I just got this information below and of course I accept! I am terrified of running with real and fast runners. But not sure I will last the 1.5 hours at their fierce pace  :)

Hi Tony

I’ll be at the airport to welcome you tomorrow afternoon. We have a big room for you at our place.

Tomorrow night, I’ll take you to meet the people at Auckland Joggers Club and you’re welcome to have a run with us if you’re up to it. After the run (1.5 hours)

We have dinner together. While there, I have set up for another 3 blokes to meet with you to plan your North Island venture.

So we’re ready for you and, depending when you want to set off, will see you out of town, so to speak.

Cheers, Alan

For my New Zealand route press HERE

Special thanks to Kiniviliame Raicebe the marketing officer for Tourism Fiji  and James Sowane  the managing director of Pacific Destinationz who are Fiji’s main travel operators who were able at very short notice to make my run across Fiji so memorable and indeed comfortable, well at least off the road! Thanks again to James for letting me spend 12 hours and counting still working in his office and also for a delicious goat curry lunch I got to go back to the hotel now to pack for New Zealand and a new adventure I have no doubt

Also thanks to  the management and staff of: Uprising Beach Resort , The Warwick Resort.  The  Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa in Yanuca.  And Tanoa Hotel in Nadi

To Pau my support driver that first day.

Also to Ash of Runways back in Dublin for giving the lads here the heads up on the run. And for providing me with that cooling running top which kept me a lot cooler than I could have been!

Most important of all thanks so much to the wonderful Fijian people for your kindness and help.

Vinoka! and Bula!

Ah Yes that’s more like it. Out of the blocks running on my last road day in Fiji! I ran about 30km almost non stop save for short stoppages for food, water, sun block and toilet. I felt good too, each day a little better. I am now running up along the west coast of  the island. The demographics are changing rapidly. Now there are more and more temples of various religions I have never even heard of along  with a large Hindu and even Hare Christina denominations.

I get my first water refill from a shop, then construction workers. Running down a hill I come to a shady junction. There is a lady standing there waiting for a bus. This is about 20km before Nadi.

I ask her where a good place to stop for water is? She points and suggests  one house further on up a lane way and off my route. Then she turns and points to another house saying also there but the first place is better as … ” The people living there are Indians. So best go to the other house”

I ask what is wrong with the Indians, Nothing I am told. So I walked into their garden shouting ” Bula, Bula!” to announce myself.

A young 12 year old girl smiles when I apologize saying I must be an unusual sight!

” She is well spoken. In fact she is speaking the most immaculate English I have heard in many a long year. She would fit in well in Dublin’s Blackrock College or even working as a newsreader, seriously! Her grandmother is standing beside her in the doorway holding an aunts 14 month old boy who is sprouting two new front teeth while I sit outside talking to them.

I make a water stop and talk with a very nice family

I ask them are they from India and am told no Fiji, that all the family even the grandmother were born in Fiji. They are wearing Indian clothing.

Before I go I ask the young girl what she wants to work at when she grows up.

” I want to be a lawyer. ” She replies. Very interesting I think to myself. then I find out her father is a construction worker in town while her mother works in a shop.

I refill for a third time, sort of camel up and run on wondering what indeed is wrong with the Indian family. What a wonderful ambitious young woman, so refreshing.

I run on more noticing less and less bulas. I do well when I can string two or three km together but its the long stops that are a killer. I am still running all the way. I want to run it all today.

This is rugby country

I stop at another Indian house, they just hand me my water and don’t even ask me a question. Not sure if it’s indifference or if they can see I am very tired. Then almost identical reaction at a third house.  All three families told me they were not Indian that they were indeed Fijian.

Some people have told me that many people from India don’t want anything to do with that country (yet they dress in traditional Indian garb)

In recent years Fiji changed its constitution to amend that anyone born in Fiji irrespective of their migrant history to be classed as ‘ Fijians. ‘ Opponents have claimed that even some 4th generation Fijians of migrant descent do not understand what it means to be Fijian.

