Week 16: Highgate Hill to Lock ’n’ Load Bistro (14km, 1:28)

Our running map today looks like a two year old has gone a little wild with the paint

programme.  This is, nonetheless, a true depiction of our course.

 I feel it is noteworthy to highlight that it is week 16 and, despite the darker autumn mornings, our trio have remained committed to running and eating every Sunday morning (Perhaps not in that order).

We departed home and heaved up Louisa Street. A measure of improving fitness is revealed in our group’s ability to now maintain conversation while ascending this very sharp little hill. When we reached Southbank, we turned left and followed the path to the Kurilpa pedestrian bridge. Given it was pre-dawn; the lights of the city and bridges were still illuminated, creating a fairylike reflection in the river.  

The Kurilpa Bridge can evoke some strong opinions from people concerning the knitting needle like protrusions, either determined as being an eyesore or ,in the opposing camp; artwork.  I fall in the latter group and remain a proponent as I also enjoy the alternate access to the city that the bridge offers.  After the Kurilpa Bridge , we then bypassed the entrance to the Roma Street Parklands, with a steady climb up Albert Street and onto Wickham Terrace.  We entered the gates of the Parklands at the top of Wickham Terrace and orbited the park, weaving around some of the pretty gardens and water features.  As clichéd as it sounds, the Roma Street parklands is a pretty oasis in the city and provides a beautiful environment to either run through or loiter a while.  We intersected onto Parkland Boulevard; a shared road and cycle path that leads under Roma Street and can be accessed by pedestrians via a set of stairs or escalators at the back of the café in the Parklands (might have to try this location out some time). We traversed the courtyard of the law courts, North Quay and onto the Bicentennial Bikeway on the river. It was an easy flat run to the Go-Between Bridge where we crossed back over the river and followed the river shore towards West End and Boundary Road. 

Veggie Loaded

There are numerous worthy breakfast options in West End and this morning we checked out Lock ’n’ Load Bistro.  This Bistro has a Wild West Saloon kind of façade, but has a broader appeal than the exterior suggests. It is a popular location that covers all 3 meals and, based on our experience, offers tasty food and friendly good service.

In the theme of pretty oases, we sat in the courtyard at the back of the bistro.  There was no avocado to be seen on Caitlyn’s Veggie Loaded: a delicious combination of haloumi, roast tomato, mushrooms, spinach, herb hash cake, eggs and sourdough toast.  She referred to the mushrooms a couple of times as particularly enjoyable.  Bronwyn ordered a generous Feta & corn fritters with poached eggs, avocado, and house tomato relish, with a side of house smoked salmon.  I enjoyed my house smoked salmon with herb hash cakes, poached eggs, cress, lemon and crème fraiche.  Although contending with the Pearl Café smoked salmon, it was worthy but not quite the equal.  Combined with the delightful service and environment, we all decided the Lock ’n’ Load should be a return visit sometime after our Queenstown marathon. Meals were around $18.

Corn Fritters

House smoked salmon