tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36511181908048719732024-03-14T01:06:22.496-07:00AsiaSportingLifeWith crazy traffic, air pollution, limited open spaces or parks, heat,
humidity & often no beaches for miles,
SPORT in S.E Asia can be a challenge! Posting since 2009, these are my stories of cycling, running, swimming, football, cricket, cross-fit, rock climbing, adventure racing, street chess
& many more sports in S.E Asia; including Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Malaysia & Sarawak, China, Singapore, Japan, Borneo, Bali..and a few adventures from Australia. mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-30440977455435750772021-03-19T09:15:00.008-07:002022-02-19T01:23:59.586-08:00Japan 2.0... 2.0<p> Almost like a blind obsession, I was focused and determined to return to Japan in 2020. And 1 year after our first visit we took the new ANA direct 10 hour flight Perth to Tokyo. January 2020 seemed fine. I mean we weren't to know the travel restrictions to come just a couple months later, but I'm forever grateful we took this trip and managed to get home just days before the first of many COVID lock downs began. </p><p>The trip, like the first a year earlier did not disappoint, although I'd be lying if I didn't say we could have done with more snow. Myoko region is known for its high snow fall, however 2020 was not the best season. That said, we skied every day and all the fields remained open. Just not fresh powder. </p><p>Myoko is a stunning region, about 5 hours drive west of Tokyo. We arrived in our hybrid rental car at our AirBnB cabin late on day 1 and it was typical Japanese greeting. The host came out to greet us in the early evening fog, helped us into our house and half an hour later, delivered bowls of hot Ramen to our door. His kindness and friendship sustained throughout our entire 2 weeks. I love Japanese hospitality. </p><p>The first few days we skied at the Kurohime Kogen Snow Park in <span style="font-family: inherit;">Shinano-machi Kamiminochi-gun. It has one of the longest runs in Japan, around 9km. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">We negotiated a good deal for boards and equipment at the base ski shop and after briefly reacquainting ourselves on how to snowboard we went straight to the top of the mountain. The boys were jumping out of their boots with excitement and as soon as we got off the lift the quickly descended away from me as slowly I ploughed down the incredible slopes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">These trips to Japan with my kids in 2019 & 2020 will be memories I'll cherish forever. I consider myself incredibly lucky that I happen to achieve these adventures before the pandemic came. Opportunities like this are rare and as we've all learnt in 2020, we can't take anything for granted anymore. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-AY2yZrSu8/YFTNxBlUPfI/AAAAAAABi4k/mrtRwpPDIiIAxLlaH7uQrzlpHt5sjZOdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s526/82387296_10217907401489027_6297797300169211904_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-AY2yZrSu8/YFTNxBlUPfI/AAAAAAABi4k/mrtRwpPDIiIAxLlaH7uQrzlpHt5sjZOdgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/82387296_10217907401489027_6297797300169211904_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><h2 class="gmql0nx0 l94mrbxd p1ri9a11 lzcic4wl aahdfvyu hzawbc8m" dir="auto" id="jsc_c_z2" style="background-color: white; color: #65676b; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 4px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl oo9gr5id gpro0wi8 lrazzd5p" href="https://www.facebook.com/Myoko-Akakura-Kanko-Niigata-242200402536187/?__cft__[0]=AZX0U40TUSbSIA9wgFTTvhbu1LFtIDkS5o4eWB_4cSlTc3kLnZEVUjJrtx8GS3sI76_TZeQgz3k5h421Rdzx2BGtOBCAcQ5eXxQvPyj_fuGw1EHkqYMrf9gU0h18qbxL0kD4AUQMDaPMME0pPz4ZuSqU0EyQMuw1mEy61omOJcHx0Q&__tn__=kC%2CP-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><div class="nc684nl6" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">Myoko Akakura Kanko, Niigata</div></a></span></span>.</h2><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/1003676032/videos/10217967425589592/">Link1</a></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/1003676032/videos/10217892490356258/">Link2</a></p>mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-419741190966312742021-03-08T00:23:00.001-08:002023-01-08T00:42:15.869-08:00Local travel 1 - Nannup festival followed by Hamlin Bay<p> With the pandemic and all restricting international travel, I took a few local holidays which in every case turned out to be more interesting and rewarding than I was probably expecting. </p><p>First stop Nannup to the annual music festival. On arrival we learnt just how close this event had come to being cancelled just hours before it kicked off, however it didn't - and we were lucky enough to have not only our first holiday in a while, but also to be at a (small) music festival and enjoying live music again!</p><p>The line up was mixed, with a range of folk and acoustic acts, some real bush rockers who usually played at the Nannup pub rear garden venue and a finale' featuring our favorite band of the event, Alter boy.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCKsYuy3m3z6eEg0Q3uOKlFzAIJk5C4Rvv1DUVYW7eoKY2o5mV0SSYsxI99Yo6ui_2JwawS9Mk5nY9RFWApz5QfhpyOsE6w-zdU5qr6AUJXwOkio5NUTCJdx233hrCcHHwuCOcNyD33jiu5179DYmiqww2Q9FY9rDMv10toPfmzyt9MQHdTyrVapo/s2339/IMG_4291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="2339" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCKsYuy3m3z6eEg0Q3uOKlFzAIJk5C4Rvv1DUVYW7eoKY2o5mV0SSYsxI99Yo6ui_2JwawS9Mk5nY9RFWApz5QfhpyOsE6w-zdU5qr6AUJXwOkio5NUTCJdx233hrCcHHwuCOcNyD33jiu5179DYmiqww2Q9FY9rDMv10toPfmzyt9MQHdTyrVapo/s320/IMG_4291.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CamperVanning</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u4-X26EjubTQ5fvpVUmiD-DocFjcBIfFibJNtcbsqqOdZQf2mEtpGauAiMX788UtyfSsW0RZy_Pu5vtDMwzcyIfs11RrNF80vuJkz43qVHMGQhtvxrbv-e4giqv8iijNQRyl5dWirONSpC0FAMHiA1f16_CVQdgC1n8SS-IxgWgIpxw5bMbTWslf/s1280/IMG_4310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u4-X26EjubTQ5fvpVUmiD-DocFjcBIfFibJNtcbsqqOdZQf2mEtpGauAiMX788UtyfSsW0RZy_Pu5vtDMwzcyIfs11RrNF80vuJkz43qVHMGQhtvxrbv-e4giqv8iijNQRyl5dWirONSpC0FAMHiA1f16_CVQdgC1n8SS-IxgWgIpxw5bMbTWslf/s320/IMG_4310.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yee ha</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfeiAWZMJF0isT7BxfD0hE2a8H0EgqC394t2peALBf3GgxqjPPzOwCxIKWyjCgpnAuhhSh-Q9GuZbtopJx7THi8RbT2srwHmw-30FD2pJ0MYNcsXhSBfGxWC-FqQfewgrSyyBUlSriPE6Spi99jO3JA88CCv2CKKtYJ3GFmEZF7qDAgc2esOpcgjI/s3264/IMG_4314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfeiAWZMJF0isT7BxfD0hE2a8H0EgqC394t2peALBf3GgxqjPPzOwCxIKWyjCgpnAuhhSh-Q9GuZbtopJx7THi8RbT2srwHmw-30FD2pJ0MYNcsXhSBfGxWC-FqQfewgrSyyBUlSriPE6Spi99jO3JA88CCv2CKKtYJ3GFmEZF7qDAgc2esOpcgjI/s320/IMG_4314.