s a mere 600m of climbing over12km to the finish. This uphill battle is very daunting really. If only I had acar.

But wait I see a 4WD! This was at the wateringstation where I replenished my water bottle. A daddy and three young kids cheerfullyand efficiently attended to the runners. The kids were having fun helping dad withthe drinks and lollies. Good on you all.

The next 3km section of the trail along thecreek was relatively moderate, but I was inclined (psyched, conditioned,brainwashed) to walk anything remotely resembling an uphill. I trudged on withmy feet getting more and more uncomfortable with every step, as mud sweat and grit dumped on my shoes that were already damp from the start.

The next watering point near the 13km mark was a relief. The couple attending the water station offered encouragementand nice words to all: ...more than halfwaythere it’s all downhill from here, one more water stop, wonderful run in therainforest... Where would running events be without volunteers? I cannot thankvolunteers enough in words (especially when huffing and puffing) but it’swonderful that they’re there.

Again I watered up. Then I took a breather,and changed my socks and footpads for the final 9km ascending leg of thisjourney. I counted about 20 runners go past as I rested up. They’re hardlysweating. All along the route runners had been passing me, on average one every500m. I did pass one or two - at the water stops.

The sun was peeking throughthe clouds again as I resumed battling up the mountain. A runner sprinting upthe hill asked how far to go. I was almost dead and out of breath and did notreally want to know how much more i had to endure. But I checked my watch and politelytold him: another seven-odd kilometres.

I passed the last water stop at KP18, and then after whatseemed like an eternity of torturous uphill hiking, I somehow got to the vergeof the rainforest at the mountaintop. It felt like another world. The air wascooler and thinner. The thicker vegetation blocked off some more of thedaylight, and jogging under the canopy with the dimming of the day, was like runningin the evening with the darkening of the night. Surreal but so real.

Multiple choice:
a. the photographer's hands were shaky.
b. the reader needs glasses
c. both of the above

Soon the TRAQ red arrows at the stone-lined single trackappeared and I entered the muddy winding trail. The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, andless than a mile to go before i slip - out of the thick trees, to the sunny grassedclearing at the finish in Maiala park.

So I slowed downtaking great care not to slip. Some of the best rainforests in Australia areright here in Mount Glorious with strangler figs, buttressed trees, stingingtrees and large rainforest trees. However the rocksand protruding tree roots make the gloomy trail uneven in places. Treadingcautiously, I hurried slowly through the wet sclerophyll and rainforest,past the western window, ducking under branch and overhanging vine, until Ifinally come out to bright sunshine at the finish line.

This was indeed amountain trail, and for good reason. I think I finished just outside theestimated average finish time.

Below-average for me,but then this was no ordinary run. This was tough as tough can get. The cloudcover did hover above all day, keeping the intermittent warm sunshine at bay.This helped my cause immensely because I usually just melt in the sun. And theshade provided by the canopy of the gums and then the sanctuary of the rainforestkept me from wilting.

The presentation tothe winners happened well before I finished. But I enjoyed thelunch of sandwiches, fruits and other food goodies provided at the finish line.

Well done to the RD Greg, TRAQ organisers,volunteers and everyone involved. Maybe next year, 100 of the runners shoulduse the bus (mini-buses?) and the other 50-60 may use their cars. As the busdriver said 40-80 cars away from those mountain roads can only do good. Runnerscan just relax pre- and post race, with less damage to the road system, less risk ofaccident, less need for parking space, and good for the environment. See, increasingyour running footprint, lessens your carbon footprint. Now I’d definitely do MtGlorious again next year, but only if TRAQ can arrange for a beach and pool atthe finish line :-).

Ps.

I found a run map. And the results are already out. My reading of the results:

Average finishing time: 2:50:00. About 80 runners finished under this time.
The bottom 60 finished in an average of 3:15:00. I am bracketed in this group. Makes my time look good.

Congratulations to the top placers, but as I like to say, the winners are all the participants...
The top 40 are:

Place	Class	AgeGroup	RaceNum	Firstname	Lastname	Clock
1	1M	20-29	82	Gerard	Balnaves	2:00:08
2	2M	40-49	203	David	Riach	2:01:30
3	3M	30-39	28	James	Bamber	2:02:01
4	4M	20-29	107	Daniel	Nunan	2:02:31
5	5M	20-29	11	Ben	Malby	2:09:45
6	6M	30-39	102	Artem	Golev	2:09:46
7	7M	20-29	87	Jim	Heaslop	2:09:47
8	8M	20-29	64	Josh	Magar	2:10:46
9	9M	20-29	216	Steve	Whiteman	2:11:32
10	10M	20-29	94	Henk	Morgans	2:17:31
11	11M	30-39	8	Terry	Verhaar	2:13:45
12	1F	40-49	205	Hubertien	Wichers	2:14:06
13	2F	30-39	24	Lucy	Blaber	2:16:56
14	12M	40-49	202	Nigel	Waddington	2:16:56
15	3F	20-29	70	Kirra	Balmanno	2:18:04
16	13M	30-39	26	Shayne	Steenson	2:18:24
17	14M	30-39	27	Benson	Harrington	2:18:24
18	15M	50-59	98	Peter	James	2:19:19
19	16M	50-59	19	Michael	Schafer	2:19:28
20	17M	50-59	211	Philip	Pearson	2:19:41
21	18M	40-49	75	Martin	Schett	2:20:27
22	19M	30-39	108	Pete	Lavery	2:26:01
23	20M	40-49	12	Geoff	Pesut	2:26:07
24	21M	40-49	52	Barry	Scott	2:21:48
25	4F	30-39	23	Sarah	Schroeder	2:21:49
26	22M	30-39	40	Rodan	Wadham	2:23:35
27	23M	40-49	45	Antony	Banfield	2:29:09
28	24M	40-49	1	Andrew	Duffus	2:23:49
29	5F	30-39	53	Chloe	Rudkin	2:24:24
30	6F	30-39	41	Trina	Denner	2:24:32
31	25M	40-49	73	Graeme	Anderson	2:24:48
32	26M	40-49	3	Paul	Wynne	2:25:52
33	7F	30-39	20	Mandy-Lee	Noble	2:25:59
34	27M	30-39	39	Matt	Traves	2:26:32
35	28M	30-39	109	Andrew	Redmond	2:27:40
36	29M	40-49	88	Steve	Marton	2:29:00
37	30M	30-39	30	Stuart	Houliston	2:34:55
38	31M	30-39	106	Chris	Place	2:30:45
39	32M	30-39	113	Russell	Pertot	2:36:21
40	33M	30-39	76	David	Vroom	2:36:22

Map of the 2012 Mt Glorious mountain trail run.

Workingman's Blues #12 & 1. Gasfields roundup

2012-01-23T18:00:00.000+10:00

From Taroom in the north to the Bunyamountains in the east, Moonie in the south to the Roma-Condamine road pastDulacca in the west, the Western Downs separates the hustlingbustling southeast corner of the state, from outback Queensland. BetweenToowoomba and Roma sits this rich 38,000 square km gasfields region that is nowa hive of coal seam gas development. For many, the Western Downs brings upimages of broad acre wheat and grain farms, rolling green or brownpasturelands, and the dullish dark green of the forests on the hills and theranges. But already much of this agricultural basin is crisscrossed by hundredsof kilometres of pipelines, with still more pipelines – in the pipeline.

Finding the balance between a sustainable andrenewable resources sector and productive agricultural land, is thechallenge that governments should deal with - and fast. But one way or other, agricultural land needs to be protected, because in the end we cannoteat coal, drink oil or breathe gas.

And while that is being sorted, I need to eat too.

My first stint in the gasfields was many moons ago. We worked mostly in the vicinity of Kumbarilla in the south of Kogan,on the Moonie highway between the towns of Tara and Dalby. Tara, like many ofthe southern downs, is a quiet wheat country and cattle and sheep grazing area. InMarch 2011, Tara locals blockaded against coalseam gas development.
Gateway to the Bunyamountains and the gasfields, Dalbyis a thriving town at the junction of the Warrego, Bunya and Moonie Highways. This town is a rural enterprise centrein Australia's richest grain and cotton growing area. Kogan is home to what’s claimedto be the largest solar thermal project in the world. The $105 million KoganCreek Solar Boost Project was launched in April 2011 by PM Gillard.

Ourbase was in Chinchilla surrounded by the vast broad-acre farms andforests. Australia’s meloncapital takes its name from the Aboriginal word for cypress pine. Chinchilla’smelon festival (a bit of watermelon madness held every two years) was ranked 12^thin the 150 must-do things in Queensland. Now a major town, Chinchilla has longbeen a service centre for the farming, pastoral and timber industries, andrecently for power stations and the CSG industry.

Nearing the start of winter, we worked around the west of Wandoan ranging near and far betweenMiles and Taroom in Banana shire. We stayed in all three towns.
Wandoan is surrounded by vast fields of grain and beef cattleproperties. The town was built around Juandah station which was settled in 1853.
Thebustling town Miles (originally named Dogwood Crossing) stands at thecrossroads of the Warrego and Leichhardt highways. I paid a brief visit topossum park on the Leichhardt Highway north of Miles where I was hoping to tryout some wartime bunker accommodation. They booked us somewhere ‘morecomfortable’ instead. Next time I’ll have downgrade to stay there. It is on thelist of ‘100 things you can only do in Australia.’
Taroomstraddles the Leichhardt Highway-Dawson River crossing in fertile brigalowcountry. Named after the thorny native lime tree, Taroom is the gateway to Islagorge, the expedition ranges and other national parks. This serene town was one of the bloodiest killing fieldsin Australia. The local Aborigines, the Yeeman, fought for their land againstthe encroachment of European graziers until they were eventually wiped out.

In our travels we skirtedaround some of the remnant brigalow tree stands especially down in Woleebee.

We alsostumbled on a couple of rare Oooline trees.

We sidestepped somebottle trees of various shapes and sizes.

We saw some country and guzzled up abit of fuel along the way. Often a full tank did not last two days. We traversed rivers and creeks, blazed trees and fence lines across many a green pasture of the rolling plains and grasslands in Arthur.

I seen the arrow on the fence post, and the scarred tree; and been ten chains and miles in the south of a graveyard, in Portsmouth. We dug holes, looked for shade, thanked trees for the shelter, jumped a few barbed hurdles, climbed a couple of hills, and baked in the hot sun and scorched earth of Bloodworth.

