Great Ocean Road running challenge - on your marks!

Ah yes, my nemesis the treadmill!

Actually that's not true, we're good friends these days, and I have spent many an hour pounding the belt here.  However lately I've struggled with motivation, and so to remedy this I've joined the virtual revolution and signed up to a running challenge, with the aim of running the length of Australia's Great Ocean Road, all from the comfort of our garage. The challenge is hosted by Conqueror Virtual Challenges, via a pretty cool app which places me in a map, sends virtual postcards, and puts me in touch with other runners.

Quite appropriately, the run begins in the seaside town of Torquay - named after our own Devon resort - which is a renowned surfing centre.  The global surfing brands Rip Curl and Quicksilver were both founded here, and the town beach hosts the world's longest-running surfing competition.  Regarded as the surfing capital of Australia, the National Surfing Museum opened here in 1993, and is designated as "one of the most significant centres of world surfing heritage", by the International Surfing Association.

Torquay Beach

The Great Ocean Road itself runs 149 miles from Torquay to Allansford, along Australia's southern coast in the state of Victoria.  It's said to be some of the most spectacular driving scenery on the planet.  The road was built by some 3,000 servicemen who returned to Australia following the First World War, as a means of connecting sparsely populated areas, and provide a reliable link for the transportation of timber.  Construction was hard - it took 13 years, and was built by hand using explosives, picks, shovels and machinery.  The wilderness took some taming - so much so, that the speed of construction progressed at 1.8 miles per month.

Ex-servicemen working on the construction of the Great Ocean Road

My current progress sees me at Fairhaven Beach, in the town of Fairhaven, some 18.6 miles south west of Torquay.  To get here, I've passed the Great Ocean Road chocolate factory (would that this were a real run), and the town of Anglesea, which was originally called "Swampy Creek" until the township was established in 1884.  Now a tourist hotspot, the town's golf course is renowned for its resident population of eastern grey kangaroos, which are allowed to graze on the fairways. More recently my route took me through the small coastal community at Airey's Inlet, which people of my generation may remember from children's television - the town's Split Point Lighthouse was the home of the Twist family in Round the Twist.

Split Point Lighthouse

My next landmark, in just under two miles' time, will take me to the WWI Memorial Arch, before heading into the town of Lorne, known to be one of Australia's best places for bird watching.  Not that I expect to spot any cockatoos, gallahs or kookaburras from my garage, but I can dream, can't I?  Stay tuned for another update very soon.