M M2014 Invites People of All Ages and Abilities to Walk One Or More Stages of an 80 Kilometre

What is M~M?

M~M is a biennial pilgrimage from Mountain top to river Mouth, creating a contemporary songline across the municipality of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It starts at dusk on Friday 9th May 2014 at You Yangs Big Rock and finishes on Saturday 10th May 2014 at dusk at the mouth of the Barwon River the next day.

M~M2014 invites people of all ages and abilities to walk one or more stages of an 80 kilometre pathway. An M~M2014 passport, ordered on registration, is stamped at each of the 12 Resting Stations along the way.

Alternatively, you can watch the procession of walkers on the big screen at Geelong’s Waterfront, and experience artist led activations - short performances, exhibitions, extreme arts and extreme sports as the city comes alive with Geelong After Dark on Friday evening from 5pm.

M~M2014 is time to walk the land. It is an ideal workplace relay, and an opportunity for competitive walkers to achieve all 80kms in 24 hours. Funds raised will go to the Karingal Foundation to propagate provenance-specific indigenous plants for the M~M pathway.

How did M~M start?

2014 is the second time the M~M contemporary songline has been travelled. First mapped across the Geelong municipality in 2009, the journey carried water from river mouth to mountain top to replenish the ancient waterhole at Big Rock, a significant gathering place for travellers for many thousands of years. In 2014 M~M returns the water to the ocean in a memorable landmark event.

M~M2014 not only builds on the 2009 event, but also on the M2M songline of contemporary music created in response to the Geelong landscape with respect to Wadawarrung tradition and Aboriginal cultures across Australia.

Who can participate in M~M 2014?

Everyone! M~M is open to walkers of all standards and abilities and to individuals, groups, workplaces, schools, tertiary students and groups of any kind. There are 12 stages to the pilgrimage which vary in distance from 2-14 kilometres each. Participants can choose to walk any one or more of the stages, or the whole distance within 24 hours.

For schools, community groups and corporate involvement contact Karingal Foundation on 03 5249 8900 or 03 5249 6365 or at or .

How do I register?

The registration fee of $10 (student and concession $5) is a charitable donation to Karingal, and will be contributed towards a project that is propagating rare plant species. It also entitles each walker to a passport, which can be stamped at each of the 12 Resting Stations. It provides a record of distances walked, as well as a souvenir of M~M2014.

What are the 12 Resting Stations?

At each of the 12 Resting Stations you can begin or conclude your walk, or pause for refreshments sourced from local producers.

At each Station is a walking circle inspired by traditional labyrinth designs common to cultures across the world. Each is unique, responding to local interests and environment in which they are located - for example the rock of the You Yangs, the flickering lights of the city centre, or seaweed and sandcastles on the beach.

A fundamental aim of M~M is to enhance the spaces that have leant themselves to the event, leaving a positive legacy for future generations in terms of the arts, environment, sport and community.

Where are the 12 Resting Stations?

FRIDAY MAY 9TH 2014
Station 1 (Lara) / You Yangs Big Rock (Depart afternoon) / Station 4 (North Shore) / Moorpanyal Park
Station 2 (Lara) / RSL Hall / Station 5 (Central Geelong) / Steampacket Gardens
(Arrive 10pm**)
Station 3 (Corio) / Limeburners Lagoon
SATURDAY MAY 10TH 2014
Station 5 (Central
Geelong) / Steampacket Gardens
(Depart early morning) / Station 9 (Swan Bay) / Marine & Freshwater Discovery Centre
Station 6 (South Geelong) / Barwon River Rowing Precinct / Station 10 (Point Lonsdale) / Point Lonsdale Village
Station 7 (Leopold) / Christies Rd Station / Station 11 (Ocean Grove) / Surf Life Saving Club
Station 8 (Drysdale) / Drysdale Station / Station 12 (Barwon Heads) / Foreshore
(Arrive late afternoon)

** Overnight rest in Central Geelong – check out accommodation options with Tourism Geelong and the Bellarine – visit http://www.visitgreatoceanroad.org.au/accommodation-search

What Arts are involved?

The journey will be a platform for many artworks. Elders from many cultural traditions will gather at You Yangs Big Rock to mark the beginning of the journey, which sets off at dusk. The theme for M~M 2014 is Fire on Water, and an ephemeral sculptural Canoe, inspired by Wadawarrung tradition and containing fire and water, will be carried by relay teams for the entire pilgrimage. It will be flanked in a procession by 12 specially crafted Ward Flags featuring emblems of each of Council’s 12 Municipal Wards, a symbol of all communities of Geelong coming together as one. Lantern workshops will be available for those walking night-time stages of M~M to carry their own light. The Connecting Memory smart phone app will provide walkers with access to a route map embedded with stories, films, music and images specific to each location along the M~M pathway, helping walkers explore the layers of Geelong’s secret histories and fascinating people. After traversing the northern nightscape, Canoe will arrive in Central Geelong’s Steampacket Gardens where it will be ceremonially welcomed as the culminating Geelong After Dark event. The journey will continue on the next day after a shared breakfast through the Bellarine Peninsula for a sunset celebration at the Barwon Heads river mouth.