Day 5. Life on the Beach.

Day 5:  Life on the Beach

Today Steve left in the dark to be ready on the beach for the first race. Sadly the first race for him was after 11am. Nothing changes in Lifesaving. They are always running behind. 

A couple who are here from Alexandra Headland are teachers. A Principal and head teacher. We decided we could take charge and run the day with no problems! Anyway it gave us a chance to chat to people. 

I started the day by hiring a bike and riding around the marina to the beach. It's one of those spread out beach resort towns. Everything is a long walk. It felt good to ride along the flat paths where nobody hurries and there are few cars. People park and walk or cycle here. 

The beach is long and the sand is grey and there are no waves to speak of. A few tents were scattered along the sand with the flags of various countries flapping in the
breeze. I started with a coffee from one of the bars that open out onto the sand. Then competition started. There are many shapes and sizes. Some look a little too stiff, fat, old for paddling and swimming - but once in the water it's amazing how they can get along! Others look fabulous. Men in their 60's looking trim and strong. I even thought I could have lined up when I saw two women in the 50-54 age group swimming so slowly I could have kept up! One was doing a leisurely backstroke! 

In the middle of the day I took a break and cycled along the beachfront and had a drink at one of the many cafes dotted along. Unlike Surfers Paradise the apartment blocks are set back a little and there is a very wide promenade which walkers and cyclists

share easily. Then every couple of hundred metres there is a little pedestrian road
running away from the beach lined with restaurants and shops. Not a bad way to do
things, no cars around really.

Got back to our hotel on the bike and I'm waiting for Steve to return. He  will be so tired. He has a really persistent cough which must be making him tired but he just keepsgoing. We're going to dinner with a nice couple from Tasmania. Steve has got to knowhim over the years of competition. Brrr, fancy training in the waters of Tasmania. He must do something right though. He won a medal or two today!