Life on the road is always fast. Sometimes it is good to find a quiet moment and look up at the sky...

This is a 30 minutes exposure picture of the stars, when the World Harmony Run team rested last night.

First thing this morning our women's team started the day with a run up Mount Maunganui to catch the stunning morning views of the Mount and surrounding areas.

After a fast descent we ran to meet Rebecca Taylor from Hibiscus Surf School, who kindly offered a free surfing lesson to one of our team members.

Becky from Wales was the lucky team member to catch some waves.

Before...

During...

After.

While they were surfing the other team members went for a run down Main Beach.

Meanwhile the men's team went to the school meeting. Tauranga Primary School is one of the oldest in the city, but its pupils are beaming with freshness and enthusiasm

The school receives a painting by Sri Chinmoy entitled "Tolerance"

Pragunya has developed a real following at this school

Everybody wants to hold the torch at once!

As a side trip we accepted an invitation to the Comvita Visitor Centre whose kind managers showered us with honey and ice cream. After this presentation which included live bees, we were left in no doubt about the importance of bees and honey to humanity's health and wellbeing!

The company's founder Claude Stratford started beekeeping at age 63. Now in his 90's, he swears by the healing power of Manuka honey.

This is the famous White Island- an active volcano. As you can see it smokes more than my grandfather... ;)

Tameatua School was our next stop on route to Opotiki today. The students performed an amazing song that blew us away with the harmony and power of their voices.

The school actively promotes cultural understanding and community involvement.

For a number of years the students and teachers have gone to France on cultural exchanges with French students coming to Tameatua as well.

Tameatua School Kappa Haka group also perform at local rest homes and compete in the national championships.

After fun and games on the field we were offered a sumptuous and generous lunch where we were able to talk to some of the students and teachers. Knowing that we still had many kilometers to go, the teachers packed up more sandwiches and fruit to send us on our way.

We made a brief stop at Oasis Food Stop to wait for one of our runners. The owner came running over with cakes and slices. She had been traveling from Tauranga today and had seen all the runners along the way. She appreciated the spirit of the World Harmony Run and wanted to offer the runners something.

Where's our runner gone?

Today's visit to Gate Pa School was very special for our team. The whole school of 300 children made a Guard of Honour at the entrance gate forming an arch stretching their fingertips for us to run through with the torch. This led all the way to the assembly hall.

Classes of school children presented us with their creative work. One class set the stage by displaying their beautiful artwork. They had drawn some colourful faces turning from sadness and anger to harmony and happiness.

One class played a tune on the recorder with harmonies…

Thank you to Principal Richard Inder and the entire school – whose motto is “We Care”. You certainly showed us today how much you care about the world around you and made us feel extremely welcome in every way.

Priyala, above, attended the school as a child back when it was called Tauranga South.

Kallola, pictured above, is the youngest female member of the New Zealand team and a fast runner too.

Our team was so happy to be received by the staff at Te Puke’s iconic “Kiwi 360” (www.kiwi360.com).

We were offered such a lovely lunch in a beautiful garden café setting at Kiwi 360 and chatted away with a few staff who joined us for refreshments.

Thank you so much for all that was offered to us today and what a wonderful place to visit in New Zealand!

After lunch the kindness of Kiwi 360 continued as we were sent off on a Kiwicart Orchard Tour! This was such great fun travelling together through the gorgeous orchards which were beginning to come into fruit and learning lots about why the humble kiwifruit is actually one of the healthiest, most nutritious fruits and known as a superfood!

We went for a wee run through the lush green kiwi orchards which were starting to blossom.

Kiwi 360's new breeding programme has been an obvious success

Priyala’s grandfather Doug Wilkie, above right, was honoured with the Torch-Bearer Award today for his many years of service in striving to maintain a nuclear free New Zealand.

We wish to offer a huge thank you to Murray and Heather Gamlin from Pacific Coast Lodge in Mt Maunganui who put up a large number of our group to stay. Thank you so much for your kindness: www.pacificcoastlodge.co.nz

We also would like to offer our gratitude to Golden Grove Holiday Park (www.golden-grove.co.nz) where Max and Deborah Sullivan offered our team accommodation when it was really needed. The meeting room provided to us was well used and loved too. Thank you!We are also most grateful to Neal from Kukumoa Lodge for hosting members of our team for the night in beautiful Opotiki.

Glenis Reeve who runs Ranui Motel (www.ranuimotel.co.nz) is actually an extraordinary individual with a heart of gold. Not only did she give us free accommodation and free laundry facilities, but she is known in the community as a good hearted foster parent and caregiver. We offered Glenis Reeve the Torch-Bearer Award for all of her kind service in the community and strong values of believing in the goodness of all. She said “If it doesn’t start with our children then harmony in our community will not have any chance. Everything begins with the children.”

– Stacey and Hridayanee

---

Team Members:
Uddipan Brown (New Zealand), Apaguha Vesely (Czech Republic), Moksa Wade (New Zealand), Becky Xerri (Wales), Pragunya Daly (New Zealand), Shumbhani Juarez (Guatemala), Tom McGuire (New Zealand), Nelson Myers (New Zealand), Sean Abbott (Fiji), Kallola Brown (New Zealand), Garbitashri Webster (New Zealand), Stacey Marsh (New Zealand), Harita Davies (New Zealand), Shobhavati Davies (New Zealand), Hridayinee Williams (Australia), Malyavati Klapper (New Zealand), Shvastinee Ballantyne (New Zealand), Suradhuni Anderson (New Zealand)

Gallery: See more images!

< New Zealand 27 October

New Zealand 29 October >