Two young adventurers to cycle length of NZ in support of
The Sir Peter Blake Trust

WHAT: Two young adventurers cycling length of New Zealand and raising funds for The Sir Peter Blake Trust
WHEN: 28 November 2012 – 13 January 2013
WHERE: Cape Reinga to Bluff (see itinerary below)

Two young adventurers, Shaya Laughlin (17) from Cairns, Australia, and Jeremy Basset (19) from Geneva, Switzerland, are embarking on a journey of adventure, endurance and friendship as they cycle the length of New Zealand from Cape Reinga to Bluff.

The pair will start their adventure, called the North2South Expedition, at Cape Reinga on 28 November and plan to complete it in Bluff on 13 January. They aim to raise money for two projects: The Sir Peter Blake Trust in New Zealand and Save Our Sea Turtles in Cairns, Australia.

The 2257km route will take them through New Zealand’s most stunning scenery. On the way, Shaya and Jeremy will hope to take part in beach clean-ups and share their experiences via social media to inspire other young people to take positive social and environmental action while following their dreams.

The duo are both part of Mike Horn’s Young Explorer Program – www.mikehorn.com/en/yep/young-explorers-program. Mike Horn is one of the world’s most experienced extreme global explorers who set up the program to encourage young people to join him to learn about, act on, and explore the planet to make a difference for the sake of saving the planet.
Shaya says the Trust is an amazing initiative the pair is honoured to support. “Sir Peter Blake is someone we admire immensely. I first heard about him while sailing the Amazon with Mike who told me Sir Peter Blake’s amazing story and tragic end,” she says.

“We chose to ride the length of New Zealand because it matched our timeframe, budget, level of experience and served as a perfect platform to carry out an environmental project alongside. We have always wanted to go to New Zealand, so as soon as there was an opportunity to mix everything we love – adventure, environment and cycling – we jumped at this fresh challenge.”

Sir Peter Blake Trust Chief Executive Shelley Campbell says Shaya and Jeremy’s adventure is a true reflection of Sir Peter Blake’s attitude. In his last log entry, Sir Peter wrote: We want to restart people caring for the environment as it must be cared for. At the same time we want to do this through adventure, through participation, through education and through enjoyment.

“I’m sure that if Sir Peter was alive today he would admire the courage and strength of these teenagers to take on such a challenge.”

You can follow Shaya and Jeremy’s blog here: north2southexpedition.weebly.com or view their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/North2SouthExpedition

To donate go to their fundraising page: www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/North2South

Ends

Tour itinerary:

North Island
• 28 November – Travel from Auckland to Cape Reinga
• 29-30 November – Cape Reinga to Kaitaia (111km)
• 1-2 December – Kaitaia to Omapere (116km)
• 3-4 December – Omapere to Dargaville (84km)
• 5-6 December – Dargaville to Auckland (176km)
• 7-9 December – Rest in Auckland
• 10-11 December – Auckland to Otorohanga (179km)
• 12-13 December – Otorohanga to Taumaranui (102km)
• 13-15 December – Taumaranui to Wanganui (165km)
• 16-17 December – Wanganui to Levin (100km)
• 18-19 December – Levin to Wellington (94km)
• 20 December – Ferry Wellington-Picton
South Island
• 21 December – Picton-Blenheim
• 22-23 December – Picton to St Arnaud (129km)
• 24-25 December – St Arnaud to Westport (158km)
• 26 December – Boxing day in Westport
• 27-28 December – Westport to Hokitika (140km)
• 29-30 December – Hokitika to Franz Josef (145km)
• 31 December-1 January – Franz Josef to Haast (145km)
• 2-3 January – Haast to Wanaka (142km)
• 4-5 January – Wanaka to Queenstown (68km)
• 6-7 January – Rest in Queenstown
• 8-9 January – Queenstown to Lumsden (107km)
• 10-11 January – Lumsden to Bluff (107km)

© Scoop Media