We left from Eucla after a turbulent wind buffeted our tents the second half of the night. Fortunately it turned out to be a tail wind ...
Our girls team started our running straight from the accommodation and did the first 65 km today ...
We were on the road by 8.30am, looking forward to the 13 km that we would each do.
To get our team around the country, each day there is a lot of work to be done: setting up and breaking down camp, getting meals ready, writing reports, editing photos, scheduling for the next day to name just a few ...
... oh, and getting your socks coordinated ...
This encompasses your day and you live the Peace Run at every moment ...
Meeting some of the most amazing people along the way ...
... it really widens your heart and you see the hope and promise of humanity as we all strive in our own way to offer something to this world of ours.
Today the Nullarbor was offering us a chance to reflect inward on the journey we were taking.
The sky was crisp and clear ...
... and nature still and quiet.
Along this long road we were taken away from all of our duties and given time to just assimilate all of the experiences that we have been blessed with over this last month on the Peace Run.
As we are offering this simple but profound message to everyone we meet, we too are also in our own lives trying and striving to live this message to the fullest.
These moments where mother nature offers such complete stillness gave us time to go deep within and feel the peace and tranquillity within ourselves and to bring this more to the fore in our day to day life.
As we ran the last leg of our section today we arrived at Mundrabilla Road House. Here we meet with the workers - Sarah, Brooke, Skyye and Helen who had all been living there for about a year.
They were telling us of all the different people who travel the Nullarbor – it seems we have not been the only ones to make this trek across 'the paddock'! The oldest people they saw biking over were both over 75 years old; there has been a man in a superman suit; someone carrying a rugby ball; one person on a mower; and another pushing a pram!
They called down Meg who is the Governess to the two children there. The children were away today on a trip to Canberra!
However we did get to meet with everyone else and the three Truckies who are regulars at Mundrabilla Road House – Michael (pictured), Karl and Mike.
Meg told us of the teenager in the area who would love to meet us if he was free. He was pretty close – only 40 km away. A quick call to the teacher at the Station and we were off. Our directions were very simple. There will be a letterbox on the right and a small sign saying there is a station up there. After we clocked 40km we saw the letterbox and pulled over. Unfortunately Duncan was in 'class', so could not come down. His class is over the internet. But his teacher on the station came down to meet us.
She had been working on the station for about 5 months and loved it there. After a quick chat we were off ...
... to set up camp for the night at the next roadhouse, now only 100 km away.
Meanwhile, the boys teams had driven ahead to cover the further km towards Madura Pass. Boys team 'A' were operating today out of Van 2 ...
Ion, the country coordinator for the Peace Run in Moldova, joined our team in Adelaide and is running all the way to the finish in Canberra. A focussed runner and selfless team member, his presence brings depth, character and strength to our team.
Bayarkhuu keeps finding things in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Yesterday he picked up some good quality audio CDs from the roadside, and today he threw a spanner in the works ...
The flame ...
... carries us ever onward ...
Although the morning was pretty chilly, the whole day proved to be perhaps the hottest so far.
On one of his legs Grahak saw a kangaroo and a wedge tailed eagle – unfortunately he wasn't carrying a camera ...
Steve in 'the zone' ...
Boys Team 'B' operated today out of the camper van, as they are on dinner duty tonight ...
If a runner needs something from the van, he can either be served by one of the others, or he can help himself ...
... to a drink ...
... then it's back to the road ...
At one point, the two boys teams converged on the road ...
... for a strategy discussion between the two van captains for the day, Drishalu and Amalendu. How will we divide up the remaining km for the day? A Grand Plan is hatched ...
... and executed ... (hint – it involved running)
Our life here is all centred on The Road ...
The Road is the lifeline connecting two halves of the continent ...
... and the conduit for our pilgrimage.
The Road lies always ahead ...
During the day, The Road is our home ...
.. our sometimes resting place ...
... our photography studio ...
... our gym ...
Inspiration for Bayarkhuu's contortions ...
Sometimes we find a soft spot away from The Road, for variety ...
Salil ran 13 km today, his highest day since completing the Self-Transcendence 6-day race in New York prior to joining the Peace Run in Melbourne.
Fossils and millions of shells are everywhere along the roadside.
Lunch is always a highlight of every day!
Bayarkhuu approching the end of our allotted kms ...
... our day's exertions now just a puff of smoke.
Just above Madura Pass there is a sublime look-out over the plains we have been running across, giving us the first elevated view for the past week or so ...
Adrien's footwear is often a source of intrigue and amusement ...
The Madura Pass Oasis Motel kindly hosted us for the evening.
Darren is the chef from New Zealand; Robb is the General Manager who loves adventure travelling to experience different cultures (he has walked the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea). Tanya the 2-IC has just moved from Sydney.
Madura is indeed a charming oasis on our journey ...
Also staying at the motel are Shirley and Phil, who travelled as far west as Monkey Mia, and now are heading east back to their home in Victoria.
In no time we had set up camp ...
Steve opened his barber shop for customers ...
... the girls started working in the back of the van on today's photos and Adrien set up preparations for our evening meal (Huevos Rancheros – yum!)
With no internet connection at our campsite, we drove some distance back along the road to where we had noticed a few bars of signal earlier in the day. From here we could upload yesterday's report ...
... in the embrace of the Milky Way ...
