One team hit the road early: first we drove the 24km back to Three Ways, where we started our running along the Barkly Highway, headed for Queensland ...
... while for the other two teams, the day began at the Tennant Creek Fair, an annual event of show bags, exhibits, rides and fun activities. Fortuitously for us, it’s a public holiday in Tennant Creek, as visitors from the whole region come to enjoy the festivities ...
Our team gathered for our official introduction to the crowds ...
We were officially welcomed to Tennant Creek by the Barkly Shire President, Barbara Shaw.
Our Northern Territory Patron, Minister Peter Styles, was also there for the event – a week after we last met him outside his office in Darwin.
The Peace Run Torch-Bearer Award was presented to Georgina Bracken, a Tennant Creek resident for 23 years. As branch delegate at Tennant Creek Women’s Refuge, she has dedicated countless hours to helping women and children who have been victims of abuse. Georgina was a popular choice; the locals know and respect her, and were quick to congratulate her.
Georgina had actually met some of our runners yesterday, and had helped us settle in to town. At the time, neither she nor us knew she would be receiving the Torch-Bearer Award today!
As part of the ceremony, Minister Styles introduced everyone to Bess Price, one of his fellow Northern Territory Parliamentarians, whose electorate encompasses much of the area that we have traversed over the past week.
Though we were honoured guests, many other people had come for the Show, and more than a few of them wanted to hold the Torch.
Among them were members of the First Nations Political Party, representing Australia’s Indigenous people. Holding the Torch is Rosalie Kunoth-Monk, who will be a party candidate at the upcoming Federal election (date to be announced). Rosalie was the previous Shire President of Barkly Shire. Many years before that (though she is too modest to discuss it), she was actress Ngarla Kunoth, star of the seminal film Jedda (1955), a movie known and treasured by Australian movie buffs. As well as being the first colour Australian film, it presented an intriguing glimpse into native Australian culture. Whenever a list is compiled of Australia’s most significant films, it usually makes the top 10.
Our immense thanks to Courtney, from the Shire Council, who organised our involvement with the Fair in Tennant Creek today ...
We knew that the Sun was beating down, and we would struggle through the heat if we ran in the afternoon ... but we still wanted to see some of the show, and continue to pass the Torch around.
By now, the boys who had started early were well on their way ...
... their view above was consistent, though the shades of blue varied as we progressed further east.
All life forms have to work hard around here ...
... and that includes us!
These little clumps of spinifex grass look so tempting to sit upon – but beware, they can be extremely spiky and painful!
The ubiquitous termite mounds dominate whole swathes of countryside ...
... here a baby mound is just starting on its inexorable growth upwards ...
... interestingly, the mounds seem to spread themselves out when they are parked under a tree or bush.
It was impossible to get lost today ...
Sometimes a runner would appear, to punctuate the endless straight stillness ...
Our girls team left the fair about 10am to get on the road and start our running for the day. We drove past the boys who had been out early and had already covered over 30km. We soon pulled over and sent our first runner out in the midday heat ...
As we waited for our runners to come in, there was this complete stillness all around, the breeze and nature all seemed to stop and we were given the opportunity to appreciate the all-pervading beauty ...
... it seems so unbelievable that you can enjoy sitting on the side of the road and looking out over this flat land. But whether you see the blackened trees, dry grass or brown bush there is something so very special about every km of Australia ...
Hundreds of kms of road, will at times seem so boring when you are driving it, but sitting in the hot windless midwinter day waiting for your runner to come in, you want to soak up each moment in wonder of this land ...
And then when you take the Peace Torch and get out on the road, you are given a chance to carry that feeling of love for Australia with each step that you take.
As you ran you started to feel the slight breeze in the air that is just enough to cool you down. The motorists today seemed especially friendly. Not only was each approaching car, van or truck giving you a wave or a toot, but today we were treated to the motorists coming from behind us also offering their encouragement through toots, waves out the window and a few thumbs up! When you are getting close to the end of our running leg those encouragements really do push you along ...
As Irina came in from her second run for the day, she excitedly proclaimed 'self–transcendence'! This may well have been the hottest weather she has run in and she is loving every minute of it!
We are constantly meeting with travellers who are curious to know about the Peace Run ...
These English girls stopped as they thought we were broken down. They couldn't believe when they heard what we were really up to!
Oyungerel was explaining that in Mongolia today it is a very special time, of celebration and holiday. In her English - that she has learnt over the last few weeks – we were told it is "Mongolian Victory Day" for the next three days, with lots of horse races and wrestling. So it was appropriate that she be at the Fair today to celebrate Tennant Creek's own public holiday.
... only 360 km to Queenland!
By now, our other boys team had departed the Fair, laden with scones and gift bags offered by the Shire President for our runners who had not been able to make it to the Fair. We were to run the final 75 kilometres to the Barkly Homestead. The Sun was taking no prisoners today, and even the light breeze was providing no compassion. Each member of the team did shorter-than-usual distances, in an effort to take it easy.
As we ran across the Barkly Highway, however, we met a pair of musicians heading towards Katherine. Snez (short for Snezana, a Macedonian name) and Stewart Peters were interested in our cross-Australia tour.
We started chatting, and they grabbed their guitars to spontaneously sing us a song from Snez’s album "8 Lives Left to Lose", which they dedicated to the Peace Run:
"Oh, a rainbow burst in my heart
Shining and sparkling
Oh, a rainbow burst in my heart
I wanna share it with you."
We in turn sang them the Peace Run song (without guitars). Their music is sweet folk-pop, just what we needed to cool us down in this tough weather. We said goodbye and they headed towards Katherine ... but when they saw Ion on the road further ahead, they were inspired to turn around and join us at the Barkly Homestead tonight instead!
Then it was just a matter of completing the remaining kms for the day.
Upon our arrival at Barkly Homestead, we were met by Tom, the manager of the Roadhouse, Caravan Park and camping area, who very kindly showed us to our campsite for the night ...
Each place we have stayed since leaving Darwin has had either a hot springs or a very very cold water swimming pool. This one was of the latter type; very much appreciated and savoured after another hot day on the road!
Barkly Homestead is a solitary oasis, standing on its own en route to the Queensland border, long away from towns in any direction. This night, however, it was the scene of a private concert by Snez and Stewart for 15 Peace Runners ...
... we were honoured and enraptured to hear more of their self-composed repertoire – beautiful songs with a meditative, spiritual facet, many about the joys of travelling and being on the road – as well as a fittingly smooth version of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Feeling Groovy”, with which we were invited to sing along ...
For their wonderful efforts to entertain and inspire people around Australia with the power of music and song, Snez and Stewart were presented with the Peace Run Torch-Bearer Award, which they accepted with true himility and grace.
Thank you to Snez and Stewart for sharing your music and your hearts with us this evening. You have brought us a delightful surprise to really lift us on our journey!