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The natural amphitheater </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQn2EZmMdxW5hF8lm1fEELMMhAocJ6BHU-BxYQUKmps7nmtB2VeoApbCRx_BcDQOiaRyFVOFGok4L7BJsFtToN-Wc9wSIeN47wQqcVxdVIwtcku2y8J309Kl36XB8wSgpmlhNHkGnspa2iGPIRcRcyYn3G7TtYJkMftIuuZEPyDWMA_KONMsHVtX7/s1186/0668cc66-4c2c-4231-9301-58b60631bb67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="952" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQn2EZmMdxW5hF8lm1fEELMMhAocJ6BHU-BxYQUKmps7nmtB2VeoApbCRx_BcDQOiaRyFVOFGok4L7BJsFtToN-Wc9wSIeN47wQqcVxdVIwtcku2y8J309Kl36XB8wSgpmlhNHkGnspa2iGPIRcRcyYn3G7TtYJkMftIuuZEPyDWMA_KONMsHVtX7/s320/0668cc66-4c2c-4231-9301-58b60631bb67.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pub</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSfTsgBaYLaK6qvyLkyHY5tSvp0Htt9Ac3rxD0tk8nUG5SYty4RdSp7V5-Fd-oULxum_h8cRvS7LMefwq4aTnrdk1uFEXzwb7gRWeVcnRBYuoAkGbCzQdK8kGJVqgjhLaGwoBZiIj-qTrkPn0wR-_pGKHLh-QCGVa95n-90fKwmU-Sv_j7H_KTsop/s3264/IMG_4319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSfTsgBaYLaK6qvyLkyHY5tSvp0Htt9Ac3rxD0tk8nUG5SYty4RdSp7V5-Fd-oULxum_h8cRvS7LMefwq4aTnrdk1uFEXzwb7gRWeVcnRBYuoAkGbCzQdK8kGJVqgjhLaGwoBZiIj-qTrkPn0wR-_pGKHLh-QCGVa95n-90fKwmU-Sv_j7H_KTsop/s320/IMG_4319.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rock garden</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>When the show was over, we drove couple hours west to the Augusta coast and chilled at the amazing Hamlin Bay for a few days. This location and the caravan park situated right behind the dunes is amongst my favourite camping places... anywhere really!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmS9ihgPIAWfa5io2Cc7dem2Hw7CfIymmlJ_VdebqpicUJZtkmMZqwXfyc1bgVX_YAO5TXzy4k1f3YMiZQI-hHzfdo1PvFyNYfENJWWHFgOq7mCsiGK19lwqyKYpZi48VD63-IMK75FCPJ4J01DdOiCmAE73y1kb60JygoG80v65unIwtVcUsiljG/s2291/IMG_4327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="2291" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmS9ihgPIAWfa5io2Cc7dem2Hw7CfIymmlJ_VdebqpicUJZtkmMZqwXfyc1bgVX_YAO5TXzy4k1f3YMiZQI-hHzfdo1PvFyNYfENJWWHFgOq7mCsiGK19lwqyKYpZi48VD63-IMK75FCPJ4J01DdOiCmAE73y1kb60JygoG80v65unIwtVcUsiljG/w400-h210/IMG_4327.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-14251378279701126462019-11-06T08:48:00.003-08:002022-02-19T01:26:09.589-08:00The big five O<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Turning 50 was fun!...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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From the moment we landed it was on. Bukit Bintang, the track, bit of sight seeing, bars and restaurants. Repeat. Sometime on Sunday evening Sean pointed out we had only slept 8 of the 48 hours we had been in KL. All up it was 3 days and nights of mayhem. Best fun with the best bunch of mates. </div>
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As always the MotoGP was an awesome experience. </div>
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My 3rd attendance to the race was definitely, without doubt my most memorable.</div>
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But that was entirely due to the crew I had helping me celebrate.</div>
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The team shirts say it all right?</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXPnTKhY1oQ/XfUZ0_Km4BI/AAAAAAABZXc/oJtOkiaFU9ct3Jb2Tf6YUGauvxb25AxjACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0531.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1600" height="138" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXPnTKhY1oQ/XfUZ0_Km4BI/AAAAAAABZXc/oJtOkiaFU9ct3Jb2Tf6YUGauvxb25AxjACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/IMG_0531.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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The apartment, transport, entertainment and the race all went better than we could hope for.</div>
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The guys may not know it (As I'm the first to turn 50 in this crowd), but having them there made the pain of getting old completely disappear. </div>
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Will I go to the MotoGP in KL again? Yes - almost certainly.</div>
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Will we ever reach the heights of November 2019? Unlikely... but we may give it a shot.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OlI6FVKoNGw/XfUCZuPdd9I/AAAAAAABZWE/r712hgsuMWQ5mwsyM1h0TUmxIuRPgV4bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0329.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="629" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OlI6FVKoNGw/XfUCZuPdd9I/AAAAAAABZWE/r712hgsuMWQ5mwsyM1h0TUmxIuRPgV4bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0329.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you're interested in doing this trip one year - the total cost for airfares, accommodation and race ticket with a 3 day pass is <br />
approximately $500 ASD total! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jarrods favourite pic of the tour </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foot massages required after walking around so much</td></tr>
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.139003 101.686854999999922.885326 101.36413149999993 3.3926800000000004 102.00957849999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-10659663254476130912019-06-15T09:25:00.001-07:002022-02-19T01:27:31.338-08:00Finally. Japan! And it did not disappoint.At age 49 I finally got to Japan. The trip was 3 years in the making and the objective was to ski and snow board. We chose Hakaido to ensure maximum snow and hopefully reduced crowds. Furano to be precise. Furano is a skiing location around 3 hours drive east from Sapporro.<br />
The trip hit top gear from the very moment we landed and set off in our rental car. Using the in car sat-nav, we self drove through the most inspiring land scape from Chitose airport to Furano. This route takes an incredible highway through Shimakappu which includes no less than a dozen tunnels through stunning mountain ranges, some tunnels up to 9km long! The land scape was spectacular with a beautiful winter, snow covered blanket..<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cabin at the foot of Kitanomine, Furano.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many tunnels. The snow fall was relentless.</td></tr>
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Driving in Hakaido is safe as the roads are meticulously cleared of snow and traffic friendly. That said, we averaged just 70km/hr on the highways as we adjusted to the sometimes heavy fog and snow conditions. This made the drive all the more exciting for us, stopping occasionally for the kids to run out of the car and dive into 20 foot high walls of snow!<br />