We held vigil at our post or left them by thegate, gaped at the height of flooding debris, and dodged beasts as we watchfully wove and drove on the byways of Golden Grove.

Off many a little-travelled country road, we steppedover logs with snakes, and mustered cattle, as under cloud streaked blue skies and along the ridges of the highcountry we rode.

In Cameron I sighted a wedge-tailed eagle withprey in its talon, and we disturbed the homes of snakes and pigs long gone.

Towards the end of Autumn, I started taking a fewshots of blue label to stave off the fast-approaching winter.

Come the chill of the first winter moon we had to move baseagain to worksites closer to the Leichhardt Highway in the north of the greatdividing range.

We travelled some miles around Miles, ran outaroom in Taroom, and went wanderin’ the river walk and celebration trail in Wandoan.

Up in the county, down by the river, we found where Paradise Downs lay.
In Alex wetracked a 20-chain road and an old stock route but met no bullocks.

The prickly pear was brought to Australia by governor Phillip in 1788 to produce red dye for soldiers coats, but quickly became one of the greatest biological invasions of modern times. These cacti spread to Chinchilla in 1843.

We saw rabbits and wild dogs, rabbit-proof and wild dog barrier fences, croaked back at frogs, ached upon acres of prickly pear, battled cattle on roads and cattle in pens, and survived a mice infestation in camp. In the dusk and in the morn we did not mourn but rued the roadkilledroo or two. We admired the beautiful birds - a rosella or a cockatoo in Cassio.

I wandered. It's a long and a dusty road, it's a hot and aheavy load - I even listened to Tom Paxton in Mt Lawton. Sometimes also I couldn't help but wonder where I'm bound.

The more than 5,600 km dingo fence is the longest fence in the world. It was built to protect sheep flocks. This section is part of the 2,500km barrier fence in southern Queensland.

Guluguba (squatter pigeon) near Wandoan. I went back to school there. Just checking it out.

Many times we travelled on the main roads and highways going from town to town. One day while nursing whiteline fever on the Leichhardt, I ruffled the feathers of a beautiful brown pheasant as it flew across in front of me. I braked in time and pheasant survived to fly another day.

Road train in Condamine.

Most times though we had to give way to the kings of the road, the bigger beasts like road trains and other oversize vehicles that ply these parts.

Off the beaten track, are numerous farmlands with crop and fodder or green pastures. The pretty grasslands can be deceptive. They're often spiky twiggy rocky snakey or holey.

In mid-winter we shifted yet again to sites on the north of Roma. Sowe did as the Romans do - roamed, but only encounteredthe Greek-named fields of Mimas-Tethys. Romais steeped in rich and colourful pioneering history. Among its claim to fame: firstgazetted settlement after Queensland separated from NSW in 1859; first naturalgas strike in Australia in 1900; the largest cattlesales in the southern hemisphere.

Although sheep and cattle are majorresources of this area, natural gas is still piped 480km to Brisbane. Roma isthe primary service centre in southwest Queensland, and sits at the junction of the Warregoand Carnarvon highways. The road north passes through Injune on the way to thespectacular Carnarvon Gorge. I should do as the roamers do, and go there via Injune,and soon. Perhaps next winter, in June.

We found the lost city of El Dorado, but I'm not telling where it is.

We encountered echidnas, busted turkeys and many birdlife. Thefirst rainy weather since January restricted our movements to the sealed roadsand accessible paddocks only. Whilst in Roma we looked around.

The big rig in Roma

With a girth nearly 9m, the Roma bottle tree is the biggest in the world. It is a thousand hands span. I gave it a big hug.

During the mid-winter stint, I could not go to back to Woleebee but was askedto deploy to Beelbee, back south of Kogan.
One early morning as the sun shone, Iheard the gum trees a-moaning in Glen Mona Road in Sean. And I looked but therewere no hidden poppy fields in the out-of-the-way Poppy hills.

Chinchilla bookshop sign... guide to the world's major religions. I think the 'Ass' means 'assorted', but do give me the benefit - of the sign.

Finally got back to Woleebee in the springtime. Woleebee Creek, Juandah Creek, Mooga Mooga Creek, we came across many a creek that the old legs started to creak.

Should I build a bridge, jump, wade,swim or sink? Thimk.

Gurulmundi wildflowers. Hey Marty, can't you read the sign?

A brushfire in Wandoan one evening, was followed by some low-lying mist come the next morning.

On the forests of Peebs or Pinelands, I ventured near the edge of cliffsof the great dividing range.

The western downs is rich in industry,agriculture, culture and heritage, and mineral resources. What is not widely known are the hidden fishing spots in the many creeks of the downs. Fish such as yellowbelly,murray cod, jewfish, silver perch etc, may be caught in the waterways. Thereare fishing locations from Dalby, Chinchilla, Tara, through Condamine, Milesand Yuleba, but alas where’s me rod?

Museums galleries wineries pubs are present inalmost every town. Other features are dry type rainforests, national parks, open pastures, watermasses, deep yawning gorges, all kinds of recreation and adventure destinations really. Along the wayside you might not know it but you'll be going through the local places of Goongarry Columboola Kowguran Eumamurrin Mooga Bimbadine Euthalla Weranga Wieambilla. Other places with strange foreign-sounding tongue-twisting names are Jackson North, Durham Downs, Peek-a-doo, Dragoncrest or Mt Saltbush. Some of the gas wells are visible from the country roads in Trelinga Trafalgar Wubagul, Burunga Lane,Niella Lacerta Hermitage Navara Pandora Talinga.

On any given Sunday or any other day, you might be in the parish of Cherwondah Malara Cobbareena Dinoun Goongarry Bartsch Ardah Whithu DilginbillyRoughlie Pamaroo Daandine Braemar Eurombah or Bundi. You might come across my church at the top of the mountain or the highest hill...

You may meet a lineman from the county in Auburn Waldegrave Westgrove or Gubberamunda.

Do say hello to these hardworking men and women pipeliners. They're helping build the economy and infrastructure, of Queensland and Australia.
Many times I witnessed a beautiful rainbow. Here comes that rainbow again.
In the orange glow of sunset to the indigo gloom of night. In the misty sprays of violets of dawn, to the blazing rising yellow sun reborn. On the red dirt road in the rain, to the earthen fields of gold in the sun. On the shady green grass, I yearned for home - and hummed a little bit of the workingman's blues...

What I'm reading in January

2012-01-16T09:27:00.002+10:00

Booksblog January 2012

Istarted reading this set in November. And I’m still reading. I wonder how muchI have accrued in library fees for overdue items?

Tariq Ali is a writer and filmmaker. His literary output includes morethan two dozen books on world history and politics, and seven novels. Ali was born in Lahore and was educated in Pakistan and laterat Oxford. His outspokenness against Pakistan’s military dictatorships made himan unwilling exile in Britain.
Shadows of thepomegranate tree is Ali's firstbook in his five-volume series of historical novels, The Islam Quintet.
Protocols of theelders of Sodom and other essays. Provocative essays on the giants of world literature. This acollection of writings that explore the links between literature, history andpolitics. Ali casts a critical eye, always looking for the political andhistorical context of a work, resulting in enjoyable sharing of the pleasuresof world literature.

Anonymous. A Presidential Novel. Published 12 months ago, this is a fictional future projection of the final months of Obama’s first term. Read about the 2012 US presidential race here first.

Tariq Ali The clash of fundamentalisms, and The Obama Syndrome.
Norman Mailer The Armies of the Night

Noam Chomsky.Power and Terror. Essays and analyses of US foreignpolicy in the Middle East 2001-2011.

The ten years of US foreign policy since 9/11have been characterised by war, torture and rendition. In Power and Terror,Noam Chomsky places these developments in the context of America's long historyof aggression and imperialism. Arguing that the US is responsible for much ofthe terror that it claims to be fighting, Chomsky elegantly explains US actionsabroad and their deadly consequences. Including talks, question and answersessions and unpublished essays, this collection offers the perfectintroduction to Chomsky for those unfamiliar with his work... ...a timelyreminder of why it is so important to insist that the United States lives up tothe moral standards it demands of others.

Selected Essays. Gore Vidal dabbled in politics, writes novels,non-fiction and memoirs, but it is his essays I enjoy reading the most. He isever insightful, witty, informative sometimes outrageous, but never boring.

John Banville. Kepler. About the lifeand drive of one of the world’sgreatest mathematicians and astronomers.

Philip Pullman. TheGood Man Jesus and the scoundrel Christ. Various writers have looked at religion verycritically such as Nikos Kazantzakis “The Last Temptation of Christ”, BertrandRussel “Why I am Not aChristian”, Norman Mailer “the gospel according to the son”, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, etc.And this genre is not new, vide “Da Vinci Code”. Pullman narrates: “This is thestory of Jesus and his brother Christ, of how they were born, of how they livedand of how one of them died.” The narrative mixes imaginative story-telling andbiblical history and challenges the events of the gospels. Pullmanputs forward his own version of the life of Jesus, and prompts the reader to ask questions.
Forless controversy you might like to try Northern Lights on Good against Evil.

Born in Australia Michael Robotham firstworked as a journalistfor newspapers and magazines in Australia, Britain andAmerica. He later quit journalism to become a ghostwriter, collaborating with celebritiesand personalities to write autobiographies.

The Wreckage follows a formulaic international conspiracy angle with secret agents and their powerfulpolitical masters. Maybe I should read it first.

Nadeem Aslam. The Wasted Vigil is recommended for readers interested inthe Middle East, the current conflict in Afghanistan, and heartbreak.

The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power

Exhibiting his deep understanding of Pakistan’shistory with extensive research and unsparing political acumen, Tariq Ali considersthe prospects of those contending for power today. With politicians apparently as corruptas the regime they seek to replace, the chances of sustained stability inPakistan look slim.

Cervantes. Don Quixote. About the sidekick to a certain Sancho Panza.

Edith Grossman translated Cervantes' Don Quixote, and writeson Why translation matters.

Juan Goytisolo. State of siege.

...postmodern storytelling...and an indictment of Western indifference.

Mohsin Hamid. Thereluctant fundamentalist. The story of a Pakistani immigrant in America, told as amonologue to a suspicious nervous American at a cafe table in Lahore. The romantic angle in the booknods openly to Murakami’s Norwegian Wood.