Though I have no right to expect it there was no offering of even a scrap of bread from any of these three Indian homes which was most unlike the rest of my route on the island, it was just very noticeable. There are no shops around and I am starving now for I have eaten all my road food.

Finally after some more stops under shelter I made it into Nadi. Just as I arrived the Heavens opened, so I jumped into a cafe where I had an early dinner while waiting an hour and a half for it to ease off.

At the far end of town I met my support driver Pau for that first day. He offered me a ride back to my hotel which would have been nice and convenient but I decided to stick with my planned beach finish even if it was really irreverent where I finished on the island.

Fiji has been run!

It was about 4km to my finish in Fiji on Wailoaloa Beach.

That’s it, my first country of three in my third continent, Oceania has been run. the 17th country of the run and 25,337km in 600 road days.

On the way back to the hotel I hitch a ride  from an Indian family. They are very friendly and delighted I have been to ‘ their country ‘ as they called India even though they were born here in Fiji.

Some people ask me why I am running, well I think I am getting an interesting insight even if I don’t  understand everything in this complex world.

Keep on running

Another great start to the day. 5am and I am out on the road. Yes I know I could do better but I am getting there. I am feeling a lot better, my third day back on the road, I better get fit soon as I will soon be in the running company of many runners in New Zealand. That will be nice, it’s been a year

Since my Irish friends Paul Mahon and his girlfriend Hilary made a detour from their South American trek to join me on the road in northern Colombia Please see > HERE   Yes a year, just me and no other runners. I long for running company

The last couple of days have also been a bit hilly. Today is also the hottest day so far in Fiji.

At one stage I was crawling along and getting a bit worried about the effort I was expending, my heart was racing heavily so I just backed off the pace and walked some more.

The people continue to shout their greetings. A man called Dan brought me into his house where his wife brewed me the most delicious cup of lemon tea I ever tasted. She went out to the garden and picked 6 lemon leaves and poured boiling water in to a large mug.

Delicious lemon tea

With a GDP per capita income of under $5,000, Fiji is dependent upon it’s tourism industry, fishing , forestry, mineral and the sugar industries are also of vital importance.

During colonial days the British brought over Indian contract labourers to work on the sugar plantations. These labourers were a huge part of the decedents of the great diverse multi-cultural society Fiji enjoys today.

On and on I went making my way through a small town called Sigotaka, spotted a mosque, wondered if I would see a mullah,  no but the children continued to call out ” Bula! Bula”

Over a bridge, chicken curry in an Indian restaurant for lunch. Out the door up the road on and on that day was tough. I am well hydrated as I continue to take High5′s  Zero electrolytes but I am tired, so fatigued I was falling asleep in the restaurant till the owner awoke me with a tap on the back. The last part of the day is always the hardest, if only I would set out earlier.

Firewalking for some but I will stick to the hot running!

Since Sigatoka the traffic is noticeably heavier. Much of the time I am in the hard shoulder. The shoulder is just like in Argentina, gravel or grass. Its tough running in and out in the heavy traffic. which drive on the left in all of my Oceania route. There were very sharp cluster thorns all over my shoes and socks but as I was so near the finish I just marched on.

Then along comes Debbie by a sports manager for the resort. She rode out on her mountain bike to greet me. Seeing my discomfort I stood in the grass while Debbie pulled the thorns out of me.

Debbie from Thailand says its nice and mild here!

Originally from Thailand she tells me she loves the ‘ mild ‘ climate here and everyone tells her it so hot, but not for her. What! I say I will be there in about six or seven months.

I turned and ran up the driveway of  Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa in Yanuca. Click link to see photos, amazing place!  :)

There were about six staff members all lined up with a welcome Tony sign!

Then onto the lobby where a welcoming band playing traditional Fijian music continued this incredible greeting. more staff were lined up including the general manager and all the duty managers..Phew! A speech, They refreshed me with hot towels and water.

What a reception!

Another round of ” Bula! ” A Hawaiian floral necklace around my neck.. (Whats it called?)

Photographs.. And they don’t say.. ” Say cheese! ”    I will give you one guess!