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<b>Furano </b>has 2 mountains with a total of 11 lifts. The longest runs around 8km. For beginners its perfect. And for the more experienced it offers enough variety for a good week. 50% green runs. 25% red and 25 % black. We spent just a day or 2 on green and spent most of our time on the red runs, even graduating to black in our final days. I snow boarded for 5 days then switched to skiing for the next 5. A few <i>youtube </i>videos and about 2 hours to learn. Me? I'm a skier. Loved it. Kids can keep the snow boards.<br />
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Our accommodation choice was the possibly the most impressive AirBnB I have ever stayed in. A newly built timber cabin at the foot of the mountain with every convenience imaginable - In true Japanesse style.<br />
After a day of skiing, we actually preferred getting a bag full of delicious supermarket dinner packs and sitting back at the cabin each night, eating sushi, noodles and fried chicken. That said, we tried a good number of local restaurants in our 2 weeks in Furano including Ramen houses and Sushi restaurants. The trip was a gastronomical delight.<br />
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All in all - Furano was fantastic and one of the best trips we've ever had. Already booked flights for next year.<br />
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-67403270030482564132018-10-23T08:06:00.005-07:002021-05-14T05:11:49.766-07:00AFL Asia Champs 2018The 2018 edition of the Asian AFL Champs was held in KL in October. Once again it was a monumental event with over 20 teams competing including a womans division for the first time.<div><br />
I pulled on the boots for the Philippine eagles one last time. Played the first 3 games of 5. We made the grand final only to be beaten in a hard fought contest by the super strong Indonesian Volcanoes.<br />
Matt Rutter, Anthony Sacco, Winner Santos, Evan Spargo, Ed Newbound and Mr Aisa Kaweng NG lead the team once again. This core group are no doubt a big reason this team has reached such great heights which includes the last 3 AFL Asian grand finals. Whilst it was comiserations after the final,we managed to pull ourselves together and celebrate the weekend with all the other teams.<br />
Another great weekend and I believe a very resepctable result. Next year the tournment go to Vietnam.</div><div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7am arrival</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coach Sacco giving me the word</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys post match</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my roomie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A team that drinks together...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silly Sunday</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More silly Sunday</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">..and more..</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">..and a bit more</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newspaper article about the finals</td></tr>
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<br /></div>mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.139003 101.686854999999922.885326 101.36413149999993 3.3926800000000004 102.00957849999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-32371249716020330112018-06-01T06:33:00.000-07:002018-09-11T16:48:52.341-07:002 stadium run in MelbourneOne of my sporting highlights this year included A footy tour to Melbourne with Levi's team, the <a href="http://wembleydownsjfc/">Wembley Downs Cats</a> to play a couple of junior league games and catch some AFL at the home of footy, the MCG!<br />
The trip included a fantastic Saturday morning training session with the <a href="http://www.nmfc.com.au/">North Melbourne Kangaroos</a>, the dream time match between <a href="http://www.richmondfc.com.au/">Richmond </a>and <a href="http://www.essendonfc.com.au/">Essendon </a>at the 'G', and lots of sight seeing around the streets of Australia;s coolest city.<br />
The highlight of the tour was playing 2 thrilling matches with the <a href="http://websites.sportstg.com/club_info.cgi?c=0-3913-48169-259534-17252976">Keon Park Football club</a> and the <a href="https://www.hamptonrovers.com.au/">Hampton Rovers.</a> The boys came away with a 1-1 record but far more significant was the hospitality extended to us by both clubs.<br />
As with all trips I tried to get some running in, so with a mild hangover one early, cold but very pleasant Melbourne morning, I managed to run Ethiad to the MCG. Turns out there is a beautiful river side dirt path a lot of the way between the 2 stadiums which tracks along the Yarra.<br />
Although we had to sit through another Freo thrashing, the boys got to go out on to the MCG during half time and I got into a dust up with the Collingwood mascot...so that made our weekend complete.<br />
P.S. All dads got the bed by 9pm every night.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...I'm high on ridge, looking over the bridge..to the MCG...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The WDFC at the 'G'</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(This pic must have been around 8:45pm....max)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running route</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Levi and I having a coffee break</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coach Mike and the boys walking the lane ways of Melbourne</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Keon Park club made us a beautiful welcome</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a keeper. Levi and Majak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team photo with the Hamptom Rovers (Came out of retirement to coach this game) </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This animal assaulted me</td></tr>
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Brunton Ave, Richmond VIC 3002, Australia-37.8199669 144.98344929999996-64.7563519 103.67485529999996 -10.883581899999996 -173.70795670000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-65588480297393214162017-10-11T07:27:00.000-07:002018-08-01T07:27:53.801-07:00Cycling in KL; O-bikesKL is one of the many cities in the world to adopt O-bikes. A bike share service where you can pick upand drop off a bike at various bike stand locations. Unfortunately the system is flawed. Theft, vandalism and general dishonesty means a lot of the bikes are left in unauthorized locations and damaged. In any case, I became a regular user of the O-bike and besides walking, it was my main modes of transport for the 2km or so to and from the office. In grid lock traffic its often the fastest way across town!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Register you account,wave your iphone and unlock a bike.</td></tr>
