Rather than enjoying BBQs and beers in the sun, an Auckland bloke is spending the summer scootering the length of the country on a shitty scooter.
On December 27th, 25-year-old Air Force aviator Jackson Harland took off from Cape Reinga on his 49cc moped with the hopes of reaching Bluff by January 14th.
He’s taking on the mammoth 3,500km effort in hopes of raising funds for the Cancer Society and Heart Foundation. Jackson chose these causes as cancer and heart disease are NZ’s two biggest killers, and has set up a Givealittle page for donations.
“I was thinking about what I can do with my summer holidays,” he told Stuff. “And I thought, well, why don’t I ride a moped from Cape Reinga to Bluff?
"And then I thought if I am going to self-punish myself that far, I might as well do it for a big cause.”
“Cancer and heart disease patients don’t get to choose when they get diagnosed, so why should I get to relax when they can’t?”.
At the time of writing, Jackson is on day ten of his adventure, most recently stopping in Picton. He said he’s been put through the wringer a bit thanks to the weather and an uncomfortable seat.
“I like an adventure and thought the weather would be good around this time of year, turns out it isn’t,” he said. “The weather has been pretty atrocious in parts and been wet to the bone a few times.”
“Definitely a few body pains, especially my tailbone, it feels like it’s dissolving. These scooters aren’t made for endurance.”
Jackson added that he’s making sure to avoid busy highways to not piss off all the holiday drivers with his slow driving. What a guy.
You can keep track of Jackson’s travels on his Instagram and, if you can, make sure to donate to his Givealittle.
