Team A – After a week in the Outback, today was a day of cool winds, bitumen underfoot ...
... the colour green ...
... bends, climbs and dips in the road ...
... distant mountains drawing closer all the time ...
... delicate flowers ...
... butterflies imitating delicate flowers ...
... and of course, emus.
The wind seemed to be a constant headwind "in our face", though it was not as strong as we are :-)
Through the day we saw every possible colour and shape of the landscape.
Some were awesome to behold.
Felix ...
... thinking up today's team report.
A rare glimpse of our photographer extraordinaire, Kaspars Zakis on the road.
The Flinders Ranges beckon.
Bayarkhuu coming from the mountains ...
... and Bayarkhuu heading towards the mountains.
We met these enthusiastic students from England, Winsconsin, Kansas and Canada who were really surprised and happy to see us and hold the torch for peace.
On the last km of our daily run we saw these nice yellow flowering wattle trees.
Team B – for the first time in nearly a week, we are not starting in the dark! The girls’ team is holding up well, despite a night of strong gusty winds buffeting the tent. A couple of times one side of the tent almost flattened! In between the gusts was an intense still heat until the rain came, which left behind a pleasant coolness.
Today our team ran a shorter distance of 30 km along the curves and crests of the road through the Flinders Ranges.
It was an exciting change to be running up a hill to the peak and have a vista of deep reddy brown, dark green and purple mountains revealed, receding into the distance.
Due to our lower mileage we had a short stop in Blinman, a little touristy village.
We partook of a drink in the café ...
... and posed with the clever corrugated iron kangaroo statue.
The café offered quandong pies - the local native peach. They also sold roadkill kangaroo pies….yer…..didn’t try those…..!
This lady stopped to take photos of Stacey while she was running into Blinman. She is the local postie and just loved what we were doing. She then waited for us in Blinman to take more photos and talk with us.
This lady was one of the many locals who came and talked with us when we arrived at Blinman. It was a hive of chatter with all of us speaking with different people.
As I spend more time with my sisters I am realising how I form an idea of who they are, partly suited to my needs ...
... I feel I am learning to accept the girls more as they are, rather than as I would like and want them to be ...
... In some ways it is challenging to let go of my expectations but the over riding feeling is of relief. The false image fades away and a solid feeling of acceptance, clarity and truthfulness replaces it.
We are seeing a lot more wildlife, which is thrilling; flocks of corellas, kangeroos ...
... and lots of Emu. In the morning light their feathery fleeces look golden. Often they have an entourage of young, who I read the father looks after.
In the wild emus are so elegant and regal, running fast with strength and grace. They are so different from their scraggly cousins I have seen in captivity. I guess they need to be free and run – like many of us!
Team C – After a leisurely start to the day, Team C plays just a supplemental role today ...
... covering a modest 10 km of the team's total distance.
Today is the day that the flat, the straight, the hot, the desiccated is replaced by the undulating, the curved, the cool, the (relatively) lush.
For the first time Peace Run jackets are unfolded from the bottom of the runners' bags.
It seems that every slope reveals a group of kangaroos who pause and stare curiously at the runner before bounding away in their strange and endearing manner. Emus stalk through the long grass before a background of high rugged hills. Large trees and rocky gorges have replaced the dusty lowlands.
It is refreshing to run here in the surprisingly cool morning wind.
Our team's was a small contribution to the overall distance covered perhaps, but a satisfying contribution nonetheless.
Lynette Rasheed kindly welcomed us to the Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre.
At Wilpena Pound, birds – the raucous and the colourful – greet us as we pitch our tents in the shade of the trees.
We chatted for quite a while over lunch with this pilot who flies scenic flights over Wilpena Pound.
Darren and his son Mason were very happy to see us here in Wilpena Pound. They are travelling all around Australia and are going to be on the road for two years. They had seen us yesterday running into Parachilna and came over to us today at the camp to ask us what we are doing. Mason is being home schooled on the back of their bus as they travel around.
