Distance today = 53.67 km; Total distance = 24,825.66 km; Location = Penshurst – 37 52.380’ S, 142 17.691′ E; Start time = 0833, Finish time = 1734

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/359146198

We had an interesting time last night, meeting with Julie and Paul from the Coleraine Hotel, and several of their clientele. Many thanks to the pub for the accommodation, and to their social club for a $100 donation to Oxfam (it’s in cheque form at the moment, and I have to work out a way to get it into the system).

I discovered an intriguing fact about Coleraine. Helena Rubinstein initiated her cosmetics business from the town. She had come here in 1897, after her father had tried to arrange a marriage for her in Poland. She had escaped on the pretext of visiting her uncle in Coleraine. Once she’d set up the business, she expanded it by moving to Melbourne, then eventually to New York, where it become the biggest cosmetics brand in the world for quite some time. And it all started in a small town in western Victoria, with a current population of about 800.

Today’s run was in better weather conditions – mainly sunshine, but with a cold westerly tailwind (better than a headwind). I reached Hamilton around noon, and did an interview with Tessa and Judy from the local newspaper, The Hamilton Spectator.

The afternoon was a bit tough. It’s always hard when I have more than 30 km to run after lunch. I finally made it to Penshurst to finish my day. Feeling a bit tired tonight, though.