1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: Last month, more than thirty locals supported the Westpac helicopter 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: something called the Back to Base Challenge, raising over twenty 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: three thousand dollars. The idea was to cover the distance 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: equivalent to the real rescue helicopter mission and raise funds 5 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: for the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust, which is 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: the one that serves us. It turned out that the 7 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: event has also proved to be some early training for 8 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,639 Speaker 1: a group of local lads calling themselves the Rescue Warriors. 9 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: You might remember that these were the ones who biked 10 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: the length of the country a few years back, something 11 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 1: called Tour Alteroa. One of the Warriors is Bruce Cowley. 12 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: Stopped by for a chance and we were reflecting on 13 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: that mission. 14 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 2: I'm blaming my wife for this. She brought me a 15 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 2: book to go on a coffee table the twenty sixteen 16 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 2: to a t erow so that was the original bike 17 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 2: ride from Cape Rihanna to Bluff. And I read this 18 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 2: book and I thought, well, that's what I'm going to do. 19 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: You didn't think about it just taking up golf, for 20 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: I played. 21 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: Golf before, done or done done, all that sort of stuff. 22 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 2: But I just thought I needed a challenge. And it's 23 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 2: on a head of a challenge. And I talked to 24 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 2: a couple of bikers on a member of the Hinds lines, 25 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: and I talked to a few of the fellows out there, 26 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: and all of a sudden there was four that were 27 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 2: quite keen to four of us that were quite keen 28 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 2: to do the twenty twenty two to a tier rows. 29 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: So who were those four other briefs? 30 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: So there was myself, there was David Keeley, WOOLLYE. Leffrinck 31 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 2: and Warren Harris with the four original rescue warriors. Ifebruary 32 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: the twenty fifth was the day we left. It was 33 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 2: actually my sixtieth birthday. Was riding down ninety mile Beach 34 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 2: was a boring, boring ride down. 35 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: Ninety Beach to believe me. Okay, so the beginning wasn't 36 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: highlighted the trend. 37 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 2: Well, no, it was probably. It was probably the toughest day, 38 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 2: and actually from then on it actually tended to get 39 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: a bit easier. 40 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: So the burn was the greatest out to day way. 41 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was just it was just constant. You couldn't 42 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 2: see an end of point. It was just seen and 43 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 2: you couldn't see an endpoint, and you had head wind 44 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 2: all day. So it was tough work. You look forward to. 45 00:01:59,360 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: It for a start. 46 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 2: It didn't take long before you got sick of it. 47 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: Overall, it was what three thousand kilometers three thousand kilometers? 48 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: And how long did it take? 49 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 2: We did it in twenty four days. We left with 50 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 2: the thought that we would have our off days when 51 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: the bad weather, when we struck bad weather. We rode 52 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 2: the length of New Zealand in twenty four days continuously 53 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 2: with one hour of rain on the west coast. What, Yeah, 54 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: a great way to see the country. Because we were 55 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: doing you know, one hundred and twenty k's a day, 56 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: something like that. And there were some real tough some 57 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: real tough areas of monotypic track between Nelson and picton 58 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 2: very steep, very shingly. You were pushing bikes, and of 59 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 2: course our bikes are fully laden, we were unsupported. So 60 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 2: we carried our tents, We carried all our gear with 61 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 2: us on our. 62 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 1: Bikes, your water and stuff too. 63 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 2: Yes, you carried your water, so you're sort of always carrying, 64 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 2: you know, sort of a minimum of three liters of 65 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 2: water if you could, if you could do that. But 66 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: we stopped at every shot, you know. But there were 67 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 2: some places coming through the middle of the North Island, 68 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 2: there was no shops were right the bush, so you 69 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 2: were riding for quite some time. 70 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: So wow, most of the terre. 71 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 2: The great thing about it, whether we enjoyed I suppose 72 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 2: you were off track for a lot of off road 73 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 2: for a lot of it, so you're on single tracks 74 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: and formed properly formed bike tracks. So yeah, right, it 75 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 2: was a great a great ride. I probably wouldn't enjoy 76 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: it doing it on road. The same we are on 77 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 2: road for parts of it. They can't be missed. 78 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: But our roads seem to be built four cars, not 79 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: necessarily for sharing. 80 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 2: Yes, exactly right. And we didn't notice that about up 81 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 2: up around Aland, and that there was a couple of 82 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 2: times that some cars got a wee bit close and 83 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 2: you're a wee. 84 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: Bit lgious about it, and yeah, whereas when. 85 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 2: We come down to the South Island, we go down 86 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 2: the West Coast, so we do the West Coast Wilderness Trail, 87 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: so we're off the roads and new Yeah. 88 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:46,119 Speaker 1: Right. 89 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 2: Unfortunately it is on the other side of the island. 90 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 2: But the fundraisers that were for West Coast Rescue covers 91 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 2: the West Coast and Canterbury. 92 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it does.