My birthday began in Piha, New Zealand and ended in The Gold Coast, Australia. it lasted 27 hours and I blagged my way out of paying $130 for my luggage being overweight. A pretty special day all in all.

So I’m never really prepared for the weather in my subsequent destination. I have been surprised by snow in Peru, daily storms in Colombia and getting chilly in Ecuador. Clearly I still haven’t learned (to maybe just google the weather report). Who knew Austrailia would be so freakin hot?! On my first full day here the mercury was tipping 37! So I wisely decided to go for a jog at midday with my friend and Brasiliaussie host, Renata.

At the start of the run/walk I spotted my first proper Aussie arachnid! Framed against a blue blue sky towards Sufers Paradise. Yes there’s a town called Surfers Paradise here. And that’s the kind of place The Gold Coast is. Everyone looks so healthy and bronzed with sun kissed hair. On the short journey we passed walkers, runners, surfers, swimmers, cyclists, body boarders, kite surfers, paddle boarders, skaters and probably some more obscure sports I can’t remember. On a weekday lunchtime. It really does inspire you to be part of the moving masses! Seeing exercise ingrained into a society is a breath of fresh air. Ok so in the UK we don’t have so many white sand surf beaches or year-round sun bleached promenades. And I know Coronation Street is great, but more needs to be done to inspire people off their sofas and into some sweaty activity!

After a very short time running I was ‘the colour of a newborn piggy’; Ren’s words. It was ridiculously hot and my shoulders were screaming with sunburn. We passed this cool truck before slowing to a walk and lapping up water from the water fountains conveniently stationed along the promenade. I will be timing my next run here more carefully. Like maybe the middle of the night or something.