Team A

Our day started early in a nice chilly fog that spread over South Australia.

We ran in a team of five, the 85 kms from Kingston to Salt Creek, then drove to a ceremony at Meningie Area School were we met with a most enthusiastic crowd of children, accompanied by the mayor Roger Strother and some of the teachers.

They really understood the message of the Run and wanted to join us around the continent. They all ran with us around the schoolyard instead, with the mayor leading. We received their wishes for a better and more harmonious world, which we carried with us to the next school.

In Strathalbyn we had a ceremony at Eastern Fleurieu School where we met with the whole school. They were really, really enthusiastic about the run and about the runners and they were very fast to guess which country each runner is from.

They asked us many questions about the World Harmony Run and how we manage to run so many kilometres a day. We explained all about the relay and the harmony the team needs, with members coming from so many different countries.

A Torch-Bearer Award was presented to a very worthy recipient, Timisha Ward.

Timisha has inspired her school and community by her volunteer work and her self-giving, helping the community to become more aware of things that are effecting young people in the district.

We would like to thank Robyn O'Riley for her kind heart in offering us fantastic accommodation and a great breakfast at the 'Balcony on sixth Lodge' B&B in Murray Bridge. She was really enthusiastic and self-giving and showed us great hospitality. 

– Runar Gigja (Iceland)

Team B

We ran from Salt Creek to Ashville today.

We initially ran into a ceremony at Kingston Council chambers where Mayor Evan Flint, local community members and councillors welcomed the torch.

Kingston is celebrating its 150th year in 2008 and the town has had some recent big changes with a huge marina built at the end of Jaffa Road bringing jobs and people to the local area.

The reception was warm and friendly with everyone sharing their thoughts of harmony. We left and ran past some beautiful salt lakes and scenery as we headed towards Strathalbyn.

We crossed the mighty Murray River via the ferry with the local Ferry driver David, kindly ferrying us and our vehicles across. We last saw this famous river near its headwaters between Khancoban and Corryong, two weeks ago, and today we see it approaching its mouth!

We ran the short leg to the Wellington Hotel which overlooks the spectacular river that sustains, irrigates and beautifies so much of this southern land. The Wellington Hotel had prepared for us a delicious afternoon tea with Mayor Allan Arbon receiving the torch on behalf of the shire.

Our special thanks to Ros Kruger for organising the event.

The Murray Bridge Shire had nominated their local health care providers for their dedicated service to the community, to receive the Torch-Bearer Award. This is an industry to which kind people are often drawn – their qualities of empathy, compassion and sympathetic oneness all contributing to harmony in the community.

We are staying tonight right on the Murray at our accommodation in Murray Bridge at Long Island Caravan Park. Our gratitude to Lorraine for giving us the best views in the Park!

– Grahak Cunningham (Australia)

Team C

At 8.20am the girls’ team left the historic Lakeside Manor YHA (did I ever mention how much we love YHA?) after having our photo taken with Lisa, the manager, holding the torch. Oddly enough, she declined running to Kingston with the torch. Can’t imagine why…

We had just one ceremony today, and that took place at Kingston Community School.

This is a grade 1 to 12 school and there were around 450 students present. One of the team’s favourite parts of school ceremonies is when the team members each introduce themselves in their native language and the children have to guess where they are from.

Nataliya from Ukraine now sings lengthy, traditional Ukrainian songs in fully-blown operatic soprano. Not surprisingly, few children ever guess what country she is referring to from this information alone, but it lightens the mood and amuses the rest of us endlessly. We were asked some very good questions from the students, such as “Has the torch ever been to outer space?” (it has, in a Russian Space Ship), and we enjoyed running a lap with students and torch around the enormous school oval.

And no, we weren’t the first to finish! Many thanks to Malcolm Vaughan (who unfortunately was absent) for organising the ceremony, and also to Principal Kristen Masters for such a warm welcome. We really enjoyed our visit!

The rest of the day was a blur of lo-o-ong stretches of country road, and of course running.

Our team had 72.5 kms of running to cover today, so every pair of trainers took to the bitumen road several times. Incidentally, long stretches of deserted, lonely highway are the best places to kick around a soccer ball.

A good time is when you’re waiting outside the team van for the next runner to arrive. When all the elements align like they did today, it makes for a very enjoyable way to pass the time.

In addition to the running we also had to drive for over 200 kms. This evening we make camp (literally) at Long Island Caravan Park in Murray Bridge. Pitching a tent in semi-darkness for the first time? Should be interesting...

– Julie Anderson (Australia)

Team Members:
Tristan Boyle (Australia), Prabhakar Street (Canada), Edi Serban (Romania ), Prachar Stegemann (Australia), Standa Zubaty (Czech Republic), Sandro Zincarini (Italy), Grahak Cunningham (Australia), Runar Gigja (Iceland), Marichi Clarke (Australia), Tejaswi van der Walt (Australia), Misha Kulagin (Russia), Veeraja Uppal (Australia), Dima Lehonkov (Ukraine), Colm Magee (Ireland), Julie Anderson (Australia), Elke Lindner (Germany), Angela Muhs (Germany), Nataliya Lehonkova (Ukraine), Friederike Makowka (Switzerland)

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