While the general manager was shaking my hand telling me I was very welcome and to let him know if I needed anything, sharp as ever, I asked him what time the buffet closes at!  On The house Tony! Also breakfast in my room at 3am.

What a lovely place. I am told the rooms are $400 a night. So I go into my room, have a shower and look at the white bathrobe hanging up. I put it on, shave and look in the mirror and say

” We have come a long way since this time last month in Patagonia, Hey pretty boy! ”

Then I have my ‘  Fr. Dougall Moment ‘

My doorbell rings, I answer it still wearing the bathrobe.

There are two house maids outside. ” Mr. Tony would you like us to pull your bed down? ”

” What! Eh! No it’s okay where it is by the wall, thank you very much! ”

” Would you like us to move your bed down for you? ” She repeats.

” Ah no thanks I don’t think this bed will fit down the stairs, thanks anyway. ”

” Ok Mr. Tony if you need anything just dial 1 ”

Ok I say and close the door wondering what she meant by dialing one of them when there were two. Women can be so confusing, I shook my head.

Many thanks for a wonderful stay to the management and staff of the  Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa in Yanuca.

No support driver this morning. I am glad I didn’t wait around for the driver. Let’s just call this an unfortunate misunderstanding. Actually I think now I prefer to do it on my own!
With my early start I shuffled out about 20km before I stopped at a farmhouse for water. I was feeling a bit better today.

Ten men seemed to be working on installing an electric fence around the property. I was invited in for breakfast of scrambled egg and rice, sweet tea and a large chunk of bread. They had cooked it over an outside fire.
Apparently they had bought the house from the previous owner and were doing it up. The house had no furniture what-so-ever, only a few mattresses leaning against the walls and some old blankets thrown in a couple of corners. The house itself was very roughly built but serviceable. Its the kind of place which would have been a Godsend had I been stuck out on the highway at night, for I know they would have granted me shelter should I have asked. I wondered why there were no women about, perhaps it was one of those community efforts where friends help friends. The longer I run the more I appreciate my really good friends. What is life without sharing to be able to help out. I think in the future I would also like to do some community volunteer work to help out people in need.

Breakfast stop: The man outside is cooking breakfast over an open fire

Back out on the road even though it was tough again today I was enjoying myself. It wont always be hot like this. Surely the best plan is for total night running in hot countries which are safe to run in. A problem about night running is that I wont have the same interaction with the people. I need my people drug. Water is also a big factor as there are less houses and shops etc open, even though I consume less water while running at night.
I often wonder why I don’t just keep running at the end of a day. I mean why sleep for half a day? I could run as long as I can till I find a place to stay either in a barn, shelter or in my bivy by the side of the road in a ditch for a few hours and then go on again. Just like in competition a short nap and run on. I know I can run longer days but would have to retrain my mind. My mind has gotten a bit lax, not as sharp since the end of my competition days. Should I finish as planned with the Dublin Marathon on October 27th 2014 I will need to run the second half of the world in so called running terms ‘ negative splits ‘ meaning the second half, which is usually a race faster than the first half! Imagine that… Running around the world in negative splits  :)
Sometimes I ask what do I really need to carry on the road, how light can my baggage be made to survive. Yes the ipod is great but lately I have not been using it.

