Polite Media Notification: NZ's longest ever charity bike ride now northward bound

St John fundraiser Dunc's Big Bike Ride reaches the end of the south, turns corner

108 days since leaving Auckland's Mission Bay, Dunc Wilson and his Merida Big NINE 500 mountain bike are now on a course north for Cape Reinga. The trip, a fundraiser for St John, has raised more than $3,000 for the charity.

The ride, which staunchly claims to be the fullest possible circumnavigation of New Zealand on a loaded bicycle, is following the Kiwi coast clockwise and expected to take around seven months to return to east Auckland. Geography and maths have been combined to calculate this:

"We reached Dunedin in about three months. If you look at how much East Cape sticks out compared with Taranaki, I reckon that makes Dunners about halfway. So it should take six to seven months all up," reasons Dunc, ignoring completely the size of the Kaipara Harbour and the jagged shape of the Bay Of Islands.

Literally the end of the track: New Zealand's Fiordland Coast is "unmountainbikeable"

Having to divert inland due to something called 'Fiordland', the ride will now head to Milford Sound, before cutting back in through Queenstown, Haast Pass and up the West Coast.

The money raised for St John will go to help the organisation buy lifesaving equipment, for use nationwide. Dunc's target is $10,000, which is more than enough for two defibrillators. Donations can be made via the Dunc's Big Bike Ride Givealittle page (link below).

The three-and-a-half months since the trip began have been a full-on adventure ride, taking in heaps of the country.

"There can be no better way to truly meet New Zealand. From townies to tourists, loggers to lifesavers, sheep shearers to students... I've met people from all walks and I feel I know NZ better than ever. There's some pretty funny stories in there too, which I may share one day."

The odometer so far stands at roughly 5,000km, which has put a fair amount of strain on The Bike, a 29" wheeled hard tail MTB specially modified by Bike Barn with the rigours of such a trip in mind.

"We're on chain number three, cassette number two and I've broken about ten spokes all up. The spokes break because I insisted on bringing my nice three-man tent and travel pillows. They are protesting against the weight, but it's fine; if they don't want to be part of this huge ride, then I just transfer them at the next Bike Barn stop. They are out, just like an EPL footballer."

The tour turned north at the Southland township of Tuatapere and will soon pass down your road*.

Donate: givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/seawaynz Like: facebook.com/DuncWilsonNZ Track: maps.duncwilson.co.nz Hashtag: #SeawayNZ

*provided you live on or as close as possible to the coastline