Team A

The day began for us with a breakfast spread provided by the Byron Bay Community Centre. After singing the World-Harmony-Run Song with full gusto, the local radio station announcers, who share an office upstairs at the Centre, came down to discover the origin of our melodious singing. This resulted in an on-the-spot radio interview lasting over 20 minutes.

It was then back to the Byron Bay YHA to say goodbye to Paul Cason who very graciously provided the rooms for us last night.



The final chapter in our Byron Bay story was a visit to the easternmost point of the Australian continent at Byron Bay Lighthouse. The view from the lighthouse was absolutely breathtaking and was made even more spectacular by the pods of dolphins swimming in the vast blue.

While running along the trails near the lighthouse we met several locals and tourists also enjoying the splendid scenery, including a woman who had participated in the inaugural Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run (the precursor of the World Harmony Run) in 1987.

At Ballina our team was welcomed by the Ballina Shire Council General Manager Paul Hickey and Councillors Alan Rich and Alan Brown who warmly applauded the vision and purpose of the Run. Paul commented, ''Any effort to promote peace and harmony across the globe is magnificent."


To conclude the meeting the Team once again sang the World Harmony Run Song, and like a flash-back from earlier in the day, the song drew all the council workers from their offices to greet us.


Later the Team journeyed to Alstonville to visit St Joseph's School where the children enthusiastically embraced both the inner and outer message of the Run by making a wish for World Harmony while holding the World Harmony Run Torch aloft.

– Veeraja Uppal (Australia)

 

Team B

We commenced the day with an official 'Welcome' to the City of Lismore by Councillor Graham Meineke from the Lismore City Council. Once the world's biggest butter producer and now a large supplier of macadamia nuts, this charming town enthralled our team.

We then headed back and ran the scenic route from Alstonville to Lismore, to ensure we covered our entire allotment of kilometres for the day.

After enjoying a magnificent lunch with the whole team at Alstonville Garden Centre we travelled through Lismore again – refreshed, refuelled and planning to recommence our running for the day.

As with life, on the World Harmony Run, not everything goes to plan. A disturbing noise from the front of our van got louder and louder and we had no choice but to stop. Thankfully we were only metres from a mechanic so we pulled into Margues Automotive hoping for a miracle. When learning of our plight, Craig, one of the mechanics immediately began a series of tests and eventually discovered a small rock had lodged in between the brakes and the wheel. What a relief to have the van fixed! We are EXTREMELY grateful to Craig for his unimaginable kindness and willingness to help get us back on the road.

From Lismore our team enjoyed the 25 km run into Casino to finish our run for the day.

– Anubha Baird (Australia) & Angela Muhs (Germany)

 

So far on our journey down the coast we have experienced the gentle nature of the Australian climate, every day has been sunny, warm, and bright. Often a sweet ocean breeze accompanies our daily run with a breathtaking view of the coastline.



We had undulating hills and thick forest throughout our day today with the odd excruciating long upward climb and although it was a relatively light day of running distance we are going through the growing pains of our new life on the road.



Maps have become our new best friend as we scour several different ones each day through several towns seeking the school or council chamber and I can feel the rust in my sense of direction falling away as I sharpen my capacities to find the way we need to go.

At one roadside stop we were joined by Terry Prendergast who saw our Italian runner Sandro on the road and pulled up to find out more about us. We explained the purpose and nature of the Harmony Run briefly and he immediately responded with enthusiastic support and an invitation for lunch for the whole team later in the day!



We made our way there for lunch and had no problem finding his Garden Centre and Blossoms cafe in Alstonville because he had already painted on the sign a huge welcome to the Harmony Runners.



We had a wonderful lunch and tour of his garden, met his lovely wife and daughter, who ran with us after dashing away from waitering in the cafe...



It is this openheartedness and friendship that fuels our own enthusiasm and happiness along our way. It seems so many people with good hearts surround us everywhere we go. Thanks so much Terry, and best wishes to you and your family!

– Prabhakar Street (Canada)

If you would like to place a link or a write a story about the World Harmony Run on your website, click here to Link to Us. We'll be happy to place a reciprocal link and list you on our Friends Online page.

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Distance: 102 km

Team Members:
Prabhakar Street (Canada), Edi Serban (Romania), Standa Zubaty (Czech Republic), Sandro Zincarini (Italy), Runar Gigja (Iceland), Marichi Clarke (Australia), Misha Kulagin (Russia), Dima Lehonkov (Ukraine), Veeraja (Uppal (Australia), Angela Muhs (Germany), Anubha Baird (Australia), Nataliya Lehonkova (Ukraine), Garbitashri Webster (New Zealand)

Harmonemail:
You can send a message to the runners or read the messages.

Gallery: See more images!

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