orienteering (Casuarina Coastal Reserve) 1:20:00 [3] 5.5 km (14:33 / km)
shoes: Asics Kayano 21
This was surprisingly tough for what I had expected to be a fairly casual jog around the monsoon forest of Lee Point. A few controls along the beach, then into the network of MTB trails where a control less than 50m from the track could take a couple of minutes to fight one's way through the jungle to, then across the main road into an area of long prickly grass which I had to mostly walk (but my bearings weren't too bad) and one absolutely terrible route choice where 250m of fighting through Smilax australis (AKA Wait-a-while, Barbwire Vine) took me about 10 min and I WILL NEVER GO DIRECTLY THROUGH DARK GREEN AGAIN. Also there was a control in the mangroves where I left the track in the wrong place and ended up wading apprehensively through a swampy section, plus I stopped for a while to help relocate the American lady we'd brought along with us and who'd never been orienteering before (but she loved it and is now looking into clubs in her home state) so probably all my errors and faffings-around added up to the 10 min which Plaxy beat me by. Today's bird sighting was a rainbow pitta and today's marketing experience @Nightcliff, after escorting various small kids around the easy course (Auntie Jelly, carry me!).