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Over the past eight months, Aucklander Duncan Wilson has biked 9000kms around NZ’s coastline to fundraise for St John.
Duncan Wilson biked the length of Mahurangi’s coastline last week, while completing the final leg of his 9000km bike ride around New Zealand to fundraise for St John Ambulance Service.
On the eight-month journey, Duncan’s aim was to bike as close to the coastline as possible, all while living out of a 25kg pack.
He covered about 15 per cent of the overall journey riding on beaches, but he says in Northland it was closer to 80 per cent.
“It was one of the best sections to ride on the entire trip.”
The trip was meant to finish before winter hit, but tough sections of coastline, like the Wairarapa, slowed his progress from 80km a day, down to 24km a day. A crash on the final day of the South Island leg also set him back 18 days while he recovered.
But he says the mental challenge of the ride was the toughest part.
“When Cyclone Pam hit the country in March I was biking through Canterbury with 100km crosswinds. After a while your mind says, ‘Why are you doing this?’.
“Physically, the hardest part was the first two weeks. After that it became a way of life.”
Duncan has been staying with members of St John and aims to raise $10,000.
“I wanted to fundraise for something that helps everyone. St John does such great work, but it relies on charity. All of the St John members I’ve met on my trip have commented on how crazy it is that the nation’s ambulance service is dependent on charity to survive.”
He was due to complete the circuit on August 29, finishing in Mission Bay, where he began his trip in January.