Quantum Man is on one of thegreatest physicists of the twentieth century, Richard Feynman. Lawrence M Krauss’s book salutes the man who was willing to break all the rules to tame atheory that broke all the rules.

Hares and hounds trail run 2012

2012-01-09T12:21:00.001+10:00

Haresand hounds 10km fun run. Woodford, Queensland. 8^th January 2012.

Woodfordis a quiet country town on the D’Aguilar highway, about 75 km north by northwest ofBrisbane. It is the home of the Woodford international folk festival which thisyear saw visits by ex-PM Bob Hawke, singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, and artists from all aroundthe world. In previous years many others including Bibak and foreign ministerKevin Rudd (Queenslander ex-PM) have attended. My friends from Bibak-Queensland appeared at thefestival two or three years in a row before going on a hiatus. This year’sevent had a bit of controversy about some sponsorship money from a mining company.The festival starts on the 27^th of December and proceeds through tonew year’s day, culminating with the New Year’s eve fireworks. I went there acouple of times before and loved every minute.Thistime I am a few days late to attend the festival, though I did not come forthat.

Early Sunday morning, I put on my best Sunday running clothes (shorts,singlet and worn-out shoes) to take part in the ‘hares and hounds’ 10km trailfunrun. The course takes in forestry tracks and fire roads which are sometimesused by trail bikes and 4WD car enthusiasts.

Therace venue is at the Woodford pool at the edge of a forest.

I greeted the morning up the Bruce Highway to Caboolture and soon got to the verdanthills of Wamuran, D’Aguilar and Woodford. I’ve been through these parts manytimes before but I never get tired of seeing the pleasing green forests and rolling meadows of the landscape. If it was a mere 10 times steeper here, it would almostbe like my other home in the mountains of the Philippine Cordillera. But thisis not the time for sentimental reminiscing. This is serious business. I’ve gotto run 10 kilometres of winding and undulating trails.

See the Glasshouse mountains over there? One day I'm gonna run them trails. When I grow up.

Atthe Woodford pool, I registered and signed the race waiver. The girl at thedesk said she liked my name. Thinking I misheard, I asked herto repeat herself. The cat must have got my tongue - I did not knowwhat to say. But there’s just something about the name ‘Martin.’ It just rollsoff your tongue. Or maybe she was meaning someone special. But I always knew myname was unreal. I came to my senses when I pricked my chest while pinning on my racebib. The pricking prick of a pin is a-hurtin’ Martin.

Therewas a good turnout for the run (the field was restricted to 200 runners and many thousands missed out). I met some running mates from Bunyaville trail runners andothers from the coolrunning forums.

Photo from Dreamsport Photography.

Soonwe were asked to get ready.
Got set.
And then ‘Go’.
So off we hared.

Photos from Dreamsport Photography.

Itwas good to see the mix of runners there. There were kids from very young toteens. Mums and dads have turned up too. It wasn’t just the veteran trailrunners. People from all walks of life joined up and everyone was having ablast participating in this fun activity of trail running. Like me, some wereaiming simply to finish. Or was it just me?

Photos from Dreamsport Photography.

Wesnaked along the trails of this forest in Woodford. The course itself is in themidst of the Beerburrum State forest which stretches up to 27km east past theGlasshouse Mountains and beyond to Beerburrum. The trail changes constantlyfrom dirt to soft sand, and then from loose gravel and sharp-edged rock, to muddysoft-edged water holes. The protruding rocks are often sharp and took somenegotiating. It was cloudy at the start but soon the breeze blew the clouds offas the sun rose higher. In the midst of the forests, the thick stands of tall plantationpines and eucalypts stood as if impenetrable walls blocking out the breeze. I laboured upthe hills, rested down dales, turned the corners and then repeated the drill ahundred times. At 2km the speedy runners have disappeared from sight. At 6km my mother called, my other mother that is. Ianswered her call and lost precious time. Mother nature sure knows to callat a good time. At 7km I had finished my water and limped to the finish.

An ultra runner at the finish. Well done mate. Top finish!

A sorta runner. Coulda done better.
Photos from Dreamsport Photography.

Afterthe race I walked around the very inviting Woodford pool where kids weresplashing around and some of the runners were warming down - by cooling down. Iwould have jumped in, if only I could swim. The barbeque had lots of food andfruit and drinks and everything. Thanks to the volunteers there and at the course and everywhere. Also to the organisers for a wonderful event.

The route went anti-clockwise forming like a wonky figure 8.

Onthe way back, I went past the junction to Mt Mee in D’Aguilar, a fresh fruitstall on the roadside, a cafe in Wamuran, and then the turnoffto Campbells Pocket. And from the bypass overpass I sighted the bustling Caboolturemarkets. Another day I could have easily stopped at any of these, or went for aSunday drive to Mt Mee. Backhome I rested for a bit but got roused from my kip, roasted when the heat of summerhit. Awsh*t.

Thiswas the 5th edition of this run. The annual Hares and Hounds TrailRun has a 5km or 10km fun run option, as well as team relays of two tofour (hounds) chasing down the solo runners (hares) on a 55km ultra-run to Beerburrum and back. The event is part of theGlasshouse Trail runs conducted by the Trail Running Association Of Queensland.
The winners are allthe participants of course. But makingup the numbers are the following (results extracted from HARES and HOUNDS -2012 results):

50km Males

Place Name Time

1 RICHTER, Adam 4:43:21

2 McKAY, Keith 4:46:09

3 ANDREWS, Robbie 4:53:04

4 WRIGHT, Daniel 4:55:34

5 BANFIELD,Antony 5:05:51

50km Females

1 BANAGHAN,Glenda 5:12:54

2 GAGE, Danielle 5:54:56

3 AYERS, Natalie 5:59:15

4 WILLIAMSON,Kerrie 6:05:05

5 RIEMER-SORENSON,Signe 6:08:00

5km

1 M ABREY, Dave 0:21:34

2 M PATIENCE, Stuart 0:25:04

3 M SCOTT, Martin 0:25:05

1 F ANDRONOWICH, Patty 0:29:10

2 F EGLANTALS, Robyn 0:30:29

3 F TELFORD, Tamara 0:35:47

10km

1 M McKEE, Ian 0:42:36

2 M CLAUSON, Michael 0:44:57

3 M VAN DER MAAT, Nic 0:45:34

4M O'ROURKE, Dan 0:45:41

1 F BLABER, Lucy 0:46:57

5M HANDYSIDE, Andrew 0:47:17

2F SCHROEDER, Sarah 0:50:40

3F RAYNOR, Danielle 0:51:45

4F WARD, Belinda 0:52:23

5F SMITH, Wendy 0:54:39

6F JACKSON, Kate 0:55:43

2-Person RELAY

1T SCROOPE, David/ MULLAN, Allan 3:59:27 AlexRunners - 1

2T BAMBER, James/ HARRINGTON, Benson 4:25:42 (Bamber, Harrington)

3T BLAKEY, Dave/ CROOK, Dave 4:57:09 TheLeague of Daves

4T BARALLON, Marc/ HOBLEY, Christy 4:59:15 Greyhounds

5T KELLY, Stephen/ KELLY, Vince 5:01:28 SesagoyaBros

6T REDMOND, Andrew/ HENDERSON, Sean 5:06:34 Kelvin Grove Kelpies
Other 2-person teams are: Porn Stars, Linde M H, XTC, River City Runners, Thunder Chickens, TeamTomlins, Yogi and Bobo, Wynnum Wombles, Toowoomba Road Runners, Lisa &Kylee,Shadazzle, Fast and Furious

3 or 4-Person RELAY

1T LEGGATE,Lauren/ RONEY, Ken/ GRAYLING, Alistair/ JOHNSON, David 4:16:40 Sons of Bitches

2T BRADFORD,Dean/ COGLAN, Paul/ MARTON, Steve 4:33:49 Three Bean Mix

3T ALDOUS,Matt/ GOONAN, James/ MILLER, Anne/ BOYLE, Sean 4:39:18 Lady and the Tramps

4T PAGE,Adam/ PAGE, Amy/ KEMP, Lee 5:50:28 Rush Hour Personal Training

5T RUSSELL,Carol/ LEWIS, Glenn/ SMYTH, Andrew 5:14:33 Active Stride

Other 3 or 4-person teams are: When Drop Bears, PCYC Girls, Run Inn, No RushUp Front and Alex Runners – 2.

Mt Nebo Festive Fatass trail run 2011

2011-12-29T15:42:00.003+10:00

I heard about this event going up a mountain. It is a 24km fatass trail run to Mt Nebo.

That’s for me, i thought. Coming from the Cordillera mountains, anything with ‘mountain trail’ sometimes piques my interest. The event was scheduled for the 27^th of December. Good to sweat off some extra weight put on during Christmas.

The previous day (boxing day) was quite warm. Even until late in the night the heat was still there, and I could not get to sleep until after midnight. Sometimes mountain runs make me anxious. It shouldn’t though because I race mainly with city slickers/ runners from the big smoke. Yet one of the mysteries of my running life that I’ll never understand is how everyone goes faster than me. Maybe i’m getting soft and slow in my old middle age. Maybe they're just slick.

On the day I turned up early and eagerly for the start at around 5:30am. I joined the group gathering at a makeshift carpark on the grassy verge of the junction of Payne Road and Dillon Road in the suburb of The Gap.

The sight of these battle-hardened elite mountain runners was very intimidating to a newbie funrunner attempting his first run up Mt Nebo. I said hello to a couple of familiar faces and met a few more runners who posted in the coolrunning forum for this run.

This run is along 'south boundary road' in the southern section (formerly Brisbane Forest Park) of the 36,000-hectare D’Aguilar national park. This national park in Brisbane is the only park this large just 12 km from the CBD of any Australian city.

Some 20 to 25 runners turned up for the run. A couple of the veterans gave instructions and directions for the route. Others kindly dropped off water and drink replenishments up along the way, and at the end of the route, 24 kilometres away in Mt Nebo. And as we started it was then that the real difficulty of this run hit me. It wasn’t just 24k, it’s a full 48 kilometres up and down!

It was too late to organise a lift back so I thought of doing 12 or maybe 15km and then walk back. That was the plan. And it was a good plan - at the time. Good I had all day.

