29 May 2011

Running from Crocodiles

Sun 10.22am 15.82km 67m49  4m17 K's





Decided to explore away from the well worn Esplanade pathway with all its distractions - the swimming lagoon and all those backpackers catching some sun. So decided to take a pathway that ran alongside a drain towards the Botanical Gardens. I say drain but in the UK we'd probably call it a canal! The drain led to a creek and as I ran I could not take my eyes off any submerged log or rock or set of bubbles  I past and then I saw a sign warning that crocodiles inhabit the creek!
I did see some wildlife but it was mammalian not reptilian. At first I thought it was a platypus but it didn't have a shovel tail, it was hairy with a longish thin tail with lighter ring markings on the tip , more like a ring tailed possum but they don't swim around in swift circles and then run with agility up the bank do they?
I came out of the gardens and ran along Kamerunga Rd past Stratford and turned around on 35mins and ran back the way I came. I had a few excursions to see if I could take any of the goat tracks up the monolithic rocky outcrop which borders the gardens which dented my overall pace but was happy to plod along at around 4m10 pace for 16km's. Conditions sunny and warm - 28 O C today! - that's 82 O F, not bad for a Winters day.

2 comments:

TokyoRacer said...

Love the warning sign: Getting your arm bitten off by a crocodile is forbidden!

Samurai Running said...

If you have time David go down to Gordonvale and have a run along the flat empty roads through the sugar cane fields. Nice, especially on a crisp clear morning.