Team A
The day began at 5 am with a great company of runners from Marree that included Tom the local policeman, his wife and two others who ran with us for about 2.5 km out of Marree.
All of us had enjoyed a great evening last night from the most hospitable town of this Peace Run so far, the locals inviting us to swim in their swimming pool, providing us all with afternoon tea of fruit, biscuits, cake and delicious cold spring water, and later on at 7.30 pm cooking a barbeque meal with salads for us and the locals at a park. Adjacent to the park were two tennis courts where some of us had fun paying tennis along with local children. The evening had ended with our Peace Run ceremony and songs.
Such a beautiful town and people! We all left here with such a love for Marree, a town hundreds of kilometres from any main centre, in a hot dry climate, but I am sure I can speak for most if not all of the team, when I say it is a place we would all want to return to. Their kindness and hospitality is something that will stay with us as we continue on our journey.
Thank you for for taking steps for peace and harmony in your local community!
Our newly-arrived teammate, originally from Adelaide though now hailing from Auckland, the redoubtable Simahin Pierce.
Simahin's son Ghanta is also joining the team for the run into Adelaide.
Ghanta took a few good steps for peace even though he is injuried. Ghanta is a veteren of the run from 1987 and ran for many years in different countries.
We had very nice running weather, with a nice cool breeze and partly cloudly with the sun shooting its magical rays through.
Breakfast on the road.
The cloud cover was so welcome after a week of such hot running.
Behold! The dirt track we have run on for over three days gave way to smooth bitumen!
Clearly the wildlife Peace Run route for today ran perpendicular to our own ...
This beautiful emu-family included 8 younglings and the parent.
Some travelled at a slower pace than others ...
... while some ran out of their skins.
That's it from Team A today, please welcome to the stage ...
Team B
I started out running and was only 1 km through Lyndhurst when our van came up alongside me I was told: “We have to go back to Maree to get someone’s running shoes left behind” – a minor disaster but fortunately there was time (160 km return with half on dirt road).
Stacey opted to run with me until the van returned, which we anticipated would be in about 2 to 3 hours. She donned my running backpack with drinks etc while I took the Torch. We were happy about that as the conditions were great for a long run and the weather was not yet hot, with a cloud cover. A bonus for us both!
After two hours of delightful running on, thank goodness, a bitumen smooth road, a car pulled over in front of us and stopped. A cheery face greeted us with a smile half hidden behind white whiskers topped with a bushman’s hat and he asked: “would you like a drink, you can have one each”. We wasted no time in chorusing “yes please” and were handed a cold Powerade each, quite the best drink I’ve ever had considering I had run out of drink. He then sped off without further ado. We were amazed at his kindness as he had made a special trip to buy them for us. We discovered later his name is Talc Alf, a colourful local character, nicknamed “the Crazy Man of the desert”.
Talc Alf had seen us while he was driving down to get a morning paper and some petrol at Leigh Creek. While zooming past us he realised we didn’t have a support vehicle with us and thought we might need a drink. Talc Alf is a well-known person in these parts; of Dutch descent, he has lived in Australia for many many many years. He taught himself how to carve talc stone and has a shop just near Lyndhurst and is one of those classic outback characters that everyone loves. Thank you Talc Alf for your kindness!
Soon after our van pulled up only two hours after we had set off and with Talc Alf’s cool drinks we were settling in for our third hour. Still feeling fresh as anything we jumped in and let the others do some running – I could settle in and start writing this report.
The girls were happy at having seen emus crossing the road – and having retrieved the essential shoes! ...
... which were immediately put to good use.
Our 5 girl team finished our day’s 66 km run in fine style, passing through some attractive undulating country leading up to the Flinders Ranges.
As the weather had cooled a little (it didn’t top 40 today) we all seemed to really enjoy our running and even with the extra 18 km our team now had to cover we were all a little disappointed when our running had finished for the day.
Although we did not meet many people today to share our message of peace, being Sunday, the sense of peace and tranquillity gained from both the vastness of the semi-desert gradually giving way to the beauty of wooded hills will surely remain with us in our hearts for a long time.
Another wonderful day on the 2014 Peace Run!
Team C
As we descended a hill onto the now-familiar desert plain, the ruddy earth, studded with hardy bushes and grasses, stretched away to meet the Ranges. It looked spectacular, like something out of a Hollywood movie. Once again I was struck by how similar the scenery appeared to the American Wild West.
Bayarkhuu Batbayar ran first ...
... followed by today's captain, Kaspars Zakis. This is not Kaspars – he does not appear in today's photos for our team as he took them all!
My initial run was enhanced by the sight of a lone emu running across the plain, crossing the road in front of me.
This was to be only the first of several emu encounters today.
Prabuddha Nicol's second run brought us to the small township of Parachilna, where we made a left turn ...
... and found ourselves back on a dirt road.
Whilst Kaspars was running, our vehicle came across a lizard. We stopped and got out for a closer look. It hissed at us. I thought it was a blue tongue lizard. But Prabuddha insisted it was a sleepy lizard.
It had skin like a pineapple, and was quite lively (despite the name). Prabuddha warned us that it could bite, and had a habit of not letting go. We left it in peace.
We ran into Parachilna Gorge, amongst the Flinders Ranges. The hills, although small, were a nice challenge after all the flat running.
Running finished, we took a little car trip to Blinman. The only place open was the general store/cafe, where we ordered delicious Quandong pies. A quandong is a native plum, quite bitter when eaten raw.
We passed the Peace Torch around to all the visitors and locals who happened to stop by. Here is Ana with her mother, Jaz.
We also met (again!) Jess from Sydney at the Parachilna hotel. She seems to be following us down country and we have promised her if we see her tomorrow there will be a Peace Run uniform waiting for her and she will have to join the team and run with us into Adelaide!
A nice automatic 1953 Austin we saw in Blinman after we stopped for some refreshment.
The majestic hills of the looming Flinders Rangers.
We then drove 35 kms to Parachilna Gorge and on into the hills, to our camp site at Angorichina in a beautiful scenic spot in the wooded hills. We set up camp for the night, with the temperature lower today that any other day so far sitting outside in 34 degrees seems very pleasant and we thank Angorchina Tourist Village for offering us discounted camping for the night. The boys opted for a cabin and we all enjoyed a lovely dinner in there before turning in for the night.
