The Cape to Cape team: Will Dunn, Olly Dow, Thomas Winter Photo: Supplied
Three school leavers from Tauranga have finished their final exams and with their newfound freedom, they have decided to race 850km across Aotearoa.
But it's not the classic Te Araroa trail down the country's spine. They have come up with their own route - hiking, biking and kayaking east to west across the North Island.
Named Cape to Cape, the mission was born when Olly Dow drew a massive line from East Cape to Taranaki.
He said it was simply a "crazy idea" he came up with "randomly".
"I was just looking at maps and coming up with the craziest ideas possible for a route across the country."
It is a route which features roughly 350km on bike, 400km on foot - hiking and running when they can - and 145km in canoes, with 20,000 metres of change in elevation.
"I had put it on the back burner, thinking it was pretty stupid," Dow said.
"But then, I just couldn't get it out of my head."
Olly Dow is a sucker for adventure; he's a member of YSAR (Youth Search and Rescue) and has been coming up with "crazy" expeditions for years. Photo: Supplied
He shared the idea with friends Thomas Winter and Will Dunn and a team was born.
Winter said, that far out, he did not comprehend how big the mission would be.
"I've always been into doing stupid things, but this is probably gonna be the top of the list," he said.
Dunn thought Dow's idea was an awesome way to see the North Island.
"It'll be an adventure, to say the least," he said.
They will set off on 20 November and it will take them about 16-20 days to finish.
"It'll be a great thing to come back to. When times get tough in the future, we can look back and go damn, we did this ... we're gonna see what we're capable of," Dow said.
On the "foot" legs of the mission, the boys will be running and walking depending on the terrain and energy levels, or doing what Dow calls the Olly Canter where he can keep up a "really, really slow jog for hours."
On days 3-5, they will be on foot for 40km each day. They also face two cycling days of 120km each.
"We don't know how our bodies will cope," Winter said.
"But we're playing the slow game," Dow added.
Thomas Winter is a mountain bike racer, keen to push things to the limits. Photo: Supplied
"There's only so many days you can go as hard as possible."
They are planning to climb Mt Taranaki too.
"Combined with 15-16 days of fatigue, that's going to be a big mission," Winter said.
"It's a little bit scary."
The boys said they were also nervous about the weather. Rain would be punishing if they got caught out in the bush in the unsupported sections.
"It could be shocking, but hey, we've signed ourselves up for it so," Dow said.
"Can't back out now," Winter said.
End of a schooling era
The mission is a toast to 13 years of schooling, the boys finishing off the year with their mates.
"No one's ever done this before, and I think it's awesome that it'll be young adults doing this without much parental guidance," Winter said.
They were setting a precedent for other young people: "You can do whatever you want, there's no real boundaries," he added.
They will also have a "boys only week", where their close mates from school will join them on the five days of the Whanganui River leg.
Will Dunn aka Willy D is another mountain bike racer, keen to explore his North Island backyard. Photo: Supplied
Dunn said everyone in their school community was super stoked to see them turn the planned trip into a reality.
There was also an open invite for anyone to join them on their Tongariro Crossing leg on 30 November. The only requirement? Participants have to wear their most colourful, brightest wig.
This reflects another part of their mission: They are raising money for the Child Cancer Foundation.
A mutual family friend has leukemia and they had seen the foundation's work play out in real life.
"It's cool to be able to raise both awareness and funds for a meaningful cause," Dunn said.
Dow said the number of people supporting their mission had been mindblowing.
"Every single person we've asked for help, pretty much has thrown in something, from nutrition to sponsors with fuel vouchers and even just cash."
Dads Paul Dow and Graham Winter are on logistics, helping support the boys with bike transitions, supplies and "keto bricks" to keep them fuelled.
"It's actually become quite the community thing," Dow said.
"And the community is the best part about it," Winter said.
Dow said the mission would not even be possible without the whole community of people behind them.
"Our brains aren't big enough!" Winter laughed.
"There might be another news article, 'Three stupid boys gone and done something,'"
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