 All small weight with their cables and chargers soon add up to kilos. Also the food, again all the bits add up. The backpack system is great for congested areas like South America where there are a lot of villages close to each other for food water and shelter, but then when there is a gap of 70, 80km that can be an effort though not impossible. Previously I have described the effort of running with a backpack as ‘ compounding effort ‘ that is easy for a while till eventually the ever present physical and emotional burden becomes just that. Perhaps everyone is different. I have heard of journey runners running with loads of 12/14kgs and even 20! To me that’s astonishing. My backpack load was generally around 3kgs with an additional 2 in my fortified Irish Confirmation pockets! My strength at lifting heavy loads, arm wrestling competitions etc has always been very poor.
In non threatening summer weather all I need to survive is a summer sleeping bag, a bivy, light weight tights and top for changing into. A warm sweater for the evenings and sleeping in but most important of all good health for a tough time and lots of luck. Keeping dry, avoiding rain and staying warm, picking up food and drink  is what it’s all about. Wash both me and the quick dry clothes whenever possible.
My original route for Australia was to run along the east coast from Sydney to Townsville to Darwin. A much longer route than my dreamed of route Melbourne/Alice Springs through the outback and onto Darwin. As mentioned before I have a support driver, Michael Gillan who has kindly offered to crew the pioneer ‘ right through the center route ‘
Michael will never know how grateful I am for that offer, thank you Michael.
No I was not missing the support driver here in Fiji! In fact I was relieved because now I can leave the road instead of looking out for him. Alfred said he would send on my bag in a courtesy bus to my destination for tonight,The Warwick Resort.
These are the kind of day dreams I have when running along the road, sometimes I dream way beyond my capacities, are we only limited by our own minds?
It didn’t take me long to get thirsty again and when I did stop at a house I was invited around to site in a shady area and drink a coconut, which first had to be cut. Do you think I trusted myself to cut this!

More heat, a burning inferno. I am wearing the running top my friend Ash from Runways gave me to keep me cool. Thanks Ash, I am cooler but it’s still hot! I wondered if I wore half a dozen would I die from hypothermia! Ha! Eternal optimism will some day be my downfall!
A little further on another water stop turns into a water and corn cob stop! And some more for the road, what people! And all the way I am Bula’d down the road.

Speaking of all this water I am still trying to figure out why on the Fijian Customs declaration form  one of the questions in there with all the usual ” Have you got any… Fruit, seeds, plants, meat, animals etc.. ” What do you think one of the questions was?

” Have you got any Holy Water to declare? ” Please can someone advise me what that one was all about or did I just dream it up on my super early morning flight?
Eventually after 46km I make it to the Warwick. 50km yesterday means I am half way across the island.

I had a wonderful night at the Warwick

At the resort I was made feel so welcome. The staff took photos and my package has arrived from the Uprising Resort.
Kala the manager authorized a Tex-Mex buffet dinner and a 3am room service breakfast. Thank you so much Kala and staff. yet another wonderful show of hospitality and another showing of wonderful people all along the highway.

Pau my support driver took my photo as I stood on the ocean front of  Suva the capital city of Fiji.

Pau.

It was a warm morning, not even 8 o’ clock yet and it was already heating up. This was the start of my 3rd continent, Oceania. A small continent for me comprising of just three countries. My total will be in the region of 6,000km and I plan to not hang about too much here. I understand there are record temperatures in Australia and bush fires in Tasmania. It will be cooler by the time I get there.

At last the run through Oceania has begun!

After my customarily touching of the ocean I ran out of Suva through it’s busy winding roads. That first morning back running after my 4 week timeout.

It had been a nice Christmas and New Year spent with my family in Dublin. In those four weeks I did almost no running. Now I am totally out of shape. Other journey runners usually do a little running during timeouts, I always plan to but rarely do, Different strokes, I feel I need a break. It is always  murder those first days back on the road, almost like a novice runner. I just literally run myself fit in a few days.

I am sluggish  but am happy enough by my pace.

Already its starting to heat up. I gotta leave early in future

I am getting cheered all along the road. And its not just me as it seems everyone is out to out do each other roaring out  ” Bula! Bula! Bula ” the Fijian customarily greeting.

As the day wore on I got out of the habit of responding with Hola! and really got into it.

Bula! Bula!

Once three  children ran up behind me on the road to accompany me, others looked on from the many shady bus shelters I perfected the  ’ ula ‘  bula to sound like a cows moo, well a hoarse one with an Irish accent. This always had the children falling around in hysterics!

Late morning the day heated up significantly and I was starting to feel uncomfortable. I had already run about 20km having made just a few brief stops. Now my lack of fitness is beginning to tell.

I push on but not for long I have to stop for a short rest but the reality the stop is longer than I want. It seems if I walk I need less stoppages and can get away with just brief stops. reluctantly I decide to walk some more.

