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On the Day around 170 Teams filed onto a whale watching cruise boat in Darling Harbour, not quite knowing what lay ahead.
This part of the race I had anticipated, the rest of the race well it sort of turned to custard for us.
On Arrival at the Aquarium we surveyed the crowd for familiar faces as the mass of teams grew, a few regulars rolled in and few people looking like they could run a marathon in a very credible time also added to the mix, little did we know we had just seen the "Winners" arrive.
Anticipation was high, race organizers had us disembarking on the Quay side of the Opera House before making a mad dash for the Opera House steps, this was a bit like being at the start of the City to Surf, we were last on the boat, thinking we might get off first but adjourned to comfy seats on the upper deck, thus allowing us to witness most of the teams rushing to get their clue sheets first. This wasn't such a bad thing, we did wonder if the Team from Max Adventure had us doing some sort of Australian Idol mystery tour as we all invaded the Opera House steps and the scene of Aus Idol for the following day, and picked up our clue sheets.
We then went about putting a few heads together and worked with friends Roger and Robyn (R & R) to solve the clues and work out the locations, thankfully R & R's phone a friend was awake, ours was in bed still :-).
Teams started to empty out and head in all directions and it wasn't long before security request we move on so Idol plans could continue. One clue had us stuck for a while and we needed to find its location before we moved off, something about Federation Celebrations in 1901 and Mannon Millennial or something like that, it turned out to be Federation Pavilion in Centennial Park. So we were off, first stop Harry's Café de Wheels a favorite Sydney Icon I have to admit visiting numerous times generally via Kayak and the first time I haven't had chance to buy a pie there. Photo taken and off again, this time up to William St and looking for a bus to Double Bay.
Initial translation of the clue sheet had us and a few others heading for Redleaf Pool and Seven Shillings Beach, the accompanying photo with recognizable landmarks did us no favors, but we had missed the bit about a park, so bus caught and together with several other teams we made our way to Double bay, finally off the bus after "Ian and his Wench" disembarked a couple of stops earlier, (they knew something we didn't), and it was a mad rush for 7 Shillings beach, down through the park and onto the beach but no boat shed in sight, mmm. Well nothing like a cool dip and a bit of coasteering back around the headland, the other guys had decided the rock wall was a better bet, after the water went over my waist I decided the same and it was a quick clamber up a waterfront retaining wall and an exit via steps back to the road.
Luckily at least one team behind had seen our exit and soon after was able to recognize what could only have been my wet footprints and follow them out from the unit block and back to the road, now we were on the right track and soon found the Boat Shed, CP punched and now we were mobile (and very wet).
We were now hoping for a bus along Ocean St back to Centennial Park, it wasn't long and we snagged one, a ballsy effort by one team in front off us who managed to grab the "Mission Beat" Black Hatchback :-) and make a speedy escape in the same direction. It wasn't long and we were trotting through Centennial Park, CP punched and a quick decision to head for Bondi Junction and a train, what seemed like a couple of kilometers later we jumped a limited stops to the City, this is where some of the preparation went out the window.
We decided on changing trains at Town Hall and making tracks to the North Shore and the "Rag and Famish" Pub and "Climb Fit" at St. Leonards however we overlooked the fact that some CP's also had closing times as well as opening times, something the leaders had most definitely considered. DOH it was 11.15 and the Fish Markets CP closed in 45mins.
Now at North Sydney we swapped trains. Back across the Coat Hanger and off at Town Hall, the pace was on 4 crazed Adventure Racers in a mad dash for Pyrmont via Darling Harbour, no time to stop at Paddy's Market or the Exhibition centre, not yet anyway, we had a deadline this clue was a ship with the Aboriginal name for the "Hawkesbury". The fish markets engulfed our senses as only it can and welcomed us with smells of the catch of the day. Unfortunately it had also welcomed 30 or so other teams, some judicious rule changes had teams leaving quicker than initially imagined and it was now a mad dash for "The Rocks" the only comfort came from seeing teams still heading for the Fish Markets, it was 12.15 and they had no hope of making the 12.00 close, on the other hand we had another deadline now 12.30 at "The Rocks", little did we know the leaders had just finished the whole course, and we weren't half way.
Now we were in search of an entertainment venue named after a King Of England who reigned around 1930, and it was going to involve something about shooting and scoring we had established the location earlier on the bus and soon found the Fitness centre under the Harbour Bridge in the nick of time, 2 goals and 2 baskets and we were off again, now taking more notice of closing times. Back to Wynyard another train, my wet day ticket was suffering from my coasteering leg but the Inspectors let me through, now it was off to the "Rag and Famish" we wasted some time waiting for a bus but the way my legs felt it was still quicker to get to St. Leonards and then a short run to "Climb Fit", back to the station and another train, that's 5 for the day.
Off at Central now and we were looking for the heart of Sydney near the Capitol Theatre, this proved to be the Sydney City Mission HQ, and a photo CP, picture taken and of again.
We were moving quicker now but a tad to late, it was time to hit Paddy's Market and find stall 767, we had been wised up to this one as well and it was a mad rush through the shoppers to the CP at the puzzle stand, the obtained puzzle would have to be assembled before we got back.
Exhibition centre time and the "Adventure Travel Expo" we were now looking for the Motorola Stand, never a technophobe this was a pain in the proverbial, false tooth I could fit, "Blue Tooth" no chance, "Pete, this ones yours, R & R our ill fated friends seemed to be in the same boat. We managed it, I don't know how and time was of the essence, unfortunately we had just been given the Mystery CP location, "Boost on Bathurst".
Great like I needed more running, back across Darling Harbour, across George St, along Bathurst and there it was "Boost Juice", the CBD was getting busy now and you needed eyes in the back of your head.
Now we needed a bus, someone nearly had us on a bus to "Palm Beach" that would have been fun explaining. We had to get to Glebe, and an obscure little park not named on our maps and a World War Monument, we fluked it, the bus we jumped had us heading down Glebe Point Rd to within 50 yards of the CP, back across the road and we jagged another bus, back to Broadway, puzzle assembled and, off the bus and we could smell the rapidly vanishing food form the post race BBQ, and the cut off was 3.00pm, we hit the line with just over 5 minutes to spare, that was close, but we missed nothing and we were still smiling, just.
A special thanks to our extended team, as well as sponsors, supporters, race staff, volunteers.
A final mention and congrats and well done to the girls that got chance to go clothes shopping, we saw the bags, and you beat us home as well, and a huge well done to the guys and girls that brought their kids along in strollers and competed, there were at least 2 teams out there, awesome effort, well done.
Oh I nearly forgot, Graham, Debbie, Ellen our phone a friends at home.
