| Mon 1 May 2023 in -37,144: -37.6960156, 144.7992520 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox |
Location
At the Vasa Place reserve, in a suburb I'd never heard of before, Keilor Lodge
Participants
Expedition 1: Cam
In contrast to John's epic adventure (below), my geohash was about as basic as they got. Over the weekend, I noticed that the Monday hashpoint was a 10 minute detour on the way to work. Accordingly, I made a slight detour on Monday morning, and briefly took a selfie at the hashpoint. The rest of the day was a normal work day, interjected with following and being equal parts impressed and bemused by John's progress on foot over many kilometres and hours.
Expedition 2: John
Plans
After improving my longest geohash on foot from 15km to 23km with my trip to Williamstown in February, and with my running fitness in a good place at the moment, I’ve been keen for some time to see how much further I could push up the leaderboard.
On Friday night at 11:30 when the upcoming three days’ hashes were released, I was immediately drawn to Monday’s as an option for a running expedition. I could follow a nice 20ish kilometre long route along the Maribyrnong River for much of the way, and with trains not too far away I could bail out at some point along the way home if I wasn’t feeling like completing a full 40km trek.
As the weekend wore on, I became more firm in my conviction to mount this expedition. But a spanner had been introduced. On Sunday morning, Bridget decided that she was heading off to get a flu shot and another covid jab, and she strongly encouraged me to get the flu shot too. (My last covid vax had been too recent for me to get another one of those yet). I decided that I would get it, but it was going to be a roll of the dice as to whether I would be up for a long run the next day, with my immune system having been worked up by a foreign substance having been injected into my arm.
As the day and evening progressed, I was feeling fine but unusually tired. We had an excellent dinner of homemade pizzas, but I was almost falling asleep standing up at the sink doing the dishes afterwards. Nothing a good night’s sleep couldn’t fix though.
I ploughed on in my planning for the morning, and I realised that one of the default routes that Google maps had suggested, which I had initially dismissed as mostly uninteresting roads, was in fact much more intriguing. It wasn’t too far off a straight line at all. A juggernaut achievement was well and truly on here.
Taking additional inspiration from the youtuber Geowizard, whose straight-line missions I had watched a lot of in recent months, I knew I had to go for it. While I would be far from meeting the straightness constraints that he imposes (ideally no more than 25m off the perfect straight line), it would be eminently doable to meet the juggernaut achievement regulation as listed on the wiki, of deviating by no more than 5% of the length of the straight line.
The straight line between home and the hash was 14.38km long, so I could deviate by up to a generous 719m. I could see from the map that the biggest deviation was going to be incurred in Keilor East while crossing the Melbourne to Sydney trainline, and the Ring Road. There was definitely no better option than following Keilor Park Drive around to the south of my straight line. However, I estimated that this would only take me 500m or so off the line. The rest of the trip would involve nothing like that much of a deviation.
It also occurred to me that if I then took the longer way home along the river that I could do a Tron achievement as well, which I was yet to succeed in, despite attempting it first 9 years ago. (Not that there had been many intervening attempts).
Expedition
The next morning I awoke, and, thankfully, I was feeling well rested and ready to take this feat on. Definitely capable of at least making it to the point on foot, even if I bailed on the full return journey. I put the final tweaks on my planned route, loaded it onto my Garmin, and made my final preparations. I packed a backpack full of food (three left over pizza slices, two apples, two mandarins, a nashi, two muesli bars and a big handful of Cadbury roses chocolates), and popped a water bottle in each of the bag's external side pockets. I was good to go.
At just after 10, I set off. The weather was perfect: minimal chance of rain, but still cool and plenty of cloud about, so I wasn’t going to heat up too much. I had packed my headphones, but decided to hold off on listening to any podcasts or music until later in the trip. I wanted to soak the adventure all in, but also wanted to avoid draining my phone’s batteries on what was sure to be a lengthy expedition. As it turned out, I didn’t put my headphones in the whole day, I was entertained enough regardless.
I started by weaving through the streets of ascot vale. Although far from a straight line, due to not going across people’s rooves and gardens, I made sure to cut corners and cross streets diagonally in juggernautical spirit.
