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The CrossingMorisset To Shortland

The Final Three Weeks Appear

Morisset supplied some questionable bus arithmetic, Toronto became the lunch stop, and I worked out the final three weeks of HAA before Anthony joined me for the last few kilometres into Shortland.

Date27 August 2015
Journey dayDay 104
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Early light over fields and trees at the beginning of Day 104.
Early light on the way towards Morisset.

Morisset provided the first bit of entertainment. I passed its Lake Macquarie City sign and found it quite fitting that I could think of nothing ironic to say about it.

Then I found a Hunter Valley bus which was authorised to carry 76 passengers: 57 seated and 27 standing.

Hunter Valley, where 57 plus 27 equals 76?

There was also a stop sign beside a low railway bridge. After 35 minutes I started to think the stop-go bloke might not be coming back.

Lunch was in Toronto. It was different to how I remembered it: warmer, the international airport had gone and the CN Tower appeared to have shrunk.

During one of the breaks, I sketched out the schedule for the final three weeks.

The first three weeks had been planned. The last three weeks were now planned.

The 12 weeks in between? We still had no idea how we had got away with that.

There had always been an overall Google Maps route and a fixed finish date, but detailed planning for the whole thing would have fallen apart very quickly. We had worked it out as we went, adjusting the route and schedule whenever reality got involved.

There was still plenty to do. We had to finish the week, enjoy another weekend in Sydney, and then keep moving towards Brisbane.

Later in the afternoon, I attempted to start a new fad with the shadow selfie. The shadfie. #viral #fad

The final few kilometres brought company again. We had stopped for my last break when Anthony came out to meet us, then joined me for the final four or five kilometres into Shortland.

Anthony was a reformed non-runner, an avid parkrunner and part of the five30runners group. We compared stories and talked about all things back of the pack. It turned the last few kilometres from a grind into a very pleasant chat, and they flew by.

That was another 53.6 kilometres done. From Shortland we drove to Tomago Village Van Park for the night.

Images From The Day

Morisset gateway sign beside the Day 104 route.
Morisset. I found it quite fitting that I could think of nothing ironic to say about this.
The back of a Hunter Valley bus showing capacity figures of 76 passengers, 57 seated and 27 standing.
Hunter Valley, where 57 plus 27 equals 76?
Stop sign beside a low railway bridge on the route through Morisset.
Thirty-five minutes and the stop-go bloke still had not come back.
A handwritten schedule headed Almost There beside a puddle.
The final three weeks had been mapped out. The 12 weeks in the middle were still something of a mystery.
A broad roadside verge beneath broken cloud during Day 104 through Lake Macquarie.
Working my way through Lake Macquarie towards Toronto and Shortland.
A small lighthouse near Toronto, New South Wales.
Toronto's rather compact answer to the CN Tower.
Gary's shadow beside Lake Macquarie during Day 104.
The shadow selfie. Or shadfie, if the new fad had taken off.
Gary's sore foot after Day 104 of Hearts Across Australia.
The feet had another 53.6 kilometres to show for the day.

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