Epic hospice tractor trek faces hurdles
A cyclone and washouts have put challenges in front of a cavalcade of tractors, jeeps and trucks travelling the length of the country, but nothing has kept them off schedule.
Aucklander Phil Aish is leading the group, which will travel over 2600km in 26 days to raise money and awareness for hospice services across the nation.
The trek took off from Buff on February 12 and passed through Gisbourne yesterday.
Recent journeys have been particularly tough with a section of the south Wairarapa coast proving particularly challenging.
‘‘We had to go through rivers where the water had washed out overnight and we just couldn’t get down into them because they were too steep, so we got the boys ahead with shovels ... and we got through, but, wow, what an experience,’’ he said.
Last week the convoy was moving up the west coast of the South Island just as former Cyclone Gita was arriving, and they only just made their ferry sailing.
‘‘It’s been amazing. There was plenty of rain just ahead of the cyclone so we got drenched one day. The beauty of the trek is that you get off the main road as often as you can and the scenery is something that few New Zealanders see ... grandeur, unspoilt beauty and magnificence,’’ he said.
The trek is a labour of love for Aish, who did the same journey in 2016, to honour a promise made to his wife Janice in her last weeks of life.
The couple wanted to say thank you to hospice for the immeasurable support Mercy Hospice in Auckland provided the Aish family during Janice’s last days.
When discussing the practicalities of such a trek, Janice told her husband to ‘‘do it’’.
‘‘You can’t put a price on having the burden of care lifted off your shoulders when someone close to you has a life-limiting illness. Hospices all over New Zealand provide people and their families with a very special type of care and support.
This is the second time Aish has undertaken the epic journey by tractor. In 2016, they raised $100,000 and they are hoping to surpass that amount this year.
Hospice New Zealand chief executive Mary Schumacher said the trek captures the hearts of people across the country.
Hospices receive some funding from the Government, but financial support from the community is essential to meet the shortfall each year.
‘‘We’re so grateful to people like Phil and his supporters who help ensure hospice care remains free of charge across New Zealand,’’ Schumacher said.
The Great New Zealand Tractor Trek began on Monday February 12 in Bluff and is expected to finish at Cape Reinga on March 9.
People can also support the work of Hospice by donating to the Tractor Trek when they come through their area or by visiting their site on Givealittle.