and from the other direction. The venue was changed at only a few days notice due to rain making the original venue soggy. The new venue was at Slade Point and was even better than the original one. I think they may use it again next time.
This is our marquee and to the left and partly under it you can see our tent. As people started to arrive three more tents went up, several swags were unrolled and camp chairs set up.
The walk got under way around 3.30. The idea is that each team carries a baton around the circuit until it finishes at 8.30am the next morning, so we walked all night. We had a roster which lasted 5 minutes as everyone wanted to walk at the beginning and no one wanted to walk between 1am and dawn!! But we figured it out and our batons kept moving the whole time.
The survivors started the walk. This is our survivor and her family.
A bit of a carnival atmosphere pervades the whole thing and it is really like a big sleepover party. A stage is set up and music and entertainment goes all the time. The first lap of walkers is like a grand parade and we had quite a variety of outfits! The breast cancer ladies get more outrageous every year. Must be the drugs they have to take!
We had the Blues Brothers, who danced and played their way around the track, the first few laps anyway!
The Romans came too.
Some took the event to be a formal do..
Some wore their PJs!
The event had its sacred side too. Just after it got dark, they had a candle lighting ceremony. This is to commemorate those we had lost to cancer. Paper bags and long life tea lights were sold (proceeds to cancer) and a bit of sand placed in the bottom to hold it open and set the tea light in. A message is written on the bag and the candle lit. Silence is observed, the lights turned off and Amazing Grace played by a piper. It is very moving. They are left to light the track, and were many still burning by daybreak.
The photo doesn't show this so clearly, but the entire track was lined with bags.
It is quite sobering to see how many are lost. We are not that big a city after all.
After the candle lighting service, wine was consumed, and food etc. there were belly dancing displays, dancing competitions and Zumba classes. Walking continued and I popped into the tent for a snooze. It got quite cold and at 12.30 I got up to walk some more. KISA had just walked for two and a half hours straight. We walked together for another lap or two then he went for a nap till 3.30. I walked with Jo for a couple of hours sharing with a couple of other team members. A lot slept quite a bit!! But Kerrie booted them out of bed at 5.30 to give us a break. A free breakfast was served about 6am which tasted mighty good.They had a closing ceremony and we all marched with our flags at 8ish. We packed up all the tents and were home before 9am.
Shower. Coffee. Couch. List for the day for me.
KISA wanted to build the outdoor set we bought for the patio. We sold the old one as it was too big and it was collected yesterday. After he built it then it was the couch for him too. We were SHATTERED! Woke up ok today though I slept like the dead last night.
On Friday we finally got the funds cleared from the sale of the house. We ordered the blinds for the windows, 2 x 2 seater couches (minus the middle bit) for the lounge as the other one is way too big, and a dining set to replace the one we sold.
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