Walking is obviously allowed in any race. In journey running there are some runners who will not walk a single step, others a little. It is something which for some unknown reason makes me feel guilty. The spirit of this run will be a run but if I have to walk for parts, so be it.

Today’s finish is at the Uprising Beach Resort and I am now about halfway there.

Pau pulls up at a police station and I ask him for the Fijian word for water as this is the first word I will have to learn in any language.

” Why? ” It sounds like he has said to me.

” Because I might be thirsty and want a drink! ”

” Why? ”

” Because I might be thirsty!  ”

” But Tony water is pronounced as ‘ why ‘ in English and spelt ‘ wai.’

Another word I learned is ‘ lialia ‘ for crazy! At least I know what people are saying!

On I plodded stopping many times to sit in the car. One time Pau left my water bottle on the roof of the car!

” Hey Pau have you got a tea bag? ”

” Why? ”

” For the hot wai! ”

English is the official language in Fiji though it seems when people talk among themselves they speak Fijian. During my few days on the road there I have been told that there are between 100 or 200 dialects spoken. Some people have told me they cannot understand what people on other parts of the island are saying. Other people have told me it’s all similar that the real difference is the structure. Everyone claims to speak the ‘ true Fijian ‘ language.

I shuffle my way to my days finish.

At the door of the (see website for photos)  Uprising Beach Resort , a spectacular setting with its pristine gardens and luxurious cabins I was made to feel welcome.

James, a duty manager greeted me at the door telling me I was so welcome and anything I needed I could have. I collapsed onto a sofa and assured him I would be back showered and ready for dinner within half an hour.. Phew! I very much appreciate all this hospitality. Fiji Tourism have organised room only for me, no food and on my budget this makes a difference staying in these ‘ high- roller ‘ places!

Once inside my cabin I puked twice into the toilet bowl and fell asleep on the sofa. I was awakened by a knock on the door.

” Sorry I fell asleep I will shower quickly and be over at the restaurant in 15 minutes.” I told the housekeeper.

Once over at the Uprising I met with another manager called Alfred. We had dinner together, me ordering a delicious steak dinner, the best and tenderest in the whole restaurant Alfred told the waitress because Tony has just come from Argentina and we have better steaks here!

With James and Alfred.

.

Nothing was too much trouble to Alfred, even to dig up a tub of Vaseline, phone and internet cards. Breakfast will be delivered to my cabin at 3am.

Out for New Years Eve with Mam and Ann. I was following the ATY race on Anns iphone. Sad

Christmas Day with Ann and Mam. and Lucky the dog!

Bula! Bula!  :)

Just finished off running  Fiji!

Brutally hot afternoon, was told it was 38C and humid.

It felt like the brutal heat I experienced running towards the Darien Gap Jungle when I could only run a couple km at a time. This morning before it got uncomfortable I ran non stop for 30km and then the fun began!

On the way I had some really interesting experiences as I stopped in 3 Indian homes for water. As I sat there drinking the reaction, shall we say was a bit, different, and less Bulas in this area too.

I was unlucky when I got to Nadi that it rained heavily for over an hour, so I waited in a cafe scoffed off a plate of fish and chips and sausages and 2 large mugs of coffee.. Yes I know coffee when heat exhaustion is knocking on the door is asking for trouble but I was falling asleep at the table as I waited for the rain to seize.

I then finished off Fiji on Wailoaloa Beach which was a further 4km. I wanted a beach finish even though in reality I could have finished anywhere. This beach was about 4km away!

Fiji has been run

54km today, Friday 44km  Thurs 46km and Wed 50km. Today was road day 600 Total run 25,339

To be confirmed.

I have had just 12 hours sleep in last 4 nights and its now 7.40pm Sat and am going to bed for a long one! I will update soon.

I got a lot of work to do these next two days

Bula!

Hi All Just a very quick update as I am shattered,

Well the run today was not as far as I thought, only 44km but brutally hot, the hottest and most difficult day here but I made it!  I was told it was a sweltering 35C with very high humidity. The distance shorted because of bad information. That is bad in a way for tomorrow as I will not have my hoped for short day, I will have around 50km to finish off the paradise island.

