Halfway Across Australia

Date: April 18, 2005
Source: Adventist News Network

Six cyclists riding across Australia to address at-risk behaviour among young people in small, rural communities will reach the halfway mark of their journey in Adelaide this Sunday.

“Many people forget about rural youth,” says Annaleise Dolphin, a resident from Streaky Bay, South Australia. “I think it is really relevant for the Circle of Courage cyclists to come into town to present their model to us, since rural communities are so far behind with strategies to fight at-risk behaviour.”

The Circle of Courage focuses on four areas—belonging, mastery, independence and generosity.

The cyclists embarked on their ride from Murray Street Mall in Perth on the morning of April 5 and will finish in Sydney on May 5. They will have cycled almost 2,228 kilometres and spoken in ten towns and three Aboriginal communities by the time they arrive in Adelaide.

“The town meetings have been small, but with very responsive interest in the Circle of Courage,” says Jonathan Duffy, team leader and director of health for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific, organiser of the tour. “People we’ve met along the road have also been very interested and happy to find out more. So far, we’ve identified three youth projects that we can help the towns with.”

Town meeting at Ceduna

The Circle of Courage cyclists will be visiting ten towns during the South Australia leg of their tour and a total of 21 towns across Australia. They will cover an average of 165 kilometres a day.