I soon realised that, although the route I had loaded on my watch was very helpful, it would also have been been very helpful to know exactly where the as-the-crow-flies line was at all points as well. My plotted route was restricted to formal roads and paths, and when the opportunities came to go off-piste for the sake of juggernautically traversing obstacles that looked doable, it would have been handy to know where the line was. For example, maybe instead of cutting some corner, I might have been better off going right to the corner, if that is where the line happened to lie at that time.
But it was no big deal. I knew I was never at risk of going more than 5% off the line, and it’s an interesting question anyway which approach is better. Is it better to follow a wobbly zigzaggy line that keeps you very close to the perfect straight line, or is it better to plough ahead in as straight a line as possible from where you are, even if you are a bit away from the perfect line?
I crossed Maribyrnong Rd and, approached the river. The straight line would have had me cross the river twice in quick succession here, but I opted not to swim and kept to the northern bank. Approaching Poynton’s nursery I see now I should have crossed the carpark diagonally, but I missed that opportunity. I turned up Vida street, and started walking up the hill. I had decided for the sake of endurance over the course of the next several hours, that such an approach to inclines was wise.
After a few more streets, and the thin patch of park between Afton and Clifton Streets, I was back in parkland, though I now see that I missed a trick my not going up Smiley Crescent. I did here however get into the juggernautical spirit, stomping across the small unnamed creek instead of using the bridge slightly further off line. I then followed this by marching straight up the hill, while the path switchbacked (swictchedback? switchedbacked??) around me. I crossed using the tunnel under Buckley St, and jumped the fence and stomped through some long grass to cut the corner joining the Steele Ck trail.
Little creek I juggernauted over
Maribyrnong defence site
I soon left this though, going up the steep thin grassy powerline reservation up to Brees Rd and beyond. After wiggling through a few more streets, I crossed Milleara Rd and then had to follow Keilor Park drive around to the south taking me considerably off course as predicted. My deviation here maxed out at 553.2m.
Railway that couldn't be juggernauted over
And freeway that couldn't either
The road then swung me back towards the line and I then headed into Brimbank Park. Again the straight line would have had me cross the Maribyrnong twice, but again I stuck to the northern side. Unfortunately, a large fence to the side of the path even prevented me from getting too close to the water’s edge; they evidently wanted me on the path. This took me almost 300m off the line in the other direction now.
At one point along here, the path briefly diverted back towards the river and towards the perfect line, but I went off road and ploughed ahead, getting caught up in a cobweb before rejoining the path. This felt like the juggernautical thing to do, to continue in a straight line to where I wanted to go in the short term, even if the made path had dipped closer to the perfect line.
From here the Old Calder Hwy suited me very nicely. I followed this through Keilor, stopping briefly for a snack and a water fill up at the Lagoon Reserve. I was now getting very close to the first hash we did as a two parter before and after midnight on my birthday last here.
Brimbank Park from the south
Maribyrnong river at Keilor
Cockatoos
Mushrooms
I continued on until I was almost at Sunshine Avenue. For Tron purposes, It was important that I avoided the roundabout intersection with the Melton Hwy, as I wanted to use this coming back. Luckily, a gap in a fence allowed me through to the on-off ramps to the Calder Fwy. While waiting for a gap between the two lanes of traffic, a motorcyclist sped past doing a full on wheely. After he had passed, I discovered that very conveniently, as I had been hoping (as it was on streetview) there was an open gate allowing me to get down across a vacant block and into Malibu Grove. When I looked back I saw that there was a large drain running under the on-off ramps that I possibly could have used for more adventure, but alas.
Nice fence gap
Nice open gate on other side
On off ramps I crossed
Maybe i could have gone under
Local concerns
At this point I could just as easily have got out and crossed Sunshine Avenue using the regular street, but for juggernautical reasons (even if it was equally off the perfect line), I went to the end of Laguna Close, where I could cross what was almost someone’s front yard and jump a fence to get out to Sunshine Avenue. It was a wooden fence with the rails on the right side making it easy to get up, but it was a fair 2m drop on the other side, of which the landing was going to be a bit of a test for my plated shoulder. But I took the leap and it was fine, the grassy terrain holding no surprises.
Fence to get over sort of through someone's front yard
And the drop on the other side
A little path took me into Krona Rise, and then Nordic Avenue, and then I was at the hash in Vasa Place reserve. (A bit of a Swedish theme around there! If you are in Stockholm it is worth checking out the Vasa museum) I approached the hash very cautiously, not wanting to need to retrace my steps, and then I was there. It had taken me 17.5km and just over two hours to travel 14.38km of as-the-crow-files distance, with a maximum deviation of 553.8m. I snapped a pic and then I was on my way.
