Part 4:    Port Augusta to Ceduna

Most of this part of the book comes from what the young people taking part in the walk were writing in the little writing books they carried with them on the walk. The words in dark letters were added later.

CHRIS: (Sunday, May 5) Our "rest day" from running was not a rest from meeting people. Newspaper, radio, and television reporters were on the telephone, or in and out of the hotel all day. By 10pm, when the last interview was finished, we were all feeling more confident about talking to reporters. Even Rachel said a few words for the television cameras without problems.

DAY ONE: Monday, May 6.

(Walked 15 miles from Port Augusta)

CHRIS: We were up at 5:30am to wash, dress, and start interviews all over again. We started by singing a song before eating. We have been singing it for two years now but the words (by Robin), were very special today:

Give us today the bread we need.

Like Moses in the desert, you will feed.

It's not important what happens, we still have you.

We'll just try to do what you want us to.

We want you to know that we love you so,

And it's you that we follow.

After singing, Rachel did the Bible reading from Psalm 23, and it, too, was special this morning:

I will not be afraid, because God leads me to where food and water are� If I walk into a place of death, he will be with me there too�

Adelaide Advertiser, May 6, 1985, page 6

Nullarbor walk a waste of faith

By FATHER JOHN FLEMING

The plan by six young Christians to walk across the Nullarbor Desert without food or water to show their faith in God is wrong. I believe these are good people, but their action could make people laugh at other Christians who are not so crazy about their faith. I have five arguments against their action:

(1) The walk will teach nothing. If people help them, how can they say God is helping them?

(2) Jesus did not do miracles to show that God is "alive and well" as they are doing. He only did miracles to help people.

(3) People who do not have faith in God will not change because of the walk. They will say it was not God who helped them.

(4) God wants us to love him with our minds. That is, to be smart. It is not smart to do dangerous things.

(5) People will think that they are saying they are better than others. The walkers must think about what others will think.

The church is bigger and stronger than a few crazy people. People will not stop following the church because of this walk. But if these people are putting themselves in danger, we must ask ourselves if they should be free to do this. Should they be free to make problems for the police if they need help?

The walkers should think seriously about an action that could make people think badly of the Christian church.

MAL: Another important church leader (see facing page) strongly and openly judged us in this morning's newspaper. We worked together on a letter in answer to his arguments (see following page), and I sent it off before we started on the walk at 8:30am.

You would think we would have many different and strong emotions on this the first day of the walk, but no, our spirits were very quiet. We've had the walk so much in mind for the past week that its start could not live up to what we were thinking it would be. Many people stopped to take pictures of us, and almost all the cars sound their horns as they go by.

ROB: A television camera man turned up on the road just as the first car stopped beside us. It was a Christian woman who gave us apples, $2 and water. A few other cars pulled up later in the day and gave us more apples. In the middle of the day a car stopped to give us a chicken.

GARY: We walked fifteen miles and stopped at 4pm at a place beside the road where cars can stop for a rest. We were resting under a tree when a bus pulled up. The driver and some people on the bus gave us a box of chocolates, apples, and fruit juice. Thank God! We did not ask people for a thing, but they are giving to us from their hearts.

ROLS: At 5:30pm, Mal, Rob, Rachel, and Gary went off the road to look at an old empty building to see if we could sleep in it. Chris and I stayed by the road. A sheep farmer stopped and said we could have a meal and sleep at his house. Our cup is really more than full! God is being very soft on us.

CHRIS: The farmer and his family were very friendly. We had some little problems between ourselves at the start of the walk, but after we talked it out, I think we feel better toward each other now.

Letters to our Readers

'Living by faith'

From the Nullarbor walkers - Brother Fleming says people without faith will say it is not God who is helping us on this walk; but then he joins this group of people by saying the same thing himself. So where is his faith? If it is not God feeding us out here, then who can we say is feeding brother Fleming there in Adelaide?

He says people will laugh at the church because our action is dangerous and crazy. But what could be more dangerous and crazy than dying a cruel death on a cross to show your love for people? All that is good about the Christian faith comes from people who were not afraid of danger and not afraid to be called crazy.

Brother Fleming says the church is bigger and stronger than our faith and people will not stop following the church because of us. This is true. People have not stopped following the Jewish religion because of one crazy man who said he was the Son of God. But does that make them right?

Some of what he says about miracles is true. We are not trying to force God to do a miracle. We are just trying to obey him. God tells us not to worry about food and clothes, and to go into all the world showing this kind of faith. We are trying to do that.

The Nullarbor walkers

DAY TWO: Tuesday, May 7.

