A Queenstowner’s walking the 1400-kilometre length of the South Island in pursuit of mental, physical and charitable goals.
Matt Rose, 61, who set off on the Te Araroa Trail yesterday, from Ship Cove in the Marlborough Sounds, says the walk’s primarily ‘‘a personal journey’’ in response to mental challenges he’s faced.
However, for additional motivation he’s seeking to raise a healthy sum for charities close to his heart.
A financial adviser who first moved to Queenstown in ’95, he says he’s experienced some inexplicable mental health episodes over the past two years, possibly triggered by the pandemic, that had him questioning his worth.
He’s walking, therefore, ‘‘to repair a weary mind and to immerse myself in nature for my inner peace’’.
He committed to his mission last winter — ‘‘I’m at an age and stage where I thought if I don’t commit to it now, I never will’’.
Having never walked more than three or four days in a row, ‘‘this is something really outside of my comfort zone’’, he says.
Depending on his feet, his fitness, tenacity, the weather and ‘‘buckets of good luck’’, he’s targeting to reach Stirling Point, Bluff, in 70 days.
Allowing for 14 rest and bad-weather days, he’ll aim to traverse about 25km a day.
His other aim’s to raise at least $250,000 which he’ll split evenly amongst 10 charities that resonate with him.
‘‘If I meet the target, it’s