Once again today I ran unsupported. I have had my large box of gear, too large to obviously carry on my back  moved from hotel to hotel by the courtesy vehicles. Everyone is so helpful.

On the road I continue to have an incredible time with people constantly stopping me to talk

Greetings of ” Bula ” from one end of a village to the next!  This is the Fijian welcoming greeting which is embedded deeply in their culture. As I mention this there is a round of ” Bulas ” going on in the hotel car park.

I expect to arrive in Nadi on Saturday and complete my run across Fiji. I should then have 2 free days and will blog all the details.

Thursday night I was greeted warmly at the Warwick Resort and given a buffet dinner and breakfast on the house, Many thanks to Kala and the wonderful staff there.

Then today I was greeted by an escort cyclist who was the sports manager of Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa in Yanuca.

I turned and ran up the driveway there were about eight staff members all lined up with a welcome Tony sign!

Then onto the lobby where a welcoming band playing traditional Fijian music continued this incredible greeting. more staff were lined up including the general manager and all the duty managers..Phew! A speech, They refreshed me with hot towels and water.

Another round of ” Bula! ” A Hawaian floral necklace around my neck.. (Whats it called?)

Photographs.. And they dont say.. ” Say cheese! ”    I will give you one guess!

While the general manager was shaking my hand, sharp as ever, I asked him what time the buffet closes at!  On The house Tony! Also breakfast in my room at 3am.

Yes another hoped for early start.

Having slept and snoozed through more alarm clocks, Having relegated AC/DC on my ipod speaker alarm as not having sufficient decibel levels to fully fulfill it’s awakening functions at world runner level… I have found that breakfast delivery to a room is the best awakening method for comatosed me…. Well I have to answer the door and then food in front of me is the best alarm.

The resort is huge, like a village and the buffet would do Las Vegas justice. They seated me at the door. I guess more food for everyone as I had to walk further!

As I say I will soon give the full blow by blow details of four days on the road in Fiji… A wonderful place, take a holiday here!

Until then check out Fiji, It’s great!

Bula! Bula! Bula!

Hi everyone todays report will have to be brief as I have had a long and very hot, humid 50km from Suva Harbor to this wonderful resort. I am extremely tired and need to get to bed early. Its already 11.00pm and would be wise to get going early in the morning, if only I could manage that. At the end of my day I was greeted at the door by James the operations manager and later by Alfred another manager. The lads gave me a complimentary room in this beautiful ocean front resort. They just couldn’t do enough for me. I arrived with a list of problems and one by one the hassles I had were sorted by a serious of phone calls including locating a tub of Vaseline for my bad chaffing. Chaffing is usually a problem in hot humid weather. All this while I enjoyed a large steak dinner on the house, followed by desert and cappuccino… It beats tea and biscuits.

The Fijians continue to amaze with their incredible friendship, stopping me on many occasions for handshakes. I made a lot of stops today to talk with the people not to mention many rest breaks under well positioned shady bus shelters.

Pau, my support driver from Pacific Horizonz picked me up from my hotel in Nadi for the 3 hour drive to my Oceania start location in Suva Harbour. I finally got running just before 8am and was relieved that there was no media gathered as that would have easily added an hour to my start time.That first hour was tough. After that it was a battle for every single kilometer as the morning opened up its uncompromising furnace.

I stopped to talk to some school children who were running after me, I admired their energy!

On and on I ran, stopping at another bus shelter where some women were selling crabs.

I noted they were barefooted and had pristine white teeth. Upon questioning them they told me they use a bark of a particular tree. Then I was told that was a joke.I believed it as I have seen this many years ago in India.

Then one of the ladies told me it was because they dont eat junk food. They like it but dont eat it and the villages stores dont even sell junk food as its an obvious luxury.

I wondered about all the rotten teeth I have seen in Latin America and am sure they are just as poor as these people. I didnt get to the bottom of this story as it was time to run.

So the first day in Oceania has been run, my third continent.

I am very sorry for the jaded nature of this posting, I am shattered.

Photos to follow.