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.139003 101.686854999999922.885326 101.36413149999993 3.3926800000000004 102.00957849999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-58685099877798443092017-09-09T06:45:00.000-07:002018-09-11T16:50:31.589-07:00Cycling in KL - Batu CavesFor a fairly easy but rewarding bike ride in KL, head out to the Batu Caves. The caves and temple are located just 15km north of the city centre on Jalan Lingkaran Tengah 2. The best route to get there is via Jalan Sentul Pasar which actually becomes Jalan Batu Caves. Easy. The road is wide, safe and relatively flat. You don't really leave the city on this ride so there is no need to carry provisions. Just stop at any 7-11 on route to refresh. The caves are great...That is; For a free attraction, or small donation they offer a great sight seeing opportunity and an excuse to climb about 1500 stairs! Bring a bike lock and leave your bike at the bottom of the stairs.<br />
Beyond the caves is 'Raintree park' which can be easily circumnavigated on quiet streets. At the north side of the park is a rock climbing operation which has a number of climbs up the cast rock face. A great morning out and you'll be back in town before lunch!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of the stairs at the entrance of the Batu Caves</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ride right upto the caves entrance</td></tr>
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com2Gombak, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia3.2378844 101.68403850000004-23.6730896 60.375444500000043 30.148858399999998 142.99263250000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-88430755478599098382017-07-07T07:16:00.000-07:002018-09-11T16:52:35.005-07:00A Runners Life in Kuala LumpurFinding ideal running routes in KL can be a real challenge. It is not exactly the most tourist or pedestrian friendly city. There are many positives to getting around, like the overhead LRT monorail, and the underground trains. And taxi and ride share is cheap.<br />
On foot however, I discovered side walks are rarely continuous and pedestrian access is often poor or non-existent. There is almost no bicycle lanes and given that KL drivers are a little aggressive and average speeds relatively high compared to some other Asian cities, riding or running on the roads is not recommended.<br />
I eventually found a couple of nice city parks to run through and returned to them on a regular basis.<br />
<b>Taman Titiwangsa</b> is located just north of the city and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampung_Baru,_Kuala_Lumpur">kampung Baru</a>, just 1 block past Tun Rasak. Its a large park with a good path of about 3km around a lake. The views back to the city are inspiring and the park is at its best early morning or at dusk. It has lighting so can be safely navigated up to 10pm at night. The park can get a little crowded on weekends as families visit to walk or use the hire bikes.<br />
From my apartment I would put together a 5 mile run, crossing Tun Rasak at an overhead walk way and completing 1 lap of the park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onee of the nicer paths along Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View across the lake at Titiwangsa looking back to downtown</td></tr>
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Another run I did occaisonally was a down town circuit. Mainly through city streets and up to the famous and centrally located park space of Taman Ampang. Situated right in the middle of town, the park includes the impressive <b><i>KL tower.</i></b> The park does not have a path through it but you can climb the road to the base of the tower and get a view of the surrounding city.<br />
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Tasik Titiwangsa, 6, ⛉ Lorong Titiwangsa, Titiwangsa, 53200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.1802193 101.70738449999999-23.731205199999998 60.39879049999999 30.0916438 143.0159785tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-57596718996795094992017-05-24T06:36:00.000-07:002018-11-02T06:38:05.040-07:00PenangI loved Penang. The food.The night life. The streets and the old world charm. It actually exceeded my expectations - and considering it was only 4 hours by train fromKL, Its an easy place toget to for even just a short 3 or 4 day trip.<br />
Penang is a great city to explore on foot. It has a fascinating history of British colonialism which forged the beautiful the old streets of Georgetown.<br />
It includes a large number of historic buildings, forts and endless cobblestone roads to wander. However the big attraction of the old town is the street art. Get yourself the street art map and walk from location to location to check out the interesting large scale murals.<br />
The local shopping and food are good, with the local dishes including the famous Penang curries, Asam Laksa and massive range of Chinese dishes – all available at cool street vendors and local eateries at ridiculously cheap prices.<br />
For a night out head to upper Penang street. It is lined with bars and cafes open until all hours, playing live music and accommodating the large turnover of tourists.<br />
To work off all the excesses, my first and final recommendation is to walk to the top of Penang Hill. Although there is a cable car, the walk up the stairs and through the botanical gardens are far more rewarding and not too difficult. The view from the top, looking out to the straights of Penang and back to the main land are awesome!<br />
Also - bet ya didn't know Jimmy Choo is from here. Yep - as in the shoes!<br />
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Penang, Malaysia5.4163935 100.332678600000014.910499 99.6872316 5.922288 100.97812560000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-39205652049117713692016-12-10T06:17:00.001-08:002016-12-12T19:45:53.708-08:00Sepang MotoGP 2016Wow! That was my reaction after witnessing the awesonme power and speed of the ultimate class of the moto GP series. These bikes blew me away!<br />
A sprinkle of rain actually added to the spectacle, It was like a mini tornando as the bikes ripped passed the Marquez stand. Freakin awesome! The saturday qualifying was just as good as race day - both days must be seen.<br />
The whole trip can be acomplished for a very reasonable price. 63 Euros for the 4 day pass, $35 / night hotel in Sepang and super cheap air asia flights put the package together at less than 500 bucks (Excluding beer money :) ).<br />
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Based on the above ive already committed to returning in 2017.<br />
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia2.691369 101.75052712.437605 101.4278036 2.945133 102.0732506tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-20045256865212778682016-12-10T04:43:00.000-08:002018-07-26T06:26:57.038-07:00Permerton - Trails and mtb parkIn a location a long way south of Asia there is a small town called <a href="http://www.pembertonvisitor.com.au/">Pemberton</a>, WA. This former logging town is surrounded by magnificent Karri forest and rollling hills. A scatering of winerys, brewerys, farms and homestays making this a popular choice for hoiday makers allyear round.<br />