The folly of the plan immediately laid itself bare. First of all, this was the first time i had to run with so much extra weight on, and not just from indulging excessively in some rich Christmas fare. I had a 2-litre hydration backpack. On top of this was two 250ml smaller bottles (one with water carried in hand, and the other with juice in the pack), a digital camera, mobile phone in belt pouch, energy bar, gel pack, electrolyte sachet, extra pair of foot pads and socks. Everyone else had packs on, but I bet I had the heaviest. And they’re veterans, I’m just new at this. And this was not a stroll on some paved path down the road to a park. This was a mountain run with an elevation gain of some 450m (1225m ascent/775m descent) over at least 20km.

The start was okay. I plodded along and settled into my pace. But almost immediately started panting and sweating profusely.

Craig a very coolrunner, kindly stocked up an esky with plenty of ice and water at the 6km mark off Hillbrook Road. I thought I was okay for water so I just left an empty 250ml bottle for when i got back. Soon I got to some familiar trails, part of the Pinnacles classic last April. I did not really recognise too many landmarks of the 4km or so trails common with the pinnacles route, but that’s how it is with running. When running in a race, you’re usually simply intent on putting one foot in front of the other, and not notice too much of the surroundings. But at about the 8- or 9-km mark, I could only walk up the ascents. And so from about one-fifth distance I walked the uphills and jogged the downhills of the rest of my eventual 40km journey.

Craig was waiting patiently at the 14km mark to make sure we didn’t take a wrong turn towards lake Manchester in the south. He also advised to take a left turn at a shed near the 17km mark on Scrub Road.

This is the 14km mark. You can make out Craig's makeshift right-turn arrow.

I noted all the instructions at the race start but thanks indeed for responsible people like Craig. This being a fat ass event, he did not have to worry about directing other runners and providing water for them, yet he did, so good on you mate. May your tribe increase - at a fast rate.

At the start of the race I ran with Keith who I knew. He did not seem too well and gave me a handicap start. I then tried matching it with Nikki, but after a couple of kilometres I could not stay with her, so I told her to go for it. I then alternated with a couple of speedy ladies who were not impressed with me pretending to sprint past them once or twice. They eventually got so far ahead of me and left me to my own battles with just the serenade of the bellbirds for company.

I managed to keep pace with Jeff/Geoff for one or two kilometres before he scooted off into the rainforest where now we are deep in. Boombana is a dry type subtropical rainforest with eucalypt woodland commingling.

Chris and another runner went past me at the 17km mark. Then the backmarkers also eventually caught me near the 18km mark, and so I brought up the rear as usual. The reluctant rear guard was put in his place, on his post and on his own again.

Sometimes I turn, there`s someone there,

other times it`s only me.

I kept an eye on my watch to just past the 20km mark, at a junction in the tracks on 'township break' where I stopped, rested, then turned back.

KP20. Township break junction.

My outward run/walk took almost 3 hours which was fair enough going generally uphill, but the return also took about 3 hours!

Just after turning back I met Keith who kept on soldiering on though he was obviously not well. He wished me the best of 2012, but really he should have stayed home. Dare I say it but Keith is the epitome of a runner – of the never give up kind. I simply said ‘see you later’.

I would have settled for a glass of milk, but this is the land of no-milk and honey
(amidst the home of honeyeaters), just off the trodden track.

On the way back I did take time to look around and about. I even took a few photos. I wasn't resting, no.

The bush camp at Scrub Road junction near the 17km mark.

Somewhere down the road, a girl runner went sprinting past me a like a gazelle. I believe she won the race if anyone cared to note. A few minutes later, another runner (male with his shirt off) went scooting past. And then at the 12km mark, I was putting on my extra pair of foot pads when a third runner (redshirt) came past asking if I was alright.

See, running’s not always about winning or getting a PB.

Many a runner I met over the short three years I have been running, have always lent a helping hand first and foremost, before worrying about their finishing time. If the general society learned this attitude from the running community, life would be so much better.

So ladies and gentlemen take up running, you’ll unleash the better angel inside of you. And if you're already a runner, you should have this event on your must run list. You'll discover things about yourself.

The Gold Creek/Lake Manchester junction.

I was parched and wobbling in the legs but the only way home is down by the trail of aching parts of this forestry road, where nobody's hiding their fears. My body had stopped sweating and I feared dehydrating. Did someone say no fear? I still had a little water left but I was mindful not to drain the pack dry. I have resorted to a walk/jog tempo since the 8km outbound mark (walk uphill jog downhill) and on I walked and jogged.

Under the powerlines looking south towards Gold Creek Reservoir. Had I looked north I might have caught a glimpse of Camp Mountain or bellbird grove where I went to watch the 2011 Australian Mountain Running Championships back in May. I was in the box seat, I mean the backseat, way way way back.

Back at the 6km mark off Hillbrook Road, I stopped to see if there’s any water left in Craig’s red esky. There were still two full 600ml bottles buried in ice. I filled up the 250ml juice bottle I left earlier that morning for a cold slaking drink. Ahhhh. And then I trudged on down the road...

I paused to take in the sights of the Enoggera reservoir now and then and to rest the wearied legs.

I composed a couple of shots of this body of water near the 3km mark. With 2km to go I squeezed out what was left in my hydration pack. I got in a choking fit when I started sucking water droplets into my lungs.

a choker's cap and slow time.

The wild wild west

2011-12-13T14:00:00.006+10:00

This is the second of two parts.
See Part 1 here: Native wildlife

Non-native (introduced) wildlife of the Western Downs (Queensland, Australia)
The words used to describe introduced/non-native animals eg “feral”, “pest”, “noxious”, “vermin” or “invasive” are usually negative and non-complimentary. I wonder if we applied the same to ourselves in this country of immigrants... This also fails to acknowledge that we immigrants are responsible for the introduction of these animals here. We brought them here, and are therefore responsible for their welfare. There are now non-indigenous animals in Australia that have been here generations. Some species (h. Sapiens) came from Europe, others from Asia and elsewhere, as the anthem goes: ‘from all the lands on earth we come’.

But this is about wildlife- right.

Some species were initially introduced intentionally or accidentally as wild species: rabbits, foxes, cane toads, rats and mice. Still others are domesticated animals which have escaped or were abandoned: cats, dogs, pigs, goats, horses, donkeys, camels, buffalo and carp. We cannot feature them all here. There's not enough space - no photos really. I have pictures of that wild species homo sapiens, but you know what they look like.

Wild animals cause damage to the natural environment and to agriculture and vegetation. They degrade the land, cause soil erosion, feed on most of the available plant species including pasture species. They destroy crops and pasture, as well as habitat for native plants and animals. They spread environmental weeds and could transmit and spread exotic diseases. They ringbark trees and shrubs, foul waterholes, and compete with native wildlife.

Who are these pests? It's amazing that they do exactly as the natives do!
Yes, when in roam...

CAMEL
Camels are not native to Australia but are perfectly suited to the Outback environment. Australia's wild camel population is the biggest in the world.
Once I travelled miles and miles to near Miles for work. Then I walked 47 miles of barbed wire. Marty, who do you kid? Okay, maybe it was 47 miles of pipelines- alright, maybe just one mile, but "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!"

Hey Cam. Pleased to meet you.

I met this flock at a floodway on Sherwood Road near Condamine.

Camels were imported to provide transport through inland and outback Australia, and they have since made it their domain. They were used for riding and to supply goods to remote mines and settlements. Camels don't need roads and don't need to be shod like horses.

They are ideal as draught and pack animals (grown bulls like Cam here can carry up to 600kg) and were used for exploration and construction of rail and telegraph lines. Camels were integral to the construction of the overland telegraph line from Adelaide to Darwin, the transcontinental railway and the Canning stock route among other big projects.

Cam and Mel trying to trick me with a 2-headed camel.

Feral camels have no natural predators in Australia and can live in the wild for as long as 40–50 years. Feral camels have some value as a resource. There is a pet-meat trade and a smaller camel meat trade for export for human consumption.

Feral camels are the only large browser in Australia. Camels damage trees and shrubs when browsing and can severely defoliate preferred trees, shrubs, and vines.

WILD PIG
Feral pigs are environmental and agricultural pests. Domestic pigs were brought to Australia at the time of European settlement as a food source. Initially, the pigs that escaped or were allowed to wander They spread rapidly mainly along watercourses and floodplains —Today, there's more wild pigs than there are humans, up to 23.5 million feral pigs are spread across about half of the continent.

Many creeks in Bundi (west of Wandoan) hold a bit of water and tend to swell with significant rainfall. This pig met its fate near a small bridge at Horse Creek.

Feral pigs are not found in the dry inland because they need to drink daily. In hot weather, they are usually found near water.

This was somewhere along a stretch of Chinchilla-Tara Road between Condamine River (at Chinchilla weir) and Wambo Creek.

Pigs breed like rabbits and can increase a population by more than 80 per cent each year in ideal conditions. Feral pigs cause damage through wallowing, rooting for food and selective feeding.

RABBIT
The feral European rabbit is one of the most widely distributed and abundant mammals in Australia. Domesticated rabbits arrived in Australia with the First Fleet. Today, feral rabbits occur throughout Australia, except in the northernmost areas. They prevent regeneration by eating seeds and seedlings.

On a section of Burunga Lane near Guluguba and Wandoan.

Feral rabbits have contributed to the decline in numbers of many native plants and animals, and may have caused the extinction of several small ground-dwelling mammals of Australia’s arid lands. They are night-time grazers, preferring green grass and herbs. They also dig below grasses to reach roots and seeds

DEER

Deer were introduced into Australia from Europe in the 19th century as game animals. Populations are expanding and deer are invading new areas. Feral deer can have major impacts in parks and reserves by destroying native vegetation by trampling plants and grazing. Red deer prefer open habitat and grassy glades in forests. I have seen them in the wild but I don't have a photo of feral deer. But here's one I prepared earlier, from a deer hunt from a deer farm.

Red and rusa deer in a deer farm in Mt Samson.

