I am a bit late with this post but January is not completely over just yet. It is a long write up and a heap of photos, probably my longest ever but it was a busy year.
Funny how time flies especially when your having fun. Looking back always helps me feel grateful, lucky and helps start thinking of the year ahead.
We started the year with a wet road trip south to Wauchope and to see Hive account@consciouscat's family as we had spent Christmas at home with my Mum, sister, my son and his better half.
Caroline showed me around some of the Central Coast of New South Wales. The Entrance has some amazing beaches.
Avoca Beach looked very expensive and trendy.
On the way home from the Central Coast we stayed in Grafton to pick up our second new parkrun for the year.
Next was our biggest trip for the year as we visited Japan for the first time (for both of us). 10 days just was not enough but we squeezed in 2 different parkruns, visited a friend, as well as a short ski trip to Rustusu and the Sapporo Snow and Ice Festival.
It was good to be back home espically as a new parkrun event had started in our home town of Brisbane. Capestone Lakes is another purpose build residential area on the northside.
Beaudesert, in the Scenic Rim Council area inland of the Gold Coast, got its first parkrun too. We got to catch up with some other parkrun tourist friends.
We were at Kingscliff for a conference. Caroline did all this Human Design stuff, I did my longest run/walk for the year - 21 kilometres from the mouth of Cudgen Creek to Norries Headland and back. I had not been running that well in 2024 with lots of niggles and injuries. I put it down to old age but I am moving a lot better again now.
May and the middle of the year brought lots of changes. My first grandchild was born. I retired from my job and helped my son with some renovations at his new house. I might not be permanently retired, epically if we travel as much as I would like but I needed an extended break from the job I had been doing for over 20 years at the same company and 30 plus years in industry.
We had a great day trip to Stradbroke Island in whale season. We'd been meaning to get across there since Caroline moved up here, so when her Mum came to visit we used that as a reason to get over there for the day.
We tested sleeping in the car to save a few dollars and pick up a new parkrun in Maryborough, north of Brisbane. It not too bad sleeping in the back of the car for one night, in good weather but any longer would be a struggle.
Chinchilla was another one nighter in the car for Charley's Creek parkrun. I had injured my ankle so I volunteered as the Timekeeper.
Samford Parklands parkrun was another new parkrun for Brisbane.
We stayed overnight in Kingaroy to pick up Proston parkrun.
Old Esk Railway Station parkrun was a day trip and is one of quite a few small country Queensland towns that now have their own events. The course is run along part of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.
We flew to Canberra in November for a Nephew's birthday party. We scored some accommodation with its own sauna in our ensuite, picked up another new parkrun and I redid a photo in the same spot 36 years apart!
Elliott Heads parkrun was another weekend away for the collection.
Then we pretty much ended the year the same way we started it - with a road trip south to Sydney. We tried the inland highway this time for something different and took our time going through Goondiwindi and did a parkrun at Moree.
We found this great little Sandstone Caves Walk just past Narrabri.
It was only a couple of kilometres off the main highway but felt like we were in the middle of Central Australia.
We got to hike in the Warrumbungle National Park National just outside of Coonabarabran. We did a big chunk of the same hike as when we visited a few years ago (The Grand Tops walk to Breadknife) but this time the weather was clear, sunny and hot! And the views were spectacular.
We got our Christmas Day special (parkrun) event at The Entrance.
And finished the year at Pirrama parkrun in the middle of Sydney.
So all up that was one new country, too many destinations to count, 50 parkruns @ 33 different locations (16 first time new parkrun locations) and 9 volunteers. And, surprisingly, only 16 different beds. Best parkrun time for the year 23:29
