Posted 12:43:26 PM by Don
Squelching shoes as a thunderstorm rolled in at 4am and remained until mid-morning. It was quite chilly standing in athletic shorts waiting to be put on to various radio stations in Sydney.

A mass of spray enters the distance and the head of a road train pops out before you are engulfed in it's making.

The weather gurus claimed it would clear to 37degrees and whilst not that hot, when the clouds cleared it certainly warmed up.

A great day with 64.7km completed!

Posted 12:43:09 PM by Don
Will be short as the power is surging. Headed south at 6am on a different route from last year's run which pushed further into the goldfields. Boy was it worth it.... The team united in praise for the spectacular rolling hills that led us down to Widgiemooltha (halfway to Norseman). This country of ours is so beautiful!

Daily total: 35.9km

Posted 12:44:21 PM by Don
Commencing little more than a marathon from Coolgardie, the run in was perhaps the most enjoyable section yet, with the thought of turning South a great boost. We can now look at a big map of Australia and note an impressionable dent into the mainland!

Apparently Mum was on radio the other day - apparently she was introduced as my sister - what a hoot! Pity I missed it, I think I was tuning in to that 'Cloud 9' station at the time.

We are having our midday break in Coolgardie, at the crossroads, and will probably head off on a roadtrip to Kalgoorlie this afternoon as the team are pretty keen to have a squint around the bigger town.

I'm glad we are out of the heat as it's a soaring rapidly today, and even more glad that we have completed 15km since 9am for a grand total since Cottesloe of......... 554.5km! The roads rise into the distance as seemingly huge hills, and they feel like huge hills until you reach the top and peering back they look tame or even worse like a downhill - hard to explain really.

We have raised in excess of $900 on the road and nearly $500 at home, not taking in to account donations made through The FHF's toll free line: 1800 352 352. Injuries have abated somewhat through sensible running, now it is just a dull monotonous pain.

I am absolutely exhausted now. I am struggling to recall things to put in the updates and time is definitely harder to quantitise. The next month or so may only include brief updates but every few days we will get someone to put up distances so you can all look at that big map of Australia, get out a little pencil and tell people, 'my friend the nutter is right... here'.

Posted 12:33:04 PM by Don
From 14.1.02:
A thunderstorm came through in the afternoon cooling the weather, but by no means the tensions among the crew. As I suspected, group dynamics are our biggest problem, perhaps it's just me, but I tried to make it up to the group by sizzling a spaghetti bolognaise before they hit the Bulla Bulling pub and I hit the sack. Right ankle now providing grief. 63.5km completed today.

Posted 12:32:00 PM by Don
From 13.1.02:
After a disturbing rest with Guy and Chris crashing in to the van at 1:40am, from the Southern Cross Tavern, we farewelled a great town that had been very friendly with donations and hospitality.

The morning session was frustrating with the two drivers heavily fatigued and Sophie and I getting bogged after returning for a 'road train' sign in a ditch we'd passed an hour back. Following the beautiful smell of burnt clutch for the next 4 hrs, the climb out of Southern Cross was not easy and the lunch break was definitely welcome.

Since Merredin we have been having an interesting 'struggle' with a man named Pete who is 55 and has spent nine weeks on the road cycling from Darwin. We passed him 4 days back then he passed the following day. We overtook him in Southern Cross and he has just pulled up for a spot of lunch in our van. Sophie has managed to rustle up some steak and mustard sandwiches and where else would you be - with the cricket on, the road temperature at 49 degrees and a van full of sweaty bodies.

63.1km completed today.