Updates from The Mountain Zone Cybercast

Up to Mt. Bartle Frere. (photo: Chris Vile)

The next stop will be on foot, up and over Mt. Bartle Frere, the highest point in Queensland. This section of the course is covered in very dense rainforest, and again, snakes, leeches, wild pigs, and stinging trees are plentiful.

Several handholds are essential to complete this section. Teams will now descend to the top Eastern section of Mt. Bartle Frere where they will be able to see sugarcane fields and the Pacific Ocean. They will walk along a trail and slippery boulders of Josephine Falls Trail Head. Teams continue on foot through rural roads, sugarcane fields and over the Russell River via an old railway line. The Russell River is saltwater crocodile country... Competitors then continue through sugarcane till they reach the road to Bramston Beach.

Island cruising Eco-Challenge style. (photo: Chris Vile)

It is here that the final section of the race begins. We have traversed the Australian outback, the rainforest, and now reach the ocean and reef. From the camp at Bramston Beach competitors kayak to Russel Island with its pristine setting and exotic marine life. They will then paddle to Fitzroy Island (the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef). The sea kayaking leg is a grueling one, and competitors will need strong navigational and paddling skills to pass through the unpredictable waters of the Great Barrier Reef successfully.

Continuing north by northwest, teams push on towards Cairns and the finish line.

Overnight, fate, tiredness and the rigors of the past six days came into play when Team Eco-Internet was forced to spend a compulsory two hours on Russel Island waiting for a new 'passport' after they had lost theirs enroute from Bramston Beach. This error has meant that both the leading Australian Team, Pure Energy, and the second New Zealand team, Team Canterbury, are within striking distance of the leaders.

Team Pure Energy Australia, winners of the 1994 Eco-Challenge held in New England are the strongest sea kayakers in the field and were in good spirits when they put into the water at 4:40am, just minutes after Team Canterbury. "Lets just get in the water and get this race over with," said Pure Energy team captain Jane Hall.

-- Chris Vile, Mountain Zone Kiwi Correspondent