First week in Australia

Quirijn Waaijenberg • 16 February 2025

First week in Australia

This is Catdalf the Grey he is my new in my room had to show im to you all. Now I will tell you about my first week.

First week in Australia already had some ups-and-downs. I’ll start with Monday just like how a normal week starts for most people. For me it started with a walk to the Coles (a supermarket here), where I had to get bread and a few necessities for in my room. Had my breakfast not fancy more typical Dutch, that means bread, tea/coffee and peanut butter for me. Then went on my first bike ride here. Had to figure out where I could ride without any traffic lights failed miserably, but did see the beach and rode along the coastline. And in the Afternoon, I did my first swim session here.


Tuesday, I did a long run in the morning and a long ride after that. Went the other way and found a super nice bike path, that followed a river into a nice super big park. After that I went into the city for dinner. Found an amazing Indonesian where you paid 9,50 AUD and there was only one vegetarian meal with dessert that changed every day and unlimited refills.



Wednesday was my actual birthday. At home before I left, I celebrated it with my family and friends. So, it started out as a normal day with an easy run and a long swim. After that I had lunch at home and did some chilling. Chilling mostly means playing on the switch, watching something or doing some schoolwork. Around 15:00 I went to the city and bought myself some new running shoes a bit as a present and a bit needed. Then I had some cake and coffee in a super nice place with choices I have never heard of went with a cheesecake variant. Can never go wrong with cheesecake am I right.


The day ended with dinner in a nice pizzeria and without sleep. I was having a cold during these days, but it kicked in harder that night. I think I did 2/4 hours of sleep and a lot of coughing.


The next 2 days where a bit similar in bed resting, maybe going out for some groceries and something to help the “cold”. On Friday I started to cough less over the day and a good night sleep Thursday to Friday. So, I decided to go back to training on Saturday.



Saturday I still took it easy with a short run and a short swim, but felt quite good and it didn’t get worse which was obviously a key point for me to decide if it was oke to train or not. On Sunday I started with an easy gym session and my first time in the gym at Uni. In the afternoon I want for my longest ride of 3 hours and made it off-road this time. I SAW MY FIRST few kangaroos or the smaller once I am not the expert on animals here yet.


Next time I am going to write a blog or journal here in Australia it’s not only going to be about sport. This week was a bit weird because I was not 100% and stayed in my room a lot, because I didn’t want to be the reason everyone here has my cold. So next week starts with some orientations and first impressions of what I am going to expect during my study period here. And I will keep you probably tune in after my first orientation and tell you all about it here.


by Quirijn Waaijenberg 26 September 2025
It’s Friday, the day before the race, and I’m currently chilling in bed while writing this piece about tomorrow and the past few days. Right now, the weather is dreadful, and it’s not looking much better for race day: lots of rain, and there’s even a chance the swim will be shortened — or that it could turn into a duathlon 😅. Honestly, a shorter swim would be better for me since I’m still coming back from my broken collarbone. The last few days have been amazing though. We had good weather and lots of fun during the course recons with the Dutchies. On Monday, I went out with my dad on the bike course in pouring rain and also dipped into the lake — surprisingly nice water at 19°C. Today it’s closer to 16°C. The bike course was super slippery in the rain, especially with the new downhill section near the end of the 16 km loop. On Tuesday, we went out with a big group for a two-lap ride in the sun, and later in the day we did an easy swim in the pool just to keep the shoulders loose. We wrapped it up with a pizza party with all the Dutchies in Molveno 🍕🇳🇱. On Wednesday, I only did two laps on the run course with some speed work. The run feels fast, but there’s one slippery section in the middle of the 5 km loop that could get tricky. Thursday was all about the bike: I took the cable car to the top of the climb and did the descent five times — with the last one freaking fast. It felt so good that it really got me hyped for race day. In the afternoon I chilled a bit, then went to watch the short track race that I narrowly missed qualifying for. Still, watching Romy Spoelder, Hugo Bosscher, and Bart Cooymans tear up the track was awesome. Both the men’s and women’s races had some epic battles at the front. And now, here we are: one day before the race. I went for an easy jog this morning with some speed — legs are feeling amazing. Later today I’ll do a short swim in the pool, then it’s dinner, bike check, and straight to bed. Tomorrow morning it’s game on: race day! 👉 You can follow the race live on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VK9o1GcyBE 👉 Or check the live tracking: https://www.endu.net/en/events/xterra-world-championships/results My race tips for tomorrow: Swim: Survive it ! Just kidding 😅 — it’s going to be a mental game in the cold water. The most important part: even though it will be cold, try to get in the water before the start so your body adjusts properly and it won’t be such a big shock. Bike: Push hard uphill, stay careful on the downhills, and take corners high to keep speed and find easier lines. On the rock section: DON’T brake on rocks 🚫🪨. If you’re scared, just hop off the bike — better safe than crashing. Run: Full gas to the finish. Enjoy every second, because this is the LAST TIME in Molveno for the XTERRA World Champs! Have fun out there and race fast! — Q out ✌️
by Quirijn Waaijenberg 22 September 2025
Hi everyone,
by Quirijn Waaijenberg 25 June 2025
Hi everyone,
by Quirijn Waaijenberg 15 June 2025
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by Quirijn Waaijenberg 2 June 2025
Putting words on paper isn’t always easy.
by Quirijn Waaijenberg 17 May 2025
Consistent Training, Good Grades, and Bad Luck?
by Quirijn Waaijenberg 27 April 2025
Last day before University starts again!
by Quirijn Waaijenberg 26 April 2025
Road Trip day 3
by Quirijn Waaijenberg 25 April 2025
I’m currently making small vlogs during the road trip — you can watch them on my Instagram @quirijnwaaijenberg. I’m learning the art of shameless self-promotion, let me know if I’m doing it right, lol.
by Quirijn Waaijenberg 24 April 2025
I’ll start off by saying: Cheers. I’m currently at the end of my first day on the road, sipping a cold 0% Australian beer.