Our heads are spinning a bit from the constant relocations.  We spent three nights at home, unpacking, washing, shopping, preparing everything for the Anzac weekend, repacking, and driving to Bendigo on Anzac Day.  The car was once again full to the brim with gear.  It finally poured down with much-needed rain as we drove up the Calder once more.

On Saturday, Ian took himself off to a Lego exhibition, while Margi and I took ourselves off to lunch, then out to Mt Korong to familiarise ourselves with the layout for Sunday’s event.  On the day, we got up before dawn, packed up, checked out, and drove out to be on site before 8am.  The rest of the day passed in a blur of activity, running the Victorian Long Distance Championships for close to 350 people.  It was the last event of the Easter-Anzac carnival.  It was a glorious day and Mt Korong was looking a picture (although very dry).  Before long, people were out in the forest, then returning with tales of victory or woe.

My own tale was, unfortunately, one of woe.  My first two controls were easy, before we were sent into the complex jumble of rocks.  Pete caught me up at no 3 and we did the next two controls together.  The came the long leg, with the route choice either up and over the top of the hill, or contouring around.  We both chose the latter, and it was quite straightforward to follow the line of clearer vegetation around the bottom of the rock strewn slopes.  We crossed a small but unmistakeable creek – and that was the last time we knew for certain where we were.  Pete pulled ahead and I didn’t see him again, but we both spent a very long time hunting fruitlessly for control 75.  I was on my own for ages and was about to give up, when I was joined by 3 other people all looking for the same control.  We teamed up, but it was to no avail – none of us could find it anywhere.  Relocating was next to impossible.

After about 30 minutes I was feeling quite light headed and very tired.  My legs had had enough and my heart wasn’t in it.  From where we were it was a long walk to get back out onto a track, or to the finish – but I had no choice.  Doggedly I headed north, and trudged for ages.  After a while I saw a flag, and thought “wouldn’t it be funny if it was one of mine”.  It was! Somehow I’d stumbled across my no 6.  Theoretically I could have tried backtracking to 5, but I’d lost any will to do so – I just wanted to get to the end, sit down, and eat.  I skipped the rest of the course apart from the final control and the finish, then did the walk of shame down the chute and into the download tent, before slinking off to find a quiet corner and have a sulk.

Turns out I wasn’t alone.  Pete never found that control, nor did Pam, nor did several others.  By now I just wanted to pack everything up and head for home.  Luckily everyone returned, presentations were done, and we were on the road soon after 2pm.

So, now it’s Monday.  Overnight, I tried to let go of all the things that have been clogging up my brain for the last few weeks, and start looking ahead to the next part of this rather weird 3-part holiday.  We packed once again, but this time it was into a single suitcase each, and only the sort of things needed for a cruise to a tropical climate.  I did manage to sneak in a packet of the delicious Anzac biscuits that Pam had sourced as prizes; and a small fluffy Japanese bear (he may have nibbled around the edges of the Anzacs, but he doesn’t believe in over-indulgence).

We are now at an airport hotel in Brisbane, watching planes come and go.  Tomorrow we transfer to our ship, Carnival Encounter – our fourth different bed in as many nights.  Cruisemapper tells me that she is halfway between here and Fraser Island, with her bow pointing south, so that augurs well.

After sailing away tomorrow afternoon we have two days at sea, to relax and recuperate from the rapid pace we’ve been operating at recently.  Our ports of call are Alotau (Milne Bay), Kiriwina Islands, Rabaul, and Conflict Island.  We may have internet at Milne Bay and Rabaul, and I will try and post blog entries and photos from there if I can, but otherwise we are largely off grid for the next little while.