After 2,600 kilometres and 13 years of trekking across private farmland on horseback, foot and bike, the participants on The Great New Zealand Trek are nearing Slope Point – the southernmost tip of New Zealand and their final destination.
The trek started at Cape Reinga back in 2006 and each year participants have reconvened to complete another stage and continue their journey.
More than 900 people have completed one or more stages of the trek and on the last leg there are 240 trekkers and 90 volunteers from around the country.
The logistics of planning the route through private land on both islands has been challenging, says organiser Kitty Johnson.
"In the early days it was just a handshake (with landowners) and 'yeah, she'll be all right, go through', but now farmers are a little bit more hesitant because you have all the health and safety stuff but they've still allowed us access."
Kaitaia farmer Grant Davan has travelled the entire distance on horseback: "A lot of Northland people got hooked up on it at the start and couldn't let it go."
The final camp is at the Tokanui Rugby Ground.
Once the 112 tired horses have been fed and groomed and people have showered, everyone meets in the marquee to celebrate.
Like Grant, Taranaki midwife Louise has also been on every leg since 2006.
It's emotional getting to the end of such an epic journey, she says.
"We've made friends here that will last a lifetime. It's like a family reunion each year."
The goal of the trek has been to raise money for multiple sclerosis – a cause chosen because the mother of the man who came up with the idea for the trek suffered from MS.
So far, The Great New Zealand Trek Charitable Trust has raised nearly $400,000 through trek fees, auctions and donations to Givealittle.
The money has all gone to Wellington's Malaghan Institute to help fund an MS research programme.