And now Pemberton is now focusing on a new attraction. Mountain biking. The trails and mountain bike park here are well worth the 4 hour drive from Perth - Especially if you can spend a few days to explore the many trails and farm roads.<br />
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My visit with the kids (Age 9 & 12) included riding about 30km / day - including a couple of days in the <a href="http://www.pembertonvisitor.com.au/">mountain bike park</a> which is a series of trails on a section of land literaly right in the town.<br />
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Highlights included the down hill '<b><i>cool running',</i></b> the skills track, the tram trails, the <b><i>raindow</i></b> and <b><i>eastbrrok</i></b> trails which allowed us to see alot of the surrunding country.<br />
We also liked the local bakery!<br />
There is somethinng so calming about the forest. It genuinely puts me in a relaxed state for weeks afterwards. The boys and I just ride, chat, stop to eat, talk alot, get lost, find our way again and make awesome memories.<br />
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Pemberton WA 6260, Australia-34.44 116.04999999999995-34.492380499999996 115.96931899999996 -34.3876195 116.13068099999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-59273876679485721742016-06-09T07:15:00.001-07:002021-05-14T05:13:51.440-07:00Bali biking Day 5This was always going to be the biggest and best day of the tour and any serious tour of Bali on a bicycle must include a summit ride of Kintimani.<br />
Google maps told me I had 1700m to climb - and Strava confirmed the peak was an impressive 1670m. The ascent of 35km starts from the turn off about 30km past Sinngaraja. The road is excellent quality and traffic was non existent. This was a just a perfectly peaceful day of man verse mountain.<br />
I knew I needed to complete the climb to the summit and start the descent to Ubud by 4pm.. Made it by 3:30 and arrived in Ubud about 5pm. The descent was down one of the roads commonly used by the bike tour companies who will drive day trippers to the lookout at Kintimani and coast back down to Ubud. <i>(I previously did one of those day tours with GoBali bike tours last year. The $45 package was ok value which included a coffee stop on the way up, a very average rental bike and a good lunch). </i><br />
I arrived in the beautiful foothills town of Ubud and enjoyed 2 separate dinners to replenish.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">somewhere along the long climb to the top of Kintimani</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The profile!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel staff morning prayer in the front court yard in Ubud</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entire travel kit. Bike box, panier, cycling clets and runners, and spares. I lunpacked it all in the foyer of the airport and left the bike box in storage for 5000RP/day. ($3)</td></tr>
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Ubud, Ubud, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia-8.4977259 115.26301420000004-8.5605434 115.18233320000004 -8.4349084000000012 115.34369520000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-73991232753060679442016-05-29T08:45:00.000-07:002018-07-26T06:32:18.545-07:00Bali by Bike - Day 4At the end of Day 3 I was fortunate enough to be offered a place to stay near Lovina beach at "<b><i>Villa Marty'.</i></b> It was a real treat to relax in a private home with a pool and a beautiful guest room. So after a great nights sleep I decided to spend day 4 exploring the local area.<br />
I undertook a loop ride from the villa at Banjar as follows;<br />
1- Climb the torturous <b><i>Jl Mayong-Gunung-Sari </i></b>road to the rim of the <b><i>Mt Bratan volcano</i></b><br />
2 - Descend the <b><i>Gitgit road </i></b>to Singaraja<br />
3 - Reurn via Lovina beach and <b><i>Banjar Hot baths</i></b><br />
4 - Back to <b><i>Villa Marty</i></b><br />
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I cant express enough the difficulty of the climb to Mt Bratan crater. Elevation a little over 1300m however some of the gradients exceeded 10%. The road is quite beautiful and very low traffic. I found food and drinks no problem, and 3 hours after setting off I finally hit the summit.<br />
After an hour respite cruising around the crater edge and stopping for photos I took on the Gitgit road descent. 40 minutes of 60km/hr ++ thrills.<br />
To cap off this memorable day I took the back roads of Singaraja to the '<b><i>Air Panas'</i></b> (hot springs). What a great way to sooth the body and enjoy the afternoon after a hard days riding. Not to mention a superb dinner at sunset at '<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g1599559-d8457896-r374769997-La_Costa_Beach_Lounge-Lovina_Beach_Bali.html#REVIEWS">La Costsa</a>' restaurant on Lovina beach.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resting at the summit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Air Panas Banjar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BIG thanks to Marty & Lesley and family for accommodating me</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Costa Sunset (try the mixed Satay)<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/580890365/embed/552e533a48111171d980438ac1d6f5d7e77d7cbf" width="590"></iframe><br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Blk. Lovina, Batubulan, Sukawati, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia-8.6178638 115.26364020000005-8.6181093 115.26332520000005 -8.6176183 115.26395520000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-62143332969402426592016-05-27T08:45:00.002-07:002016-06-09T06:52:36.872-07:00Bali by bike - Day 3End of Day 1, I stayed in a cheap but tidy little place in Candi Dasar called 'Ari Guest house'. After meeting the owner and a couple of his regular guests at the bar they asked about my trip. I mentioned Day 2 involved riding to Lovina Beach. One regular tourist to Bali commented - "I don't care who you are - you wont make it to Lovina in a day. No way!". I must admit, there was some doubt in my mind also, but as usual, I had planned well and studied the maps and I believed it was within reach. The ride involved the first 3 hours climbing over the side Mt Agung, then a long decent to the coast at Tulumben followed by a long, straight, flat run into Lovina. After setting off from Candi Dasar at 7am, I arrived at Lovina by 2pm. Job done. Highlight of the day - proving the bar fly wrong...and the incredible descent to the coast off Mt Agung to the coast.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Agung. A perfect looking volcano. The climb was steady on excellent quality roads</td></tr>
