Team A

We started our great sunny day by running out of Townsville, through some heavy traffic. Our team captain today, Nick from New Zealand, started our run by covering 10 kilometres on his first of three stints for the day.

All the way to the town of Ayr the scenery was inspiring, as we ran beside lush green sugarcane fields that crowded along the roadside as if to cheer us on.

We decided after our 85 kilometres of running that we deserved a splash in the sea and some mud throwing, for few things make you happier and relax your weary feet like the salty sea!

– Runar Gigja (Iceland)

Team B

This morning we headed out from Townsville and drove through the very beautiful and very fertile Burdekin Shire along the Bruce Highway. The landscape was full of mango plantations and sugarcane fields.

We were treated to morning tea at the Council Chambers in Ayr by the Mayor, Councillor Lyn McLaughlin, and some of the other Councillors. Mayor McLaughlin was extremely kind to us: “I’m so delighted that you chose to visit our Shire,” she exclaimed. “When I first heard about what you are doing I was really excited by it. It’s so inspiring!”

We were spoilt with delicious homemade cookies, pikelets and scones with jam and cream. We were also generously presented with embroidered red hats, which will come in very handy.

Mayor McLaughlin explained that the Burdekin Dam holds four times as much water as Sydney Harbour. The shire is also fed by underground water from a number of large aquifers. It has approximately 95,000 residents and looked like a great place to live.

We then did a radio interview with Merle Scott, Volunteer Asistant Manager of Radio 97.1 Sweet FM, Ayr, which broadcasts throughout the Burdekin Shire. For most of us, it was our first radio interview experience. Merle spoke to all members of the team and played our theme song at the end of the interview.

The rest of the day was spent running 68 km from Ayr to Guthalunga.

We spend tonight in our tents at the Coral Coast Beachfront Holiday Park in Bowen. Fortunately the campsite is right next to the beach.

– Bernice Matthews (Australia)

Team C

It was an early start for our team as we commenced the drive out of Townsville at 6 am. Our goal was to run as much of the distance to Bowen as possible before attending a school ceremony there at 10.30 am.

Some quick kilometres and slick changeovers saw us get to within 6.5 kilometres of Bowen before we drove on to the ceremony at Bowen State School.

On reaching the school, we received the call to run in and found 450 school children standing in a huge circle on the school oval, eagerly waiting our arrival. Announcements were made over the PA as we ran around the children to the official welcoming group. School Principal, Jill Drabon, received the Torch and walked around the circle of children, allowing each to touch the Torch and make a wish for peace or say a word meaning harmony.

We had a lovely interaction with the kids as the team followed the Torch making its way around the ring of children. Instead of us telling the children about the World Harmony Run, it was the school captains who each read out excellently prepared speeches.

Rogin Taylor, the Deputy Mayor of the new Whitsundays Regional Council, was himself very much aware of travels and spoke eloquently about the World Harmony Run. He laughingly showed me the page of notes he had prepared from the brochure and website, saying the kids had stolen his thunder!

Councillor Taylor then introduced Jack Webster, describing some of his contributions to the community, particularly his fund-raising for the Murroona Aged Care Facility.

The Council had prepared a very large cake to honour Jack’s dedicated service.

Jack was then presented with the World Harmony Run Torch-Bearer Award to add to his other awards such as Australian Older Person of the Year in 2006.

Following a brief tour of the school we found ourselves in the library with a sumptuous morning tea for the team, dignitaries, and a dozen ladies (Jack’s greatest fans) from the Murroona Aged Care facility, and two of Jack’s great-grandchildren who attend the school.

The pleasing part of this ceremony was the feeling that the children really understood our message. Principal Jill Drabon co-ordinated the whole event in a very charming but efficient manner. Thankyou very much.

Our next venture was a radio interview of team member Noivedya Juddery at GEM FM. Michelle interviewed Noivedya for 30 minutes covering the World Harmony Run in great detail including the founder of the Run, Sri Chinmoy – all while the rest of the team were still enjoying morning tea at the school!

We then returned to the road and did a triple leap-frog to complete the remaining distance into Bowen. This was followed by a visit to Flagstaff Hill for amazing views out over the Whitsunday Islands, Bowen and the Port. Then it was time to hit the beach and enjoy the refreshing ocean!

– Amalendu Edelsten (Australia)

Team RV – A Photographic Report

Today 'Team RV' drove leisurely down to Bowen from Townsville directly to our oceanside campsite. After setting up camp we had a chance to explore the beach and found a treasure of beautiful scenes.

– Prabhakar Street (Canada)

 

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Team Members:
Amalendu Edelsten (Australia), Anastasia Aleksejeva (Latvia), Nigel Webber (Australia), Nataliya Lehonkova (Ukraine), Prabhakar Street (Canada), Edi Serban (Romania), Dima Lehonkov (Ukraine), Bernice Matthews (Australia), Nick File (New Zealand), Noivedya Juddery (Australia), Standa Zubaty (Czech Republic), Runar Gigja (Iceland), Elke Lindner (Germany), Sandro Zincarini (Italy), Angela Muhs (Germany), Veeraja Uppal (Australia), Misha Kulagin (Russia)

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

Gallery: See more images!

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