(Walked 27 miles to Iron Knob)

ROLS: Interest in what we are doing is not dropping off. Like yesterday, radio, television, and newspaper people all dropped in from time to time today.

CHRIS: I pray that God will help the farmer and his family for what they did to help us! They do not call themselves Christians, but they just helped us because they believed help was needed.

At 10am, a car stopped to give us fruit. We did not feel right about taking it because we still had fruit from the farm family and we didn't want to be greedy. God has been feeding us so well! I feel we must be greedy to be eating so much.

A bar of muesli exploded through the window of a car driving very quickly by us. "YOU NUTS" was printed by hand on the paper covering the bar. But even this action in anger gave us more food to eat!

At 1pm, A policeman stopped to talk to us. He asked us to see him when we arrive at Iron Knob.

At 4:30pm a husband and wife stopped to say we could sleep at their house in Iron Knob.

At 5pm, Sheri and Boyd arrived from Port Augusta, where they had been handing out leaflets. They had stopped for a man on the road who wanted a lift. He just happened to be Dane Frick, from Townsville. What a surprise! Dane has been writing to us for a year, but this was the first time that we were able to see him face to face. He left Townsville to come and walk with us after hearing about us on the television. I'm really on a spiritual high. He says that he agrees with all that we say.

MAL: There was some talk between us about Dane joining. Would he be able to make the distance? Is it really important if he doesn't? It's difficult to judge these things quickly. But, our first feeling is that he is a true believer and will do his best; that is what counts in the end.

GARY: At 5:30pm, a Christian woman came and gave us a bag of food. She asked us to forgive her for judging us too quickly, and said that she now believes we are doing what God wants us to do.

This same woman later sent a letter to an Adelaide newspaper, saying: My feeling when first hearing of their plan was to judge them as bad for "putting God to the test". But after thinking about it, I came to understand that, as a Christian, it is my job to love these people without putting my rules on them. I had a nice meeting with these young "walking Christians" on their second day out of Port Augusta. I said that I could not agree with all that they were doing, but I asked them to forgive me for judging them. They were not angry with me. They hugged me and received me as a Christian too, without putting their rules on me.

ROB: When we were three miles from Iron Knob, the town people came out to meet us. We arrived in town very late at night, but we had a big group of people waiting for us.

CHRIS: We reported to the police station as we had been asked to do earlier today. Then we walked to the house of the people who had asked us to stay with them. The man said Dane could not come in because of his long hair; so we walked out, feeling angry toward them. We were able to find an empty building and sleep in it. It was a little cold.

MAL: The people in Iron Knob separated into two groups over us. The ones saying the most to our faces were in agreement with us. These are the people who came out to meet us, or who were waiting up late to see us when we arrived. One family, owners of the petrol station, were very friendly and helped us in a few different ways. Boyd and Sheri went to the hotel where people did not know who Boyd and Sheri were, and they listened to many people talking against us. But we never saw any of these people out on the road.

DAY THREE: Wednesday, May 8.

(Walked 17 miles from Iron Knob)

RACHEL: We were awake at 6:30am. Some people from the petrol station gave us hot food and soft drinks to start the day. A woman gave me a blanket and a coat.

GARY: A few radio and television reporters did interviews with us before we left Iron Knob.

ROLS: We left Iron Knob at 9:10am. After leaving the town, a television reporter, started walking with us. She walked for twelve miles, to a house where a man asked us to stop for a cup of tea. She was friendly on the road, but she turned against us when the cameras started. She said after it was finished that it was her job to act toward us the way other people would act if they were against us.

ROB: The television woman started asking questions about Rachel, and tried to make us look like a dangerous religion of death or something. I think she was trying to turn people against us.

MAL: The television interview was at a farm about 15 miles out of Iron Knob. The farm owner was not very friendly. I think he only gave us a cup of tea because the television people were there and he wanted to look good. It's easy to see the difference between people who are really trying to help and those who are putting on a show for the reporters.

ROB: When we finished the television interview and were back on the road, a truck driver stopped and gave us a big water container, but it had a hole in it. We have been filling little plastic drink bottles that we find beside the road each time we find a place with water. Rachel is becoming tired. Mal and Rols are giving her shoulder rides. A woman from the government came driving out to ask about Rachel. She was friendly enough. All we have for food now are apples.

CHRIS: An old man and woman stopped and gave us more apples. Oh no, we're getting tired of apples! But we should be happy that we have anything at all. We're growing more tired and less enthusiastic. We had cool weather the first two days, but it's hot now.

GARY: Today Rob and I walked off the road looking for some wild food, but we did not find any. We stopped for the day after walking seventeen miles.