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Mount Agung, Jungutan, Bebandem, Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia-8.3433105999999988 115.50705749999997-8.3433105999999988 115.50705749999997 -8.3433105999999988 115.50705749999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-6584128940282478262016-05-27T08:25:00.001-07:002018-07-26T06:34:36.465-07:00Forget the beaches - Do Bali by bike!Why do you cycle Bali? The attractions are obvious to some, but not necessarily common knowledge. Mountains, Scenery, Great roads, Food and culture... And good value (My daily ridig budget was as low as $40ASD/day). For myself, I decided to get a 'mini' tour under my belt on the famous Indo holiday island to keep my km's up in preparation for the BIG tour of Japan,To get some mountain miles in my legs.The planned route was as follows:<br />
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Day 1 - Kuta to Candi Dasar (65km)<br />
Day 2 - Candi Dasar to Lovina (125km)<br />
Day 3 - Lovina region (80km)<br />
Day 4 - Lovina (via Singaraja & Kintimani) to Ubud (110km)<br />
Day 5 - Ubud to Kuta (40km)<br />
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As it turned out, this was a perfectly planned ride. I.e, a great mix of coastal flats, killer climbs, extreme descents and beautiful scenery the whole way. The highlight of the ride no doubt being the 35km / 4 hour climb up the north side of <i>Kintimani</i>. Day 4 for has the profile.<br />
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<b>Day 1</b> and<b> 2 </b>included a surprisingly interesting ride through the streets of <i><b>Denpasar</b></i>, then out to the east side of the island to the popular tourist town of <b><i>Candi Dasar</i></b>. It was a only a 4 hour day to ease my body back into things, and truth be known I wasn't in the best shape to go much further after spending my arrival evening in the bars of Seminyak.<br />
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Highlight!!! Famous Fish Paste BBQ, on the road side 25 km before <b><i>Candi Dasar.</i></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street Art Denpasar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ride > Rest > Eat > Repeat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Famous Fish Paste BBQ - And fish ball soup...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candi Dasar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Morning CAndi Dasar - Every day there are vista's like this</td></tr>
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Kuta, Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia-8.7237964 115.17522770000005-8.8493554 115.01386620000005 -8.5982373999999986 115.33658920000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-8926770200060486192015-11-26T05:57:00.000-08:002018-09-11T16:53:15.477-07:00Staying fit OffShore<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunges with flanges</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">To help fund my travels I work a FIFO roster in the offshore oil and gas industry. Living and working in a confined space such as an offshore platform, I'm always conscious of keeping my body moving and building strength. During a normal day I walk about 5km/day, climb around 50 flights of stairs and use the gym and focus on both leg and upper body resistance training. It definitely pays off once I'm back on dry land and allows me to get straight back on the bike without too much re-conditioning required.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Db9iXd0hKf8/VlcPFNs3EWI/AAAAAAAAzQw/V4E0-wHNqhA/s1600/P_20151002_182409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Db9iXd0hKf8/VlcPFNs3EWI/AAAAAAAAzQw/V4E0-wHNqhA/s400/P_20151002_182409.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In case you don't do enough stair walking on the platform each day - Hit the helideck at sunset for a wander and some open air time.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eijIJw3pmkI/VpEY5HEF9DI/AAAAAAAA0kE/88Agzkmsoic/s1600/P_20151002_182152_BF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eijIJw3pmkI/VpEY5HEF9DI/AAAAAAAA0kE/88Agzkmsoic/s1600/P_20151002_182152_BF.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">some rues I follow;</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">1) <b>Walk </b>outside a lot each day</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">2) <b>Don't </b>eat too much (the food is very good here!!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">3) Hit the <b>gym </b>and treadmill most nights<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Many of the guys here use 'fit-bit' to count their steps and sets of stairs each day. I haven't joined the fit-bit gang yet, but I think the highest recorded steps (whilst working) in a day is well over 20,000 including 200 flights of stairs!</span><br />
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-90719388758665981022015-10-26T07:14:00.001-07:002018-07-26T06:43:44.392-07:00AFL Asia Champs 2015Unwilling to hang up my boots just yet, I was lucky enough to play in another <a href="http://www.afl-asia.com/">Asian Championships</a> with the <a href="http://www.pafl.com.ph/">Philippine Eagles. </a><br />
This years event took place at the Harrow International School in Bangkok, Thailand and was superbly organised and run by the <a href="http://www.thailand-tigers.com/">Thailand Tigers </a>.<br />
One of the biggest features of this years event was the introduction of divisions. The 2 completely separated groups allowed the smaller or emerging footy playing countries to play off for a title leaving the more established clubs to fight it out for the division 1 title. The <a href="http://laoelephants.com/">Laos Elephants</a> were victorious in the second division, while the <a href="http://www.thailand-tigers.com/">Hong Kong Dragons </a>prevailed in the premier division.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7sHEbWwddgI/Vi0D7ij36GI/AAAAAAAAyg4/q_3mugzDIBw/s1600/10291096_1183622124983404_1293152543489875262_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7sHEbWwddgI/Vi0D7ij36GI/AAAAAAAAyg4/q_3mugzDIBw/s640/10291096_1183622124983404_1293152543489875262_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The <a href="http://www.pafl.com.ph/">Philippine Eagles</a> finished with a 1 & 3 record for the day with 2 of those loses by under a goal. The narrow loss against eventual finalists <a href="http://www.malaysianwarriors.com/news.php">Malaysia Warriors</a> included an after the siren goal by the eagles which was disallowed. But football is a game of heart breaking decisions and although we didn't make the semi finals, we were exceptionally competitive in all games.<br />
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Next years championships are in Vietnam and I already know it will be difficult not to be tempted to play again with the Swans hosting. Gotta love footy in in Asia.</div>
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(Pics courtesy Philippine Eagles, Derek Ackary & Michael Edge)</div>
