Hello to all!

Another week in Brisbane has been and gone!

We have now booked up to go to Fraser Island in the 1st weekend in September with 3 of our flat mates- Nadine, Octtavio and Damian. We are going up on the Thursday and back on the Sunday night so taking a skivey day off work! Fraser Island has NO roads atall so you have to hire a 4 x 4 to get around so we have got a Land Rover Defender for the weekend - that will be an experience to drive!

All 5 of us are camping for the weekend on Fraser Island aswell, so campfires and BBQ with marshmallows ahoy!

Friday Night

After work me and Iain went to the Union Jack pub for a few drinks and they had a really good live band playing - we sat in the Scottish corner just to be patriotic!! Well, Iain anyway!

After we went to Govindas the Hare Krshna all u can eeat veggie curry buffet which again was so good - totally pigged out and went for 2nds - then we were totally stuffed!

Saturday

We had to go and pick up our race packs for the Bridge to Brisbane 12km race today and we thought we had it all planned - train the bus (so the internet said) We got the train fine but when we got off to the bus we were in the middle of nowhere and the buses only ran every 1.5 hours!! So, we went went on a walking hunt to find the office and came across a 6 lane motorway (where the race started) and asked a petrol station who said the only way to get there was the bus - so back we traped with a magnum ice cream to keep us occupied and waited 1.5 hours!!

We got on the bus and only just got off at the right stop - again the middle of nowhere in an industrial estate - got our packs then hopped on a bus that went nowhere near the city but it was the last bus of the day (at 1:52 in the afternoon!!) and took us to a train station - got off at the "Valley" for a look around china town and then decided to walk to the city then home - a long walk of about 3 hours, but Iain had a MacDonalds and i tried veggie sushi which was very good to keep up the energy. When we got home last night our feet and legs were nackered!

Today - Sunday 5th

We got up at 4:30AM, I know, I know, very, very mad indeed but had to get to our race and had a taxi booked for 5:15am. It was absolutely freezing and pitch black and as you can see from the photos, i made a sexy bin liner jacket to me warm (Iain was too cool for such a sexy addition!!). We sampled the portaloos, that were on a hill so everything was a bit of an aiming exercise and our race started at 6:50am.

First 1.5km was straight up the hill on the bridge but with 30,000 competitors u were jsut trying to elbow every1 out ogf the way so that u could actually run so u never really noticed the hill.

The run was a lovely route along the water and they were bands, and grease the musical songs and cars along the eway to keep u entertained, Iain made it in just ahead of me with a time of 53mins 15secs and i came in at 57mins 51secs so we were both well chuffed with those times for 12km!

We headed straight for the free watermelon and couldn't resist a bit of carrot cake and some fruit/yoghurt for me and a ham toastie for Iain - all in all great fun and we were finished by 8:00am!!

We then ended up walking all the way to the city - another 1 hour as we fancied a Starbucks (but no, no not just for a Starbs - the ferrys and buses were all jammed packed so walking for a Starbs was the best idea - trust me, he, he!!)

When we got into town we even managed to get info on our train pass up to Cairns and on booking some of our trips as we go up the coast which meant the rest of the day we have just been able to sunbathe - at the las the weather has warmed up, so it's really nice!!!

Ah, that was a blog and half - adios til our next blog...

Charlotte & Iain

xxxx