Tears, Hills, and Gratitude on the Road to Perth

Daily miles: 39.52 | Total miles: 9,324.43

I got up at 4 a.m. — tired but excited for my second-to-last day of running here in Australia. I had a coffee, packed my things, and organized myself for the day. Just a few minutes before I left, Lisa got up and instantly brightened my morning simply by being there.

Even after 300 days, I still wake up as nervous as I did on day one. It’s just part of it for me — that mix of anticipation and respect for the miles ahead. I received a warm farewell hug and some reassuring words before Lisa opened the gate and waved me off into day 300. Crazy, I thought. Tomorrow—Perth.

The morning was beautiful: light valley fog, blue skies, and, as Lisa had mentioned, a few hot air balloons floating gently above. I loved the tranquillity and calm. But inside, a lot was going on. Emotionally, I felt overwhelmed and found myself crying for quite a while. It felt good — a release. As I climbed out of the valley, the tears kept coming, but so did clarity. I felt deeply grateful to be here, to be doing this. The warmth of the sunrise, the views, the quiet — it all reminded me how alive this journey makes me feel.

Most of the day was spent in the Perth Hills, which meant plenty of climbing — up and down, up, up, up. Around mile 13, I reached Bakers Hill and spotted a café and pie shop. At first, I thought about pushing on, but then I decided to stop and chat with a few people, just in case I wouldn’t meet anyone else later. I met Mark and Lisa, and then Brian, who kindly gave me his lemon cheesecake. “You’ll need it more than I do,” he said. He was right — I enjoyed it that evening at the hotel.

The rest of the day was hard work — a long, steady effort uphill. Only one car stopped along the way: Malcolm and Linda, who wanted to know what I was doing. Otherwise, there was a lot of traffic, a reminder that I’m nearing the city. There were so many wildflowers I could have stopped to photograph, but I knew I needed to keep moving.

When I arrived at the hotel — the only available option — I realized it was far too fancy for me. No ramp, just stairs and a field to get the buggy across. After 39 miles, that was an exhausting final challenge. The room is huge, much bigger than I need, but it has a bathtub, so I’ll make good use of that later.

The Wi-Fi is painfully slow, so I’m sitting in the reception area hoping to upload my reel before the night’s over. For dinner, I’ll have my usual rice and beans — I love the contrast between the luxury of the room and the simplicity of my meal. No discount tonight, of course, but maybe it’s okay to treat myself a little on day 300.

I’m slightly nervous about the slow upload — I’d love to finish my socials and get everything ready for tomorrow. There’s still a lot to organize before reaching Perth.

Thanks for checking in, Andrea