OTHERS
Other feral animals in the great south land are goat, horse (brumby), water buffalo, european red fox, wild cat, wild dog. All these animals

have been brought into Australia from somewhere else in the world.
I encountered a cheeky little red fox off the Kogan-Condamine Road once, but everytime i tried getting closer for a photo, it would run off to the bushes.
As for the others, I'll keep my eyes peeled. There's always a chance of spotting ferals in the jungles of Brisbane. And if I cannot take a photo, well it's
not the picture, but the face-to-face.
Happy huntin'. And do as the roamers do!
Now, about that murder that I saw...

the wild west

2011-12-12T23:43:00.005+10:00

The western downs regional council in southern queensland was a home-away-from-home in 2011. The two-weeks-on and two-weeks-off work cycle meant that i spent nearly half the year out here (or there). During that time, I got to meet many of the local wildlife that have found and made their home in the forests and grasslands of the western downs, where now they are extracting for coal seam gas. From the coalmines near Condamine, to the Wandoan sun, many bared the secrets of their souls...
The western downs, like any other place on earth, is inhabited by indigenous and non-indigenous populations.

First the natives:
EMU

The largest living bird in Australia (2nd largest in the world) is the emu.

Emus live on wild fruits, berries and grass leaves and small insects.

They grow up to 2 metres tall but they cannot fly.

I met this emu mum and her chicks on the little-used and little-known dusty Crowsdale-Camboon Road in the deep south of Banana shire.

Endowed with good eyesight and hearing, Emus can detect predators in the vicinity.

They live in grasslands all over Australia.

Late in the day these emus look like a painting on the landscape, but no work of art, no photograph, can depict the thrill of seeing them in their natural environment.

Sometimes they are as one with their surroundings.

Emus can live up 20 years in the wild. They are predated by eagles and hawk dingos and igoys.

KOALA
The koala is not a bear but a marsupial.

They live in eucalypt trees, feeding on the young leaves. Koalas are good climbers but slow and clumsy on the ground. They sleep most of the day in the fork of a tree, foraging for food at night.

The name Koala comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "no drink", as Koalas get enough fluids from the eucalyptus leaves they feed on.

Koalas are very placid and do not move around much, but this one got startled and climbed up a small tree. It probably hasn't seen or heard a car or even come in contact with humans before.

I was not expecting to find this fair-sized koala, and was pleasantly surprised to meet it in a forested road reservation off the Goombi-Fairymeadow Road in Greenswamp.

Australian Bustard

Bustards, which weigh 14 kg, are the heaviest flying birds in Australia, and amongst the heaviest in the world.

A wet and wary bustard off the West Myall Road/Roma-Taroom Road junction near north of Roma.

These huge birds reach heights of 120 cm and wingspans around 2 m. Bustards prefer to walk because of their bulk, though it is quite a spectacular sight to witness them in flight.

Near construction works in Chinchilla-Tara Road.

Australian Bustards are found on dry plains, grasslands, in open woodland and low shrublands.

They are vulnerable to predation by introduced predators such as dingoes, cats, foxes and igollotes.

Off Greenswamp Road.

This species is also called the Plains Turkey or Wild Turkey.

GOANNA
Goannas or monitor lizards are a common sight in Australia.

Goannas are darkish in shades of grey, olive or brown and most of them show lighter coloured patterns. These are white or yellow spots, or stripes. One day I almost ran over a brighter coloured (orange-striped) goanna, but wasn't fast enough to take a photo before it ran off into the bush.

Goannas are predators with sharp teeth and long claws. They forage and hunt for lizards, snakes, insects, birds and eggs and even small mammals. Like most native fauna, goannas are rather wary of human intrusions into their habitat, and will most likely run away into the scrub, or up a tree like our friend here.

Goanna off Greenswamp Road.

Recent studies suggest that goannas are venomous. Keep away from them.

ECHIDNA
The Echidna (or Spiny Ant-eater) is one of only two surviving monotremes, (link between the reptiles and mammals). Echidnas are widely distributed throughout Australia. They live in a variety of habitats, from dry deserts to humid rainforests.

They rest in hollow logs, under stones, clumps of vegetation or in short burrows. The Echidna is not an aggressive animal but has remarkable defensive ability when it feels threatened. It rolls itself into a ball, with prickly spines out to protect its soft under-parts.

Apparently echidnas are falling prey to feral cats, dogs and humans.

We met this spiky creature whilst zooming along the Warrego Highway between Miles and Roma. I thought it was hitch-hiking. We didn't have any room in the car anyway, so we directed it back to the bush.

KANGAROO
The kangaroo is Australia's largest living marsupial and national animal. Kangaroos of different types live in all areas of Australia, Kangaroos are herbivorous, eating a range of plants.

Most are nocturnal but some are active in the early morning and late afternoon.

I spied this beauty as the sun was setting. It tried to hide behind a fence post.

At the Argoon-Kilburnie Road in Callide.

There is no farming of kangaroos but they are harvested in the wild by licensed hunters. Harvesting of kangaroos for export started in 1959. Today kangaroo meat and skins are exported to more than 55 countries all over the world. Kangaroo meat is one of the finest healthiest and leanest game meats with fat levels of less than 2% and is high in protein, zinc and iron. Its appeal stems from its delightful well-flavoured, slightly gamey taste.

The other threat to kangaroos aside from cullers and hunters are the roadkillers - vehicles.

Off Mooga-Mooga Creek, Roma-Taroom Road.

Estimates vary but every year hundreds of thousands of kangaroos end up as roadkill. Many kangaroos (and wallabies) get killed when they go to the roadsides to feed.

Near Juandah Creek, Wandoan.

Rain and roads promote grass on the roadside verges.

Dawson Highway, just below Specimen Hill on the Callide range.

Bitumen roads draw in heat from the sun during the day then in the cool of night creates condensation causing green grass to grow. These grass attract the kangaroos usually in the early mornings and at dusk.

Off Inverness Road, Callide range.

This poor roo must have died a slow and painful death. Its legs got tangled up in a barbed wire fence trapping it.

In a matter of days, especially in the hot sun, it was just skin - no, just hair and bones.

SNAKES

A very sluggish carpet snake off Crowsdale-Camboon Road. We hiked in about 1km, along a meandering creek when I heard my mate, who was about 100m back, yell out. I thought 'uh-oh. I hope he hasn't rolled an ankle.' I walked back to find him excitedly showing me this photo.

A red or brown and very dead snake.

This was a roadkill on Greenswamp Road.

The Brigalow scaly-foot is a legless lizard, lead grey to greyish brown in colour that grows to approximately 60cm.

From the rolling hills of Woleebee.

Blue-tongued lizards are prey to cats and foxes.

This lizard was in three parts, perhaps attacked by a fox. It was in a drain of the Kogan-Condamine Road.

Rocket frog? I'm not sure. I found this sharing a home with some green frogs in Paradise Downs Road.

Whilst at the wild west, I also witnessed a murder, but that's for another blog...

There's more pictures of wildlife of the western downs here: locals-of-the-crossroads

The immigrants: see part 2. the wild wild west

travelling central and southeast queensland

2011-12-06T17:51:00.110+10:00

Working travels and travails.

Some few weeks ago I travelled to Biloela in central queensland for yet another out-of-town work stint. I planned a bit of an itinerary to take in some of the sights of central and southeast Queensland. This working stint will allow some driving through the regional councils of Moreton Bay, Somerset, South Burnett and North Burnett, while doing some work in Banana and Gladstone. I did go bananas before.

Travel day was a fine day, great for driving. Some clouds floated overhead keeping the temperatures down. Following familiar roads and places, we started up the Bruce Highway to Caboolture, thence turned off D’Aguilar Highway through the small towns Wamuran, D’Aguilar and Woodford. The Moreton Bay area offers a wide array of recreation leisure and entertainment activities in natural settings from beach resorts to rural mountain bays and rivers.

Soon we sight Kilcoy and Moore on the northern outskirts of Somerset region. The Somerset is a destination for a relaxing retreat, bed-and-breakfast or farmstay, camping, rail trail hiking or riding, wineries water sports and activities or sky diving. Apparently you can do it all here.
It is normally a pleasant experience but driving up the blackbutt range we got caught behind roadworks below Benarkin. Benarkin is the gateway to the south burnett from moreton.

The South Burnett is located atop Australia's Great Dividing Range directly west of the Sunshine Coast. The region is different, really different - to the coast, or virtually anywhere else in the Sunshine State. The region and its charming towns beg to be explored. Now why wouldn’t one do exactly that?

We drive through Blackbutt and Yarraman on the range. Been that, done there.

In Nanango I bought peanuts from a peanut van under some spreading gum trees. I stayed in this town before for work in nearby Blackbutt. This town (4^th oldest town in Queensland) in the green grassed meadows and rail trails of the South Burnett is at the junction of the D’Aguilar hwy and Burnett hwy. We zoom past Nanango, Goomeri and the Tansey turnoff to the coast, and thence into North Burnett.

Straddling an area of almost 20,000 square kilometres and a population of around 10 600, the North Burnett region includes the townships of Eidsvold, Gayndah, Monto, and Mundubbera and many villages and farming catchments.The region takes its name from the Burnett River that was named after surveyor "Burnett", one of the early explorers. Settlement occurred in 1848 with sheep stations and later cattle and eventually agriculture.The climate is pleasant sub-tropical though frosts and sub-zero temperatures occur in winter between June and August.

Binjour seems worth exploring but I blinked and missed it. Don't you blink too, or you'll miss this caption.
Eyesight test. Only on this blog.

We stopped in Munduberra for lunch and coffee. The royal hotel beckoned but can’t drink and drive, might spill the drink.

So we proceeded on to Eidsvold then Thangool and finally arrive in Biloela in Banana shire.

Banana, a progressive shire of opportunity in Industry, Business and Tourism, is inland from Gladstone and the city of Rockhampton, the beef capital of Australia. Along with these two coastal centres, Banana is a vital hub in the boom industrial centres of central queensland. The Shire derives its name from a renowned huge dun coloured bullock named 'Banana', a legendary decoy for leading wild cattle to pens. Coal mining, beef production, power generation, dryland cropping and irrigation cropping such as lucerne and cotton are the Shire's major industries. It is rich in natural resources, with extensive undeveloped coal deposits and abundant supplies of coalbed methane gas. The Biloela meatworks is the third largest in Queensland and processes meat for export throughout Australia, Asia and around the western Pacific region.

A motel room. Home for a few weeks.

I spent the next three weeks in the Banana-Gladstone regions.

While in Banana, we ranged out to Cracow, Theodore, Banana and Biloela our base.

