Quick Update

It feels like a million year since my last post on the race. Post race I took a week completely off, and just enjoyed Australia. I have travelled up the Gold Coast, to Sydney, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, and now Cairns. It has been a lot of travelling but I have enjoyed it a lot. I have still yet to find a swimming pool in my travels, which I am not really worried about. I did my first run in a week in Noosa National Park, which is home to tons of Koalas, Roos and Snakes/Spiders. Needless to say I did a half run, half spotting wildlife!

After that 50 minute run of almost complete hills I was wiped out! It is around 35 degrees on the Sunshine Coast in midday, and very humid. Right now in Cairns (really north for all that don't know), it is 30 degrees in the shade, and the humidity is almost unbarable. My eating and drinking have definitly taken a turn for the unhealthy, but I am not too worried.

We headed to Cairns yesterday but were stuck in Brisbane because of the worst dust storm in 75 years! It was intense, like the end of the world. 12,000 tons of top soil was blown from the outback at 100+km/hr towards the coast. Every flight from Sydney was diverted to Brisbane, and then Brisbane got hit with it so it was slow going!

Now that we have reached Cairns, we plan to slow down and possibly find an apartment and settle in. That means finding the local pool and running along the beautiful water front.

Cairns is where you to go hit the Great Barrier Reef, which we hope to do in a few days. Right now we are enjoying the beautiful weather, along with the cheap hostels that have dinner and beer included in their rates. Most hostels offer a bed for 15 bucks including a meal!