At this point, having texted her the photo, Bridget rang me to tell me that she had heard that the rental we had applied for on Saturday was progressing – the agent would be taking our application to the landlord for their approval, very exciting! With this good news, I still had some spring in my step, and I decided I was going all the way home by foot. I wanted to be home for 4pm, to have time to recover and then cook dinner for 6pm for a band rehearsal that evening, but that still gave me about 3.5 hours.
I got down to the Taylors Creek path and stopped briefly to get my pizza out and have a good refuel before the second half of my journey. I then continued on my way, taking in my delightful surrounds. Along this section there were several sizeable flocks of red-browed firetails flitting about the long grass.
Unfortunately, the connection between this trail and Brimbank Park is non-existent – you have to get up out of the valley to cross Green Gully Rd before plunging back down to water level. Which is what I did. I reached the Maribyrnong, and my plan was to follow the paths alongside this until Canning St and then head more directly east towards home.
However, as I chugged along, through the beautiful surrounds of Brimbank Park and beyond, as I went back under the Ring Rd, and admired the railway viaduct before passing under it too, a plan was forming. What if I went via the house we’d applied for!? Would I jinx it, or would it be good luck? It was just in Maribynong and I could surprise Bridget by sending through a selfie out the front. Also, the extra distance would take me very close to a marathon, which was obviously a satisfying distance to aim for. I’d follow the river until the pipe bridge by the Medway golf course, then backtrack slightly on the other side of the river, getting back into the streets at Cranwell park, then head up Mitchell St.
This tree bears strange fruit
Taylors creek
Brimbank Park again, from the north, e.j. Whitten bridge in the distance
Maribyrnong river ford at Brimbank Park
More scenic river
A good viaduct
Pipe bridge ahead
It was going to make it tight for my return timeline, given my walking to running ratio had increased markedly, but I decided to go for it. As I approached the pipe bridge, my left calf was getting pretty sore, and as I drew nearer I realised that I had a problem before me. To get onto this bridge the path first passed under the bridge before bending back around. Oh no! This would scupper my tron aspirations. Even though the juggernaut section of the journey was over, the spirit lived on. To get onto the bridge without going under, I had to go off-road again and climb a very steep slope that was thick with prickles of two kinds, thistles and blackberries. My running-shorted legs were apprehensive but taking great care, we made it with only a very minor cut or two.
By the time I was back up the hill on the other side of the river, my left calf was very sore. I’d been going at a very gentle pace all day, but the marathon distance was still going to extract its toll. I was down to about 50/50 running and walking, trying to stretch my calf out regularly, thus I ambled on. I was so preoccupied by my difficulties that I almost missed the house I was aiming for. Luckily I looked up just in time to discover that I was right outside it. I took a pic, sent it to Bridget and plodded on.
Now I just had to go down the steep Edgewater hill, cross the river at Pipemakers Park , and climb out of the valley once more, making sure not to cross my path as I drew closer and closer to home. By the time I was at Ascot St, I was just about done with running, so most of the final kilometre was just walking. I worked out though to my dismay, that I was going to be just a few dozen metres short of the marathon distance. I solved this problem by zigzagging back and forth across Ascot Street a few times, and then crossed Ascot Vale Rd and back once for good measure too.
At last I was home. 42.22km in a perfect tron loop, with a juggernautical first half of the trip too. The first thing I did was whack some unbaked bread in the oven that I had made the day before, that had been chilling and proofing in the fridge overnight. Despite my aching muscles, I wasn’t feeling too wiped out. The gentle pace of about 8 min/km including breaks, for 5hrs 38mins and 40 seconds in total had worked well, leaving me still up for making dinner and doing band practice that evening.
And, as it turned out, visiting the house wasn’t a jinx! We had an email come through at just after 5 that afternoon that our application had been successful! And now this write up is done, I can focus properly on packing and getting ready for the move!
Tracklog
I have superimposed the perfectly straight line between home and the hash for juggernaut analysis
Achievements
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John earned the Walk geohash Achievement
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John earned the Juggernaut achievement
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John earned the Tron achievement
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