The Cracow pub is famous for tent boxing. I fronted up one lazy lunchtime, but no one else did.
So I settled for a glass of milk.

Gladstone (named after William Gladstone, a 19^th century British Secretary of State for the Colonies) is in Central Queensland, bounded by the Coral Sea in the east, the Bundaberg and North Burnett Regional Council areas in the south, the Banana Shire in the west, and the Rockhampton Regional Council area in the north.

Some of the places we visited in the Gladstone area include:

Calliope is inland from Gladstone. A great rest stop.

Mt Alma

Mount Larcom.

Targinie.

Yarwun.

The density is well under one person per hectare but this may well change with the boom in the coal seam gas industry. Virtually all the pipelines converge in Gladstone. Other industries include an alumina refinery and smelter, a power station and port facilities.

The peripheral rural land is used mainly for cattle grazing, with some grain growing, fodder cropping, and timber and tropical fruit production.

The Gladstone council is serviced by the Bruce Highway, the Dawson Highway, major Roads and the North Coast Line of the Brisbane to Cairns railway.

This is vaguely familiar. I did do time working on the railways here in Gladstone. That was when I was young, before I dreamt of highways. Now I’m a highwayman again.

Over many long days and longer weeks, we drove through many long and lonesome highways, and many rough and dusty byways.

From burning bush to burning mountains.

Across mountain ranges and hill and dale.

Across rivers creeks and meadow.

Through barbed wire and electric fences and tall grasses, rocky paddocks and pasturing bullocks, kangaroos and wild dogs, cockatoos and snakes. I will be posting some images of the amazing wildlife that I saw here.

We met many a friendly dog or horse or rabbit or kangaroo?

And many a hostile gate or two.

From sunup to sundown, I toiled for pay for my day. One more dollar and I'm goin' home.

A three-week stint is long enough for non-stop work, 10-12 hour days. I was totally knackered, so I retreated.

Twas still dark when we hit the road again on the return trip. On the Burnett Highway, some low-lying mist and cloud suspension escorted us down our way. We had breakfast under a lean-to in Monto. Later we paused for smoko at a truck stop near Munduberra.

The big orange.

After another quick stop in Gayndah for my travelling companion to have a cigarette, we got back in the state forests of the south burnett. We stopped yet again in Goomeri, for driver changeover and some coffee and cake with cream and cherry. I am starting to unlike these stops.
Amidst some grazing cattle on a green hillside, the sight of three sizeable antlered red deer scampering up a rocky ridge is quite a privilege. I hope they're not feral.
The south Burnett area has some of the richest farmlands in Australia. It now produces 95% of duboisia in the world.The peanut capital of Australia is in Kingaroy.

We catch a glimpse of lake Barambah.

Purchase more peanuts in Nanango (the first town established here in the south burnett). Nanango derives from the aboriginal word “noogoonida” meaning “watering hole.” At Yarraman i was in two minds whether to take the new England hwy via Toowoomba and the darling downs or the shorter way. The car voted with its shaky wheels so we rolled on down the D’Aguilar Highway.

The roadworks delays at Blackbutt range took even longer this time.

And so we leave the south burnett for now. Next time i’ll go off the beaten track to places in the region’s west and explore more of the roads less travelled around the bunya mountains through to the western downs in southern queensland. For now we take the turnoff to Esk Valley Highway.

Soon we come to the little village of Harlin on the hills. The place invited me to stop but I kept going as i know Harlin wouldn’t run, and I’m going back to Harlin.

So on past Toogoolawah,

thence Esk, then the quite full Wivenhoe dam, to a fuel stop in Fernvale for the final leg of the trip. So on to the Warrego Highway and the Ipswich Motorway and then the busy freeways to home.

Three weeks and 5,000 kilometres. Good I had some music for company in the country.

I need a break.

mt coot-tha mousdash 2011

2011-11-20T23:04:00.009+10:00

2011 Mousdash 13 November

I 'counted' at least a thousand people (700 runners, 200 walkers, and 100 teams) who converged on mt coot-tha botanic gardens for the 3^rd mousdash 10.5km run and 5km walk.

It was a fine morning, warming up to a typical late spring/early summer day in November in Brisbane. Runners with their attire are a colourful enough bunch, but the addition of walkers, and the teams event, and supporters give an extra lift to the 'keeping fit' spirit. The place was buzzing with excitement and anticipation.

The event has grown again in numbers this year (15% increase in runners) and looks to be a fixture in the running calendar for the next few years.

We congregated under the palms at the carpark.

The event ‘ran’ smoothly, except for a few minutes delay at the start, and also a lack of toilet amenities, which was maybe part of the delay. A race official even suggested to runners to help water the trees and plants in the gardens.

Some put a bit of effort into growing a 'mo for this year's movember dash. Others just faked it.

And then they were off.

I definitely did not run smoothly, but many of the others did. I’m amazed how they sprint up the mountain and sustain good speed to the finish. The top 10 placegetters finished in under 40 minutes and a great number (the first 100) under 50 minutes. The faster half (first 340-350) finished in just under one hour which is very good going for this route. I managed to not go under my age which is -I don’t know - a good thing or a pity. Good that i’m not that old, or a pity that i’m so slow, so I’m told. Not that I need reminding. The results were promptly posted by the event timers. I believe photos are available for purchase.

I took some candid ones pre-race.

The race was last weekend, when i was on a break from working in central queensland. While on away work i had precious little training for any running event let alone mt coot-tha. But I had grown a stubble on my dial to pass off for a 'tash.

“Twas early last Sunday morning, i fronted up at the mt coot-tha botanical gardens with not much expectations. Having joined a few funruns I knew where to take my place - near the back. The net time was to be adjusted from the gun time, but like last year, this did not happen.

Last year I parked on a grassy verge of a sidestreet under the purple splash of a spreading jacaranda tree. I did so again this time but had to get in really early.

The third running of the Mousdash - a 10.5 km run up and down Mt Kuta. Is a great way to finish the 2011 running calendar.

I described the race route before (2010 mousdash) but briefly:

The first 2.75 section of the run is the hardest. It is all uphill, with an average gradient of just under 10%. This is exactly like running up to Mt Sto Tomas, or Camp 6 to BGH in Baguio-Benguet in the mountainous Philippine Cordillera. The next section (3km to 6.5km) is along the road snaking through about a half-dozen picnic parks under the gum trees of the rolling ridges of kuta, home to the various television stations. The third section (6.5km to 8.5km) is all downhill. The final 2km flat has one more tricky little climb.

map of the mt coot-tha mousdash route

Somehow I did a PB on this my third attempt at Kuta.

My Mountain Home

2011-10-25T19:16:00.000+10:00

Mainit is a village in Bontoc municipality in Mountain Province in the Cordillera region of the Philippines.
It is nestled deep in the mountains.

Mainit is about an hour's drive from Bontoc, or a three-hour hike...

These pictures were taken during a fire-plagued dry season in April 2010.
The scars from the mountain fires blight the serene landscape.

The ricefields of Guina-ang with the hamlets of Dalican in the smoke-shrouded distance.

Fires have dried out the swiftly-rushing streams.

The ricefields are green but they are getting parched.

Why burn?

The ricefields of Chakkang amidst the desecrated steep mountainsides.

A pine grove holds sway.

How green was my valley?

Our mountains, our fields, our home. Let us protect them. From fires, from mines, from lies.

Blueberry shrubs thriving on the stonewalls of Tuvo ricefields.

The hotspring continues to give forth life.

How many times must the summers burn,
Before the springs run dry?

Save our village,our home. Stop the burning.

You young people, educate the old folks at home.

For their sake, and the future.

Toowoomba half-marathon

2011-10-24T21:05:00.007+10:00

Toowoomba half-marathon. 16 October 2011.
This run is for a good cause. The fees go to charity. And good enough reason for me to get up early and drive one and one-half hours, to run a half-marathon.

The start/finish line of the 30^th Annual Toowoomba marathon event was at the USQ grounds. It was a bright sunny morning and ominously warming up to baking temps – in Baker Street.

I got to the race venue early enough. The marathon and ¾ marathon runs started at 0600h and already in full swing when I arrived. A coffee van serving hot drinks enticed me to a cappuccino.

After coffee, I had a little stretch before the start of the half-marathon at 0700h.

Some of the marathoners blew past, on about a 40-45 minute first lap.

I don’t know how many entered the races but the finishers and results are listed in the TRR site as follows:

Marathon 54, ¾ marathon 12, ½ marathon 89, 10 km run 77, for a total of 232.
There were runners there from South Pine Striders, Moreton Bay Road Runners, Gold Coast Runners Club, other clubs and from many other places around the world, including from the cool country of Mainit.

I can only describe what i went through in the half-marathon. Many other runners described their own races at the coolrunning forum.

We started off at 0700h in the half-marathon and 10km runs. After just 2kms i could feel the humidity kick in.

The route is all on street pavements or pathways. The choices are either the softer and less safe bitumen or the more shaded but harder concrete paths. Sometimes there is a bit of grass though usually uneven. Most runners would have alternated like me.

The race route comprised between one to four laps of a 10.55km loop incorporating the streets of Toowoomba. I got giddy in Darling Heights, my sweat flowed like a stream and I felt the race sting in Kearney Spring. And went dry in the mouth in Toowoomba South.

The runners quickly spaced out into their places in the run. Four laps, three, two or one lap.

This is the first race where I availed of fluids at all the drinks stops. Thankfully there were four water stations spaced at about 2.5kms. Even then the final few kilometres was a struggle. And instead of being wet with perspiration, I was actually quite dry from the heat and humidity.

From 0735h onward, runners trickled in to the finish line led by the 10km finishers followed by the top finishers in the other races. The 232 finishers would take about four hours, from the first place in the 10km to the last runner in the marathon, to cross the finish line. The race duration though is about 5.5hours from the start to the finish.
After I finished, I saw an ambulance attending to a runner just a couple of hundred metres from the finish. I hope all's well with him/her.

Thanks to the Toowoomba Road Runners club for organising this event. And to all the club members, race officials, marshalls, volunteers and everyone else involved. Many of them would have been up and working on the event for much longer than the race duration. Great job all! Great event.
I would like to commend especially the lady volunteer at the water stall on corner of West and Stenner Streets who first of all directed me (before the face) to the registration tables, and then during the race kindly checked on me (I sat down for a couple of minutes to fix my foot pads and laces), and see that I had sufficient water.

