Scooter riders get wet for a good cause

HAIRY weather conditions in Bluff were not enough to deter more than 120 people, dressed in all manner of whimsical garb, from mounting their scooters for a thrilling journey through the South on Saturday.

In the Southern Scooter Challenge, riders traversed the 220km from Stirling Point to Queenstown to raise money for charities selected by organiser PlaceMakers Foundation.

Cancelled last year because of Covid, Saturday’s event was the seventh iteration of the endurance challenge, which this year raised more than $108,000 for Hospice Southland and the Southland Charity Hospital.

Hospice Southland chief executive Dr Flora Gilkison said following last year’s cancellation, participants were particularly excited to ride this year.

It was wonderful to see people come from all over the country to help raise funds, she said.

‘‘It’s been very wet for them coming up today and so there’s been quite a lot of adversity for them, but half of the money is going to Hospice Southland and that’s just like our patients — they have to face a lot of adversity, so that’s where the scooter challenge is really great,’’ she said.

Although the parade of scooters was only backed by the grunt of 50cc engines, the thrill of the challenge came less from the speed and more from the gruelling conditions.

Shelley Robinson, of Clyde, who completed the challenge by tagteaming with friend Sonia Leonard from Invercargill, said they were both on an adrenaline high after the journey.

‘‘We had sideways rain and wind in Bluff — it was a carwash.’’

Amid a sea of costumes that included tigers, superheroes and a great many rain ponchos, Invercargill’s Julian Smith, donning a tricorn hat and sash, said that as he was a ‘‘pirate’’, the morning’s wild weather had suited him perfectly.

‘‘It’s been marvellous, everyone has had a ball.

‘‘The good thing about it is you can’t go too fast . . . I don’t know many people are here, but it’s all about the camaraderie.’’

❛ It’s been very wet for them coming up today and so there’s been quite a lot of adversity for them . . . Flora Gilkison

PHOTO: HOSPICE SOUTHLAND Geared up . . . More than 120 riders and their scooters embarked from Stirling Point in Bluff and travelled the 220km up to Queenstown to raise funds for charity on Saturday.