Turning the corner

Once again we are past the winter solstice and the lengthening days should both reduce the chance of hashers becoming benighted and improve the quality of light for photos...a win, win for those who don't mind a bit of heat. But we enjoyed a perfect winter's day this last Sunday for a exploration of the area around the old Samford-Dayboro rail line. The walkers had the choice of a couple of circuits after reaching the Yugar rail tunnel, but both routes went up and down a bit. The runners added a little hill climb to continue their preparation for the terrain around Queenstown - and they will definitely need a lot of preparation!

In Snappy's absence, these pics of the walk come from a number of cameras:

And someone caught the moment some of the runners returned:

We drove into the heart of Samford to replenish our precious bodily fluids and stuff ourselves with lasagna and crumble:

Elsewhere in the world, Eweshggr and Flaps Down have made it to the tip of Cape York! The sign says "You are standing at the northernmost point of the Australian continent". And knowing Eweshggr, I'm sure he would have gone on for the next 3 metres beyond the sign and got his feet wet....

Next week will see a virgin hare take up the challenge!

Next run/walk details

When: Sunday 2nd July, 4 pm

Where: George Willmore Park, Ferny Hills. Meet near the playground on Bundar Crescent. A map!

Hares: Racy and Culture

We suggest you bring chairs.

On, on!

Two balls each....

Our hare Footsie had prepared a beaut dish of meatballs in a delicious special sauce, and to make sure there were enough to go around her ruling was "Two balls each!" Who'd have guessed how many ribald and lewd jokes this would lead to? (Yes, Saucy Sous, we're talking about you!) It certainly was a very tasty meal - two types of rice, the meatball dish, and the vegetarian curry that Cash Converta had made as well! And despite the fact that there were 25 of us (we think) there was plenty to go around. Many thanks to our chefs!

Thanks also to Payback for setting the trail along a section of the river I don't remember exploring before. The first circuit wasn't all that long, but the walkers had the option of adding another in the opposite direction, and a few did so. Others preferred to settle in and watch the sun going down....Payback promised the runners some scenery on the runners' loop, and we did find some along the river bank (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

Here are a few shots of the run, the walk and the proceedings that followed, courtesy of Cash Converta, Mile High, Saucy Sous and Culture:

It was high time to name a young man who's come along to a number of hashes now. Congratulations on your new moniker, Tackle!

As we write, a lot of suggestions are flying around the chat group for a new shirt to be worn with pride in Queenstown next year. Don't think we'll be going with the All Black proposal, though....

Next run/walk details

When: Sunday 25th June, 4 pm

Where: Corner Currawong Rd and Woodview St, Samford Valley (afterwards, elsewhere) A map!

Hares: Culture and Haughty

We suggest you bring chairs.

On, on!

B-breaker training

Our hare Shockjock kicked off proceedings this week with a 3-way check that caused a bit of consternation...and followed it up almost immediately with a hold check for both runners and walkers, and an opportunity to do the hokey-cokey:

For the runners there were then plenty of other checks and false trails, a 161 m gain in elevation, and a scramble up a gravelly bank - all good training for the Ballbreaker run next March! Like Fools on the Hill (a Beatles reference, folks) we reached the summit just in time to see the sun going down, and the chill set in as we headed back. It may well be much colder in New Zealand.

For the walkers there was an out and back along the rail trail, where someone noticed a most unusual tree:

As Saucy Sous and Snappy's shots from the walk show, the late afternoon light on the trail was quite lovely (and so were the walkers, of course). It was good to see Leave Pass tackling the walk despite his broken foot and moon boot:

Back home at Wahminda, Miss Demeanour laid on a brilliant and hearty meal for vegetarians and carnivores alike - most tasty and most filling! Many, many thanks to our hares!

Chef and her spuds:

Replenishing our bodily fluids and stuffing our faces:

Birthday boy:

Next run/walk details

When: Sunday 18th June, 4 pm

Where: Sargent Reserve, Bunya Crossing Road, Eatons Hill. A map!

Hares: Footsie and Payback

Please bring chairs!

On, on!

Big birthday feast

The following account is based on Payback's run report - please direct all opprobrium accordingly....

The Samford skies were threatening at Samford Skies for Dumbell's birthday run, but the rain held off, which made for a pleasant run and walk. In fact there was even a bit of sunlight for the hashers gathering at the hares' place:

Dumbbell had set a very well-marked trail, but admitted that he had used his car in the process! (What!?) In the end he missed out on a down, down since the group decided that his milestone birthday was punishment enough.

Here are some selected shots from the walk:

The runners were struggling with some of the hills, and agreed that they would need to put in some serious training before tackling the Ballbreaker run in Queenstown next March. As Lax has helpfully pointed out, we are all 5 years older than we were for the Ballbreaker in Fiji....

As usual, Saucy Sous laid on a 5-star restaurant quality meal including 3 delicious courses. Chef and assistant:

A selection of shots showing hashers wagging their chins and stuffing their faces:

Birthday boy:

Many, many thanks to our hares for a great trail and wonderful meal! (And thanks to Dumbbell and Snappy for a huge trove of pictures to select from!)

Next run/walk details

When: Sunday 11th June, 4 pm.

Where: Wahminda Park, Ferny Grove - near the tennis courts. A map!

Hares: Shockjock and Miss Demeanour

On, on!