The Melbourne 2006 Queen’s Baton is almost halfway through its epic journey. Beginning in London in March, the world’s longest, most inclusive relay will finish exactly one year and one day later when the final runner enters the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the opening ceremony of the Melbourne XVIII Commonwealth Games on 15 March 2006.
Involving thousands of relay runners, the baton will travel more than 180,000 kilometres – across land, air and sea. Various modes of transport will be used from bicycle and wheelchair to hot air balloon, steam train, and even on elephant and horseback.
The relay will visit all 71 nations of the Commonwealth – home to almost one third of the world’s population. This is a world first – no games relay has ever visited all member nations. This makes the Melbourne 2006 Queen’s Baton Relay the most inclusive games relay ever.
The Queen’s baton will arrive in Australia on 24 January 2006. It will then travel to every State and Territory and every capital city in Australia in the 50 day countdown to the games.Commencing its 21,500 kilometre journey around Australia in Sydney, it will spend two days travelling through the city and suburbs and visit many of Sydney’s popular Australia Day celebrations.
From Byron Bay on the east coast, to Margaret River in the west, from Darwin in the north to Hobart in the south, the Australian leg of the relay will unite more than 500 communities in local celebrations of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
On day 15, the baton will touch down in the township of Newman in the Shire of East Pilbera. This is its first stop in Western Australia. After an Indigenous welcome ceremony, 17 runners will carry the baton through the town which will include a visit to the Mount Whalebat mine. A community celebration with entertainment and a barbecue is planned for the evening.
At Bombala in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales, the baton will arrive in the afternoon of day 34. A committee, comprising Councillors and community members, is planning a range of events to involve as many schoolchildren from Bombala and surrounding townships as possible. A reception for the runners will include a street party celebration carrying the theme of country living. Early the next morning, a community barbecue will farewell the baton.
On Sunday 20 November, more than 200 community events will be held simultaneously across the State to help Victorians get ready for the Commonwealth Games. Warming up for the Games day aims to encourage people to become more physically active in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games.
All 79 Victorian Councils have organised physical activities, in the first statewide event of its kind. Activities will include fun runs, walks, mini Commonwealth Games, ballroom dancing, abseiling, fishing, kite surfing, badminton, hockey, roller-blading, sailing as well as cycling and old fashioned egg and spoon races. Warming up for the Games is part of the Bracks Government’s Commonwealth Games Getting Involved program and promotes the Go for your Life campaign.
The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games will be held from 15–26 March 2006 and will bring together 4,500 athletes from 71 nations.
