Our heartiest thanks to Eileen and Sandy at the Ahipara Motorcamp who generously accommodated twelve of our relay members at the southern end of Northland's Ninety Mile Beach.

Team A

This morning we ran out of Awanui to the accompaniment of a thunderstorm. Our first stop was Kaingaroa School, where the students with great gusto sang the World-Harmony-Run theme song, along with actions.

Nigel Webber, our Australian representative, commented that he had seen more rain in the first two days of the New Zealand World Harmony Run than in the entire four months of the Run in Australia!

At Taipa Area School – our next destination – we were met by the principal, John Lee, and ushered into the staff room for a welcoming morning tea. The students greeted us with a Powhiri, a traditional ceremonial greeting, and Waiata, a welcoming song. We responded in kind and introduced the World Harmony Run to our teenage audience.

The Head Boy for Taipa Area School welcomed us with a whaikorero (traditional Maori welcoming speech)

Onward to Mangonui Primary School, where the children ran with us from the highway to their classrooms.

A gauntlet of 'Welcome Harmony Runners' signs and artwork greeted us, followed by musical performances. On presenting the school with Sri Chinmoy's artwork entitled 'Imagine and Dream the World Peace Dream', the children were hugely excited to find the same choice of colours dominated their own welcoming artworks.

– Uddipan Brown

Team B

What a wonderful reception from the children at Kaeo School!

They had prepared much varied material on the theme of world peace which included a large poster, lovely written aphorisms and a folder containing their personal reflections on how to foster a brighter future.

We continued on to Riverview Primary in the beautiful orchard lands of Kerikeri – here in the heartland so much enthusiasm and warmth.

The children and the relay team members joined forces to perform Sri Chinmoy's World-Harmony-Run theme song.

– Gael Ballantyne

Team C

South and east today under rain cloud that soon surrenders to blue sky. Our five-man team runs from the citrus orchards and green hills of Kerikeri to Kawakawa via the coastal town of Paihia, with its calm vistas of sea and silhouettes of far-off islands.

At Paihia Primary School the hall is filled with excited children as we present the World Harmony Run, pass the torch, sing to them and they to us, take photos and invite their signatures on our huge New Zealand map.

Then a hard slog up through forested and steep hills to Opua Primary School – here a Waiata co-led by enthusiastic principal Roger Young on guitar. Our arrival coincided with an intriguing and entertaining presentation of scientific experiments by visiting members of the Science Museum in South Kensington. The schools in Northland are delightfully enthusiastic.

Downstream from our evening's accommodation recent rainfall cascades majestically over the Haruru Falls.

– Jogyata Dallas

Distance: 135 km

Team Members:
Mark Harvey (New Zealand), Jogyata Dallas (New Zealand), David Wade (New Zealand), Karl Harris (New Zealand), Uddipan Brown (New Zealand), Nicholas File (New Zealand), Nigel Webber (Australia), Prachar Stegemann (Australia), Niribili File (New Zealand), Erika Pongracz (Hungary), Esme Howard-Anna (New Zealand), Alesha Thorpe (New Zealand), Gael Ballantyne (New Zealand)

Gallery: See more images!