Scenes from a 10km run around Newcastle. Sunday morning starting at 7am.
The first 2km is a flat run along this wide tree-lined street. This photo is taken on a tiny elevation at about 1.2 km from our start.
At the end of Parkway Avenue is Bar Beach with this scenic view south, but we turn left to the north.
Almost at the top. Ahead is Strzelecki Lookout, named after an early Polish explorer of this region. This is a popular spot for hang-gliders. We've run 3km or so.
This house is imaginatively called Hill House. For many years it accommodated some of the physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dieticians and occupational therapists that worked at Royal Newcastle Hospital. They put on good parties and often invited the young doctors. Unfortunately it was too valuable to stay in public ownership and the hospital sold it in about 1985.
Across the road is this cottage now occupied by the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol Newcastle
...to pass these World War Two fortifications. Newcastle was actually bombed by the Japanese. (once)
We turn back inland and another slight climb past the rotunda, a favourite wedding venue and picnic site. We've done 4km.
Once we go down here there are no more hills - the rest of the run is at sea-level. This hospital is where Jenny and I first practiced our professions - and where we met. It is scheduled to be closed down - the site will be sold to a developer who will build expensive apartments.
We pass this pool on our right just as we approach the ocean baths. the canoe pool is a shallow pool suitable for paddling in - but you won't see any canoes.
The baths are open all year round but are open-air and the water is naturally at the same temperature as the ocean. A blackboard displays the water temperature. Today it is 19°C, still a little cold for me. The changerooms are also open-air.
We follow the waterfront road past rocky beaches. The sand is covered by water at high tide. 5km
Nobbys was once an island, but was connected to the mainland by convict labour in the early 1800s to make the harbour entrance safer.
I don't know the official name of this tower but it has more than one nickname. We run right past its base.
We now leave the waterfront and take the pedestrian bridge over the railway line.
This used to be called Bank Corner, but the old bank building is now empty. Rice's bookshop still welcomes travellers to Newcastle, as this corner used to be a gateway, but the main road now goes another way. The shop now sells more books through eBay. 9km
Unfortunately the road-builders had their way and Birdwod Park was bisected. In 1972 this road is where protesters attempted to stop bulldozers removing trees. The protesters failed on this occasion, but two pieces of the park remain, this being the smaller. We are 500 metres from home and will finish where we started.