There is indeed a good future for the smaller, cheaper, friendlier provincial marathons in Australia, such as this event.

Toowoomba is a town I like visiting, and I've been visiting here in the last 21 years. This town is like Tabuk, on a plateau in Kalinga, in my Cordillera homeland in the Philippines. I live in two worlds (the first and third :-)). Who says one can't live in the best of both?

A university city, Toowoomba has developed into a regional centre for business and government services.
The city was in the news in January 2011 when a massive flash flood "Inland Tsunami" resulted in deaths and destruction in town, through the Lockyer Valley, and all the way to the east in Brisbane 125 kilometres away.

Last year I came here for the flower carnival. I think that was the time of the 2010 ridge-to-ridge half-marathon, which I missed. I also skipped this year's R2R run, so for penance I came for this event, and to run Table Top Mountain.

On the way home I detoured off to Table Top Road to see Table Top Mountain. I was going to run (yeah?) up to the summit but from the roadend, it appeared to be in private property and offlimits. I did not have the time nor energy to find the access to the mountain, so I added another entry to my 2012 resolutions.

The hunt for read October

2011-10-09T11:07:00.003+10:00

October reading guide.
Tariq Ali. The Obama Syndrome (2002). The book details, in the author’s eyes, the downward spiral of the US President to just another "skilful and gifted machine politician”. Ali describes the “Obama Syndrome” as 'a kind of mass myopic idealism that can only be treated by a dose of political reality.'
Tariq Ali. Clash of Fundamentalisms (2010). This puts the events of 9/11 in the perspective of the history of Islam.
The Executioner's Song (1979)—Norman Mailer's novelization of the life and death of a murderer, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
The armies of the night (1968) The book is an account of the anti-Vietnam War rally in Washington DC in October 1967. In his non-fiction ‘fiction’ Norman Mailer offers a third person account of himself along with self-descriptions such as a Novelist/Historian, anti-star/hero of the March on the Pentagon.
Another recent Dylan book, Bob Dylan: Like a Complete Unknown (2011) written by David Yaffe. It is neatly structured into four main sections dealing with the subject’s voice; his diversions into film; race and minstrelsy; and plagiarism.
The latest instalment of a four-decade devotion: “Bob Dylan by Greil Marcus, Writings 1968-2010” chronicles the artist’s highs and lows.

Australian History for Dummies. An informative history of the land down under – the land of boat people. Some do think that only those who arrive by plane, the favourite mode of travel for terrorists, may be welcomed in Australia.
A Short History of Nearly Everything. An exciting, informative journey into the world of science from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. Bill Bryson explains the concepts and wonder of science, at the same time giving face to the major players in the world of scientific study.
Roddy Doyle. Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha the world of ten-year-old Paddy Clarke, growing up in north Dublin. From fun and adventure on the streets, boredom in the classroom to increasing isolation at home, "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" is the story of a boy who sees everything but understands little.
Roddy Doyle. The Deportees. All in all, it’s funny, accessible fiction that prescribes predictable moral actions towards immigrants through less predictable narratives.
The Wand in the Word : Conversations With Writers of Fantasy. Leonard S. Marcus’ engaging conversations with thirteen storytellers about their life and work, providing inspiring reading.
Steve Martini. Trader of Secrets.

Settling with Indigenous People. Australian regional agreements with its traditional owners. Includes chapters on agreements in Canada and New Zealand.
Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. In recent years the issue of indigenous rights, particularly in relation to land rights, sovereignty and 'justice' have been at the forefront of the political agenda and legal landscape in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Dan Olmsted & Mark Blaxill. The Age of Autism explores how mankind has unwittingly poisoned itself for half a millennium through the reckless use of one of earth's most toxic substances: mercury—and the tragic consequences
Geologica. The Origins of the Earth. An informative study of Earth’s physical features, landscapes, plants and animals. The origins of the Earth including plate tectonics are discussed.
John Lescroart. Damage.
Richard North Patterson. Eyes of a Child.

Nelson DeMille. The General’s Daughter
Lee Child. Worth Dying For
Michael Connelly. The Fifth Witness

Listen to October in the springtime

2011-10-01T22:47:00.000+10:00

Music CDs

The best of Leon Russell.

Sara Evans. Stronger.

Thea Gilmore. Songs from the gutter.

Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. Here we go again. (with Norah Jones).

Billy Joel. Live at Shea Stadium.

U2. Rattle and hum.

Country Lovin’

Aretha Franklin. The Great American Songbook

Alan Jackson. 34 Number ones.

Pearl Jam. Vs.-Vitalogy

KD Lang and the siss boom bang.

Eric Clapton. Clapton.

Nils Lofgren. The Loner.

Marianne Faithfull. Easy Come easy go.

Patti Smith. Land.

The essential Highwaymen.

The best of Kris Kristofferson.

Neil Young. Le Noise.

Emmylou Harris. Five original albums.

Willie Nelson. American classic.

Enya. Watermark.

DVDs

Best of Sessions at west 54^th.

Leonard Cohen. Songs from the road

Eagles. Farewell tour

Bob Dylan. No Direction Home.

bridge to brisbane 2011

2011-09-13T15:27:00.000+10:00

11/09/11. 42,500 people entered the 2011 bridge to Brisbane 5km and 10 km fun runs. They can't be wrong. The race started from the south end of the gatewaybridges (Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges) and finished at Brisbane's ekka grounds.

It was a windy couple of days leading to the 15^thrunning of the bridge-to-Brisbane last Sunday. There waseven some good rain on the Friday though you wouldn’t know it come theafternoon. I went for a little jog that evening and most of the rainwater had evaporatedor got absorbed by whatever kind of sponge was in the ground. There were no puddles or mud. The land was stillas dry as the previous winter long.

Saturday was quite windy too. I stayed indoors mostly exceptto buy the paper and some milk and food. It was blowy well into the night onthe eve of the b2b funrun.

The morning of the race was cold as expected and I rugged upin some old clothes worn over my running gear. I drove to Bowen Hills arrivingthere around 0445h. The streets looked deserted except for some nightowls, nightshiftroadworkers, midnight volunteers and earlybird runners like me. Most of theparking spaces have already been taken, so I drove around for a bit looking fora spot to park. I then joined some runners heading towards what i thought wasthe train station – for the train to the start line. The group was actuallygoing to the shuttle buses – they obviously had pre-paid tickets – i did not. Wheni realised this i backtracked quickly, entered a no-through-road or two, beforefinding signs to the trains.

At the platform, I joined other runners, more than I wasexpecting to see, trying to keep warm – waiting for the next train to Murarrie,to the start line at the south end of the gateway bridges.

The 05:05 special train (b2b event only) from Albion wasalready quite packed when it pulled up. We packed it to capacity in Bowen Hills.The train picked up some more runners from Fortitude Valley and CentralStations, but is was SRO from there and all other stops to the Murarrieterminus. Many other runners were forced to wait for the next special train,some five minutes behind.

From the Murarrie train station to the start was a good 750mor so. I jogged and walked briskly to warm up. My watch said 05:50 so I hurriedalong around and through the crowds of runners.

I quickly threw off my old jacket and trackpants into adonation collection bin before joining my race starting zone, just as thestarter set off the wheelchair racer – i think there was only one. I noticedsome green and yellow, even grey-bibbed runners, in the red zone (blue zone =elites and sub 40minutes, red = sub-50 minutes, green sub-60 minutes, yellowsub-85 minutes, and grey are walkers). Maybe these sneaky runners are worldclass, but what about the rules? There would be chaos if no one followed them.

Just before the race start at 06:10, the greens were allowedto join the back of the reds. And then the show got on the road.

Every participant in the bridge-to-brisbane run has a story.Mine is a twice-told tale. I’d like to tell it for the nth time, but it wouldbe just a rehash of excuses, a sorry tale of woe. I even saw that thing thatreally gets my goat. It was a variation but the sign on the back of this girl’sshirt read: ”I train like a girl.” And she runs like a 'girl' too. I mean it’s fine if she was behind me, butshe was speeding past me like a train, as if i was standing still! Ban those shirts.

So anyway I somehow did a PB for this event. I was thrilledthat I finished about a minute under my best from last year's bridge-to-brisbane. The extra few days of preparation must have helped. I got backfrom the gasfields nearly three weeks before the race. I even managed a coupleof runs back in camp. Now there’s a story I can tell. From my tales from asuitcase.

Sidebar.

Running around camp one day, this pretty young womanintercepted me. “Hi. Can I run along?” Her name’s Kathy, from the Gold Coast.She is with the camp management staff. She said, “I saw you jogging around and Ithought that I could keep up with you.”

She of course meant I was slow enough not to leave herbehind. The lap around the camp is about 950m, and I’d already done a coupleand was panting and gasping about to give up, when Cathy hailed me.

It took me a good few seconds to get a reply out, “please do.”

We ran around for acouple more laps and between panting and catching breath, I tried showing herthe route. Some of the young fellows around the camp looked up admiringly asKath and I jogged along. I told her, “Do you know about the emu that roams theterritory around camp?” Katie nodded, "Yes." That's all I got for chit-chat. Emus.

There are rough surfaces around the fences of the camp thatshould be avoided, and I told her not to go there. Actually Cath did most ofthe talking while I was busy catching my breath and keeping up with her. Theroute was indeed a little rough with rocks and holes and even damp spots. Mostlywe ran side by side but I had to concentrate on the curves in front of me whenwe ran along in single file, Kathy in front of me – yes those paths are curvy, I almost stumbleda couple of times. Most of the pipeliners are males, and I asked Cathy, “Doesyour boyfriend mind you working here where it’s mostly males?” I think she’s ona 2-weeks-on, 1-week-off stint. She answered plain and simple, “I’m single.” Iwent quiet for a bit. She asked me, “What do you do?” “I do deliveries” I replied, "I can deliver." Kath looked at me with a whodoyouthinkyou'rekidding look and said, “I want to be a truck driver. I want to drive one of those bigmining trucks with wheels bigger than a 10-storey building.” So much for boysand toys. Katie’s going places I think. Anyway she got bored with old slow me,and begged off after another lap. I plodded along punishing myself. The boysraised their eyebrows. One asked, “Where’s your new friend?”. I had to admitthat Cath dumped me after a couple of laps. “She said I’m too old and too slow,”I said.

