IM Cairns - June 2020

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  • We could always storm one of those fancy liners in Southampton and make them take us over ?

     

    pedalos ???

  • Start swimming now?

  • It should be easy to modify a pedalo so it runs off a treadmill instead of pedals. So we'll take a few of each, and everyone can take turns alternating between pedalo, treadmillo, and swimming. We'll have done all the training we'll need by the time we arrive

  • Good planning. If we modify one into a bar (a barelo), I'll run that.
  • Sorted. Just race entry fees to worry about now then
  • And sharks. and crocs. and stingers.

    But APART from that, what have we got to worry aboutimage

  • image what could possibly go wrong?? image

  • Kanga M wrote (see)

    And sharks. and crocs. and stingers.

    But APART from that, what have we got to worry aboutimage

    Barlos in budgey smugglers for starters......

    lets be honest.... its all prep for an Ironman on my 100th birthday
  • I did IM Cairns in 2013 as my 1st full and it was greatimage

    You really need to go for at least 10 days and here's why:

    The week before is the Port Douglas 5150 race.  Literally a race in paradise.  Although I got a bit freaked out by butterflies the size of my head and the big spider legs poking out behind the sink in the event toilets!  Swim is warm (wetsuit optional to keep the jellyfish off!) bike course lined by palm trees and is fast/flat and the run is laps along beautiful 4 mile sandy beach.

    There is also a big MTB ride the same day that passes through the rainforest and finishes in the same place..  I'd love to go back to do this too as it looked amazing..

    The Green Island swim race mid-wk is like swimming in an aquarium.  (Although I was green from the boat trip to get thereimage  I also managed to get sunburnt in the rain.(

    The pasta party was very posh compared to all the others I have been too.

    The full IM distance started after the half, so got a lay in! 

    There was lots of box jellyfish floating about 18inches below, so had to modify my swim stroke to avoid bashing them.   Otherwise the wildlife was fine.  Just don't venture off course for a wee stop!  Hot and humid for the bike and run.  I chased Macca for 10k on the bike then blew up completely and had to stop for ice (what was I thinking!?)  The odd rain shower are also most welcome.

    Just remember it gets dark at around 1830hrs, so don't wear sunglasses on the run.......

    (on my return to the UK I was bitten by an adder, then a false widow spider and swam into jellyfish....... and they say Oz is dangerous!)

    2020.........remind me is 2018.

     

  • Sounds great if also slightly terrifying Lithium-Dude! image

    I do love Australia so much, so can't wait to go back again.

  • Just looking at the swim course, it's quite ironic that despite being a 2-lap swim course, it doesn't have an Australian Exit image

  • So, we still doing this then?  B)
  • Simo429Simo429 ✭✭✭
    If it was actually the summer holidays I would say yes but it isn't unfortuantely and not for another couple of months.
  • yep... still on my plan....
    lets be honest.... its all prep for an Ironman on my 100th birthday

  • Just starting to look into flights and currently looking into what type of flights and best places to get a stop over, Hong Kong is on my bucket list, so that's an option but that's from London airports
    Flights look cheaper going from Manchester but generally need 2 stops rather 1 but stopover is in Dubai, also on bucket list

  • As long as I can make it work I'm still up for it. Think I need to invest in a piggy bank...
  • Having done most of the stopovers on more than one occasion, and most of them a load, i'd suggest that the two that really are worthwhile are HK and Singapore.... the Dubai sandpit is just an enormous shopping centre and display of bad taste
    lets be honest.... its all prep for an Ironman on my 100th birthday
  • Singapore left me wanting to go back to see it, as we only had an hour stopped there on the way to/from Bali.
  • Flat FootedFlat Footed ✭✭✭
    We've started looking at flights, for 2 adults and the 2 girls it was about 3700, with a stop over in the far east and landing in Melbourne before the last hop to Cairns.

    Next stop accommodation.
  • Been looking at flights too

    Via Singapore (SIN)
    Direct flight from SIN - CNS is with SilkAir, a Singapore Airlines subsidiary.

    Currently leave SIN at 01:10 or 01:30 on a 737... 6:55 hour flight
    3 times a week
    Check baggage rules very carefully

    Via Hong Kong (HKG)
    Direct Flight from HKG - CNS is with Cathay Pacific.
    Leaves about 21:30 from HKG similar flight time to SIN - CNS
    4 times a week
    Again check baggage rules very carefully

    seems to be some cheaper flights if you go via Manila on Philippine Airlines
    Also sometimes flights can be cheaper if same flight booked through another airline as a code share.
  • My flights to Perth via Abu Dabi for november cost £550 return. the earlier you book the cheaper the flight.                                                                                                               Kanga, I'm doing WA 70.30 in Busso in december with Horse and my kid brother Skippy who lives in Perth, do you fancy it?
  • edited June 2017
    I do fancy it...

    but all my holidays are allocated...  :s
  • m.ittenm.itten ✭✭✭

    I'm just back from Cairns! Now I only did the 70.3... and without any swim or bike training.... but I loved the event.

    Two of our group were doing the full & they both had a great day (one of them was doing their first).

    Yes, it was winter in Cairns & we were super lucky with the weather on race day - the day after it was boiling!

    I'll keep an eye on here just in case a) you lot do go & b) I'm still in NZ.

  • m.ittenm.itten ✭✭✭

    Unless anyone fancies Taupo next year :-)

  • I'm defo still up for this, but i'll need to remember this in 2019 and not use up all my 2019-2020 leave (which ends April 2020) so I can carry a couple of weeks over to 2020-2021 leave, and then take 4 weeks at once, woo hoo
  • Has anybody told Cairns what is coming in 2020?
  • yep.... we sent Skippy ahead as an early warning system!
    lets be honest.... its all prep for an Ironman on my 100th birthday
  • Hi all, I'm just back from holidays in Aus and we spent our last week in the Cairns/Port Douglas area. 
    The bike course is gently rolling with a few short sharp little climbs, lots of twists and turns (so no head down switching off brain) and the road surface looks OK.  The scenery is stunning so theres plenty to look at. weather wise it was about 23C but very humid, and if the wind gets up, then the road would be quite exposed.
    we flew home from Cairns, it was BA with the Carins-Hong Kong leg operated by Cathay Pacific.
    Echo what LithiumDude said earlier - if you have enough time/AUS$ then there is so much to do up there, as it the only place on Earth that two world heritage sites meet - the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. We learned so much and had a really great time.

    I did say this was a holiday of a lifetime and I was only going there once, but am so tempted to start saving up again :-)  getting time off work during term time might be the deciding factor though :-(

    look out for the stingers, crocs and cassowaries :-)
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