<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Harrow International School, Don Mueang, Don Mueang, Bangkok 10210, Thailand13.906022 100.58586300000002-11.6160125 59.277269000000018 39.4280565 141.89445700000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-54077392404015212212015-09-20T07:29:00.000-07:002015-10-26T07:35:45.978-07:00Miri Bakam Challenge 2015Hosted by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MiriMountainBikeClub">Miri Mountain Bike Club</a>, the 2015 Bakam challenge took place at the <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/malaysia/malaysian-borneo-sarawak/lambir-hills-national-park/hotels/borneo-tropical-rainforest-resort">Borneo-tropical-rainforest-resort</a> just outside Miri in the mountains at <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Attraction_Review-g303998-d4220172-Reviews-Lambir_Hills_National_Park-Miri_Miri_District_Sarawak.html">Lambir National Park</a>.<br />
As much as I appreciate all the hard work the club put into organizing this event, the run was a bit of a disaster with many competitors getting lost. In fact a majority of the competitors in my category (vets) failed to complete the run and the placings were awarded based on the bike leg only. (I snatched 3rd :) ).<br />
In anycse - the bike leg was great. A tough 20km course through forest and palm oil plantations.<br />
I managed to complete the run leg (by following a well orientated member of MMBC) and really enjoyed the run leg too. 6km of jungle running in Borneo is probably equivalent to a 1/2 M. Seriously tough.!<br />
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Sorry about the strange caeram angle - trying out a new helmet mount which didn't sit too well ..<br />
Things done well: - Mountain Bike Course. Marshaling. Location. Lunch!<br />
Not so well: Run leg markers. Pre race briefing - didnt explain the course well enough<br />
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Lambir Hills National Park, 98150 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia4.198371 114.04287299999999-26.6300545 72.734278999999987 35.0267965 155.35146699999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-57099000886372822752015-08-11T06:54:00.001-07:002015-08-11T06:58:03.404-07:00Reebok Spartan Race Singapore/Malaysia<span style="font-size: large;">I've tried a few things in my life. In fact pretty much everything involving sport in Asia. But I'm officially excited about this! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="http://spartanracemedia.com/sm/">Reebok Spartan Race Singapore / Malaysia. </a>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Being a first timer - and looking at the incredible challenges on offer my training starts now to get me over the line in Singapore in November! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And if you're getting inspired looking at the </span><a href="http://spartanracemedia.com/sm/" style="font-size: x-large;">official media page</a><span style="font-size: large;">, just follow my blog Asia Sporting Life, leave a comment and you could win a </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Free race entry code for the </span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Reebok Spartan Race Singapore</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> November 15th 2015</span></div>
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com2Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-7242470842748187562015-08-11T06:21:00.002-07:002018-07-26T06:50:42.189-07:00Saturday in SaigonWorking between Miri, Manila and KL this week allowed me to sneak in a short stop over in Saigon to catch up with some old mates at the <a href="http://vietnamswans.com/">Vietnam Swans</a>.<br />
Training is on Saturdays at the RMIT campus sports grounds - as it has been for many years now. Turn out was good and after a typically intensive training run we played a 12 a side scratch match to tune the boys up for their tilt at the <a href="http://www.laoelephantsfc.com/indochina-cup-2015-laos.html">indo china cup</a> in Laos next week.<br />
Like all clubs in Asia, the Swans go through their ups and downs but the last few years has seen a strong core group lead by the awesome Milner brothers, help carry the team to the top of the 2015 <a href="http://www.afl-asia.com/">AFL Asia Ladder</a> which included taking out the 2015 <a href="http://www.pafl.com.ph/manilacup">Manila Cup</a>. Good luck in <span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Luang Prabang </span>and at the <a href="http://www.afl-asia.com/afl-asian-champs-2015-oct-17th-bangkok/">Asia Champs</a> in Thailand in October gents.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got a few laughs wearing my 2011 kit.. !</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Restaurant_Review-g293925-d3163540-Reviews-Spotted_Cow-Ho_Chi_Minh_City.html">Spotted Cow</a> Post game watch the Eagles v Hawks<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">And squeezed in my favorite 'bridges' Run - Thu Thiem, Saigon Bridge, Q2</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre Game Fuel at Nhu Lan. </td></tr>
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam10.8230989 106.62966389.8248079 105.33877030000001 11.8213899 107.9205573tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-45522078090552157362015-07-24T06:34:00.003-07:002018-07-26T06:51:44.605-07:00Cycling Tour of Vietnam # 3<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tour # 3</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Mid 2016</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Cycling buddies being sought for this epic trip of life time which includes passing by the Hai Van pass and the worlds biggest caves! </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>Checklist</u>:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1) Bike </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2) Smart phone GPS & Charger</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>3) Spares</b></span></div>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>That's it!... Food and drinks are available on the road. </b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The point of these rides is that they are unsupported but not unplanned. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>They retain a large element of unknown with out being unsafe. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>They remove some of the 'easy out' options in life to force you to test yourself.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Don't worry - I am always extremely well prepared and hardly ever get lost.! :) </b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>If you have any doubt of the excitement to be realized by joining this ride with me then watch this <i>Gopro </i>footage descending the Hai Van Pass from last years tour.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">I expect this trip to be the icing on the cake after 2 previous multi day tours and many single day tours which were all incredible in different ways. Actually I am quite unfamiliar with this region of Vietnam which adds to the excitement for me.</span><br />