Another time, I ran into Therese from the Sunshine Coast.She’s into walking, a lot. I asked to join her one evening while she waswalking around the mini-oval. I met Therese a few weeks before at the projects office, or maybe the staff room. She’s an environmentalist. I asked her,“How do you get so slim and all.” She looked at me with a ‘don’t be a smartass’smile, and I smiled back and said, “Just trying to make some small talk.”Therese started talking about her kids, and which school they went to. Ithought so much for small talk. She bid good evening and I was by my lonesomeself yet again. Story of my life.

There’s a few other women who work in the gasfields and incamp. They are all beautiful lovely ladies. Especially after a couple of weeks,and one drink too many. But one can only take so much rebuff... Two more sleepsand I’ll be home – to train for the bridge-to-brisbane...

Too much digressing there Martin.
Map of the route below. The run is from east to west.

All the 42,500 entrants are the winners in the bridge-to-Brisbane.They have taken massive strides toward better health.
Keep up the running, andhave fun.

The placegetters:

10KM, Males

1st, Reuben, Kosgei, 0:29:37

2nd, Geofrey, Terer, 0:30:00
3rd, Peter, Nowill, 0:30:21

4th, Jackson, Elliott, 0:30:45

5th, Daryl, Crook, 0:32:45

10KM, Females
1st, Cassandra, Fien, 0:34:12
2nd, Clare , Geraghty, 0:35:25
3rd, Tamara, Carvolth, 0:36:17
4th, Tamlyn, Mathiske, 0:37:14
5th, Rina, Hill, 0:37:4

Brisbane Running Festival 2011

2011-08-13T12:18:00.002+10:00

Half-marathon run.

Brisbane this year suffered some of its worst flooding ever. And to repeat myself, the spirit and character of Queenslanders, is typified by their resilience. They get knocked down but they get up again, and run around the river again.

The camera like the runner is still sleepy.

On 7 August 2011, I arrived to an almost deserted Brisbane about 0515h. The city’s streets of course were well lit and also well occupied by cars. I have no idea whose cars are parked in the CBD at this early time, but I am certain many of these cars are driven by early-bird runners. After doing a couple of laps around I found a spot on Edward Street about 300m from the botanic gardens, venue for the start and finish line. The gardens was still dark at 0530h already the place was milling with runners volunteers and a couple of mobile coffee stalls. There is a flood marker newly installed at the entrance to the gardens. This showed the flood levels of the 1974 and 2011 floods. The 2011 flood line was about waist height but not as high as the 1974 marker at about head height. I only saw this marker after the race. It quickly roused me from feeling totally buggered, to thinking of how truly frightening and devastating are the forces wreaked by the fury of nature. The high and mighty floodwaters have swamped these gardens only seven months ago. One could not imagine that on that morning of the 20^th running of the Brisbane running festival.

The annual Brisbane running festival is a major running event. Many bemoan the fact that Brisbane does not have a proper marathon event but that may change. The run was staged around the botanical gardens and then along the southern banks of the beautiful Brisbane river.

The venue of the festival has shifted from southbank to the northbank the riverstage in the city botanical gardens.

The Brisbane river was at its roaring worst in January. I have mentioned the floods a few times now and will do so again, for the 1 in 100 year flood event, is just that – a 1:100 year occurrence. I may not see one again in my lifetime, but then again I may. The Brisbane river winds around about 50 kilometres of the City that bears its name. From Wivenhoe dam west of the D’Aguilar range to the sea on Moreton Bay, I have traversed much of the length of the river.

I ran the 10km run in this event last year. But this year I thought to have a go at the half-M. I got back from the gasfields 12 days before the runfest. In those 12 days I managed to sneak in a 10km run in the park2park, as well as a couple of 7km Wednesday runs with the bunyavilletrailrunners. I rounded off my 12-day preparation with a few short runs.

The start and finish lines were moved to the riverstage in the city botanical gardens. The route of the Brisbane running festival includes a loop though the botanic gardens and across the river on Goodwill bridge. It then follows a good stretch of the southern banks of the river from West End through South Brisbane to Kangaroo Point. Along the section of the run route, there are seven bridges across the river. Four of these are for vehicles (The Go-between bridge, Captain Cook bridge, Victoria Bridge and Grey Street bridge), two for pedestrians (Kurilpa bridge and Goodwill bridge), and one for trains only (Grey Street bridge). I think the organisers are considering calling the Brisbane marathon ‘the seven bridges’ run. We can include Story bridge in place of the railway bridge.

Along the run route are many of the iconic spots in Brisbane. The start line is right next to the City Gardens café. The loop around inside City Gardens is about 2.11 km.

The course heads south through the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Gardens Point campus courtyard before going towards Goodwill Bridge. These places seem vaguely familiar. And I have a feeling of deja vu, like I may have been here before, one cool night in the past.

Once across the 700m bridge it enters the South Bank Grand Arbour (3.8km) and then joins the Clem Jones Promenade in southbank parklands going upstream. At Victoria Bridge it gets onto River Boardwalk through Kurilpa Park and on towards Riverside Drive. It then goes under the Go-Between Bridge and continues along through suburban streets and Davies park (7km) in West End, to a turning point in Orleigh Park in Hill End (9.6km).

From this upstream most point of the run, the route turns and goes all the way back to and past the goodwill bridge to lower River Terrace (15km), then continues downstream towards Kangaroo Point. It Goes past and under captain cook bridge to the Kangaroo Point cliffs (16km) and on to Captain Burke park (17.7) under the story bridge. Again it turns around and heads back towards the Goodwill Bridge (20.5km). It turns right for one final little incline at the Goodwill Bridge and then back towards the Finish at lower section of Riverstage. The marathoners do two laps with slight variation.

The race started at 0600h on the dot. Some 21.1km and 2:11 later I crossed the finish. I actually finished in a net time of 2^h08^m49^s, exactly 2’11” under 2^h11^m. I was feeling okay up to about 15 or 16km, when the lack of training told and I faded away from a 2-hour finish time.

Having said that, after two half-marathons, this is my second best time ever J (and I did a PB on my first half-marathon).

Thanks to the army of volunteers, race marshalls, and the secondary school students who make it possible for those of us to serve our penance, but that’s just speaking for myself.

And the winners are: All the runners.

The place-getters:

Marathon
1    Justin Creek 2:44:31.7
2    Ralf Hamann 2:44:58.3
3    Chris Taylor 2:49:03.8

Half Marathon
1    Trent Harlow1:12:45.0
2    Geoffrey Berkeley 1:16:52.9
3    Craig Pascoe 1:19:05.6

10km
1    Peter Nowill 30:26.7
2    Matthew Hawke 32:04.2
3    Ben Shaw 35:12.9

2km Beginner
1    Caleb Ackland 8:06.6
2    Alexandra Clements 8:14.9
3    Liam Hampson 8:22.6

Place Name Bib No Overall Time

Overall Female Overall Winners

1 Clare Geraghty 1324 4 1:19:11.6

2 Tara Gorman 1342 22 1:25:01.5

3 Tammy Egstorf 1263 37 1:28:36.2

Female U18

1 Lauren Dixon 1239 756 2:00:08.3

2 Kayla Gilbert 1329 833 2:03:24.6

3 Lauren King 1486 996 2:09:58.3

Female 18 to 29

1 Charlotte Hockey 1411 64 1:31:37.2

2 Nathan Lindsay 2130 85 1:33:26.8

3 Nicola Potter 1735 106 1:34:57.7

Female 30 to 39

1 Pieta Hynes 2343 40 1:28:46.5

2 Andrea Appleton 2344 51 1:30:17.4

3 Liz Fancutt 2391 103 1:34:39.9

Female 40 to 49

1 Jo Sherman 2353 62 1:31:38.1

2 Clare Williams 2093 99 1:34:14.7

3 Carolyn Seipolt 1810 134 1:36:38.7

Female 50 to 59

1 Muriel McLean 1607 170 1:38:41.5

2 Betty Wedding 1977 285 1:43:48.9

3 Lesley Noreiks 1672 322 1:45:04.4

Female 60 to 69

1 carol coburn 1182 442 1:49:39.5

2 Sandra Brett 1107 698 1:58:30.5

3 Denise Drury 2135 961 2:07:40.0

Overall Male Overall Winners

1 Trent Harlow 2139 1 1:12:45.0

2 Geoffrey Berkeley 2484 2 1:16:52.4

3 craig pascoe 1713 3 1:19:04.5

Male U18

1 nicholas scarponi 2094 29 1:27:29.9

2 Louie Hadfield 1364 35 1:28:19.5

3 lachlan pascoe 1714 132 1:36:33.4

Male 18 to 29

1 Dan Nunan 2302 6 1:19:56.8

2 Daniel Wright 2335 7 1:19:59.1

3 steve whiteman 2415 17 1:23:33.4

Male 30 to 39

1 Stephen Gurr 2354 5 1:19:30.7

2 justin hunter 2164 8 1:20:03.1

3 Nic VAN DER MAAT 1935 9 1:20:03.2

Male 40 to 49

1 Andrew Douglas 1246 15 1:23:02.2

2 David Whiteman 1989 16 1:23:27.3

3 David Sharpe 1815 18 1:23:33.8

Male 50 to 59

1 Alan Peacock 1718 28 1:27:28.5

2 Tim Lanham 1506 31 1:28:04.1

3 Geoff Oliver 2105 41 1:29:00.2

Male 60 to 69

1 Michael Briggs 1110 141 1:37:14.4

2 Christopher Paul 1716 148 1:37:50.4

3 Peter James 1439 190 1:39:38.7

Male 70+

1 Colin Woods 2017 504 1:51:59.5

2 Reg Hogan 2092 707 1:58:51.2

3 Bob Williams 1996 847 2:04:01.9

a kenyan safari

2011-08-05T17:14:00.004+10:00

This is a video blog of a safari to Kenya.
Yes I went to Kenya last month. I needed to do a lot of work - on my running, and I wanted to find out what made these great Kenyans run so fast. Maybe it's to do with chasing wildlife.

Maybe not. Maybe I lost my way. Maybe it's all the gas around. The gas-bagging...
Music is from 'The Loner' - Nils Lofgren singing some Neil Young songs.