Two of the Peace Run core team members, Edgars Ancāns of Latvia and Ronivon de Oliveira from Brazil, had a very early morning start, with the rare opportunity to bring the Peace Torch aloft in a hot air balloon over Melbourne. They had to get up early to see a beautiful sunrise during the flight.
The flight lasted about 40 minutes.
The boys saw a beautiful sunrise – here the Sun temporarily replaces the flame of the Torch.
As the balloon captain said, it was a perfect day for a flight!
Eddie Saunders, our host for the flight, also mentioned that Melbourne is the only major city in the world which you can fly over in a balloon, as there are many parks to start and end the flight and the airport is not so close. Global Ballooning can use 40 parks in the Melbourne as a starting point, depending on the wind direction. The flight over the streets and houses of Melbourne, where people wave with their hands while holding their morning coffee, seeing the parks and "touching" the skyscrapers, was breathtaking and unforgettable.
The balloon landed gently in Fawkner Park. BIG THANK YOU from Edgars and Roni to the Peace Run team for the lucky draw. And again, a big thank you to Global Ballooning, Kiff and his son Eddie for their kind hearts.
Another early morning start for these 4 Peace Runners, who ran 10km along the Yarra River from Burnley in the east to the Lumen People cafe in North Melbourne.
On the way the team stopped at two sites which have joined the international Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossoms program of places dedicated to the same ideals of peace and oneness which inspire the Peace Run.
Here the small team gathers at the Victorian Arts Centre ...
... and next, at the plaque denoting the Yarra River as a Sri Chinmoy Peace River, at Southbank.
The team then gathered at Lumen People Café in North Melbourne, which is owned and run by Marichi Clarke, son of our coordinator for today, Mrinali Clarke, and his wife Emma (pictured with the Peace Torch).
They kindly provided the team with a most delicious meal and hot coffee before the day got into full swing.
The team next made our way to yesterday’s finishing point – St Bernadette’s Primary School in Sunshine, where the students had been preparing for the Peace Run arrival. Four of the school captains led the Peace Torch into the school.
After a beautiful welcome from the students and a prayer ...
Principal, Mr Brendan Gill and assistant Nicole put in a lot of work preparing the students for the team's visit at St Bernadette’s.
... some of the Social Justice students came up and read what peace meant to them. Then a video they had put together was shown, including comments from students on what peace means to them.
Some answers were –
* Sunshine
* Being alone
* Acceptance of others and taking care of country
* Be kind and enable everybody to grow and develop
* Absence of fighting and arguing
Answers to another question: how do you show peace? included –
* Be kind and respectful
* Speak calmly
* Treat others with respect and tolerance
* Peacefully work out problems
All of the Peace Run were so moved and touched by all the students had arranged and worked on.
After the ceremony all students went out and formed a circle and held the torch before the Peace Torch took a few laps of the school grounds picking up students with each lap until all the students did a lap ...
... and ran to the school captains who took the torch and led the team to Sunshine North Primary School …
… where the students from St Bernadette’s passed the torch to the students of Sunshine North Primary.
After this ceremonial handing of the Peace Torch, uniting these two schools in the common goal of Peace, the team was thrilled to meet the students at Sunshine North Primary. With a backdrop of a Peace Mural, the Peace Run team introduced themselves and the Peace Torch.
As the students exited the hall they all took a moment to feel peace within themselves before each student ran laps of the schools grounds, running past the peace runners and telling them how many laps they had done.
Odette from the Positive Behaviour program at Sunshine North Primary School worked hard on arranging this wonderful event.
With all the energy of the students now firmly in our hearts our team was ready to hit the road again...
We meet many wonderful people along the way. Here is Arvinder with the Torch ...
... and this is Aman, who was eager to invite the whole team inside for Indian chai – which we would gladly have accepted, except we had a schedule to keep!
Our women’s team carried the Peace Torch ...
... to Werribee Open Range Zoo.
CEO of Werribee Open Range Zoo, Dr Mark Pilgrim OBE and his assistant Krystina Wandersmith greeted the team. The WORZ (Werribee Open Range Zoo) is considered a world-leading facility for keeping animals, and are often asked to train candidates from other countries who are planning to open zoos.
Here the team met with the all the rangers and staff in their staff room. They first welcomed us to the land and country of the traditional owners of this land and spoke about how important it is to care for nature. They read some quotes from the founder of the Peace Run, Sri Chinmoy on the theme of nature and peace, remarking how both the Peace Run and Werribee Open Range Zoo hold the same values true.
We continued chatting over afternoon tea.
Then the team was treated to a safari tour: the perfect way to see the zoo and hear all about the animals.
Departing from Werribee Open Range Zoo, our route followed bike paths towards Geelong. Unfortunately the bike path turned out to be not quite as accessible as we had first thought and our torch-bearer, Ashprihanal became a little misplaced.
Joe happened to be cycling past and very kindly cycled with Ashprihanal for almost an hour, guiding him back into Werribee from where Ashprihanal could continue running west towards Little River.
It is meeting kind people like Joe that make being on the Peace Run so special.
The day ended with 4 of our team accompanying one of our vehicles on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to Devonport. Just as the weather conditions had been ideal for ballooning in the morning, so were they perfect for sailing this evening. The ship did not rock, and the team slept well. The team members in the picture are watching how the birds catch fish from the surface of the water, because in the dark the ship's lights illuminate the water well ...
... thus, a flock of birds accompanied us for several km from Geelong. We arrived in Devonport at 7.00 the next morning, ready for a new day to begin!