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</span> <iframe height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1695w0xQiRt3LYuPbTYepPWRGGIC6v54aURxh77nhY85d1X3LrbI6ao9d9EnXr_n3x79MuwRd8TEXVTcM/preview" width="640"></iframe>mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Da Nang, Da Nang, Vietnam16.0544068 108.2021667000000215.932326799999998 108.04080520000002 16.1764868 108.36352820000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-9850568243066296802015-07-13T08:01:00.001-07:002015-07-24T21:01:56.543-07:00Miri,Taman Awam, Seria, Brunei and other places...<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Things I have seen and done exploring Miri and surrounds over the past week...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 - <u>RUN</u> to <a href="http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/taman-awam-miri-miri-public-park/">Taman Awam</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2 - BIKE to Seria, Brunei.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3 - EAT Steam boat at 883 BBQ Buffett</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4 - <b><i>SING</i></b> Karaoke at "The Island"</span><br />
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<a href="http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/taman-awam-miri-miri-public-park/">Taman Awan</a> in a public space in Miri close to town - on the way to the airport. Although I live close I had not visited before... and I was quite impressed. It has a SkatePark, kids playgrounds, pool, walking paths and a cool elevated walkway.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The park features a series of elevated walk ways.. pretty cool actually.!</td></tr>
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This week's ride went a little further into Brunei to Seria. However I was not quite aware of the strict fasting laws during Ramadan. No food to be eaten at cafe's or anywhere outdoors during day time. I bought a take out coffee and some eggs and hid in a bush to eat them. The laws are enforced by special police who will fine locals and foreigners if you break them. In hindsight, the extremely large snake I encountered on the ride over may have been a good meal option if I knew the difficulties getting a bite in Brunei.<br />
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The road to / from Brunei is flat but usually low traffic and relatively safe. I have avoided riding at night so far in Borneo, 1) because there is reportedly a high incidences of drink driving here..but 2) because of these guys. My understanding (may be wrong) from my time working in the desert in NW Australia was that snakes often come to the roads at night to soak up some of the heat still in the road surface after the sun goes down. When the roads are poorly lit the chances of running over one of these speed bumps is possibly a bit higher after sunset. And ALL the road kill I see is first thing in the morning- which sort of supports that theory right.<br />
Anyway - Truth be known, I more afraid of the drunk drivers that I am of snakes.</div>
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..And for my whacky story of the week..drawing a very long bow to anything to do with sport.. This has been one of my high participation activities of late.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The talent pool is quite shallow in these parts - Karaoke at 'the Island' </td></tr>
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mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia4.399493 113.991383199999972.3722684999999997 111.40959619999997 6.4267175 116.57317019999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-77032212841566813352015-06-21T07:08:00.002-07:002015-06-21T07:08:43.744-07:00Fremantle Esplanade Skate ParkSkate parks are now dominated not by skate boards - but by scooters.<br />
Over the past few months the boys have talked me into purchasing the best trick scooters for them - Shay rides the <a href="http://www.scooterhut.com.au/envy-prodigy-scooter-complete-2015-model-new-scooter-hut/">ENVY Prodigy </a>, bought at the <a href="http://www.scooterhut.com.au/">scooter hut</a> and Levi's weapon of choice is the <a href="http://gritscooters.com.au/">Grit Elite</a> 2015. We hit the new <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g285726-d2470812-r254451288-Fremantle_Esplanade-Fremantle_Greater_Perth_Western_Australia.html">Esplanade Skate park</a> in Freo.. A brilliant venue right in middle of Fremantle.<br />
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<br />mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0Esplanade, Fremantle WA 6160, Australia-32.0573763 115.74651730000005-32.059058300000004 115.74399580000005 -32.0556943 115.74903880000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3651118190804871973.post-49323785260629331462015-06-20T06:48:00.000-07:002015-07-14T22:28:28.499-07:00Saturday morning (everywhere) in Australia... <span style="font-size: large;">'Working in Asia I miss a lot of the kids weekend sports. Its the worst thing about working abroad'.</span><br />
But Today I woke up on Saturday morning back in my home town. I got the kids ready, took my daughter to netball and the boys to footy. While sport in Asia is all about travelling, trekking and social football and cricket matches with transient friends, sport in Australia is about families, communities and basically passing on what we know to our kids.<br />
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<b>GPS confirms 6km covered in referring under 11's soccer match</b></div>
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Just so happens I timed this visit with the annual 'Dads match'... A great excuse to pack the boots and have a run after the Auskick games are over and the kids asking for money for the sausage sizzle. What a great day. A great Saturday.<br />
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Levi is a spark in the forward line.<br />
Favorite Position: Full Forward<br />
Favorite Player - Fyfe.<br />
Score today: 3 goals<br />
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The boots (and Vietnam swans shorts) get another run in the Annual Wembley Downs Dads match<br />
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<i>WDFC Dads en masse</i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sunday was more of the same with an early start in for a soccer match I was looking forward to more than any cup final or world cup fixture. Wemley Downs 11s vs Joonadulp.</span><br />
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The Team lost 3 -2 , but it was a great game against a top side and I got to see Shay score!<br />
Awesome!mn13http://www.blogger.com/profile/09917603865812782076noreply@blogger.com0A S Luketina Reserve, Wembley Downs WA 6019, Australia-31.9199791 115.78377539999997-31.9233486 115.77873289999997 -31.916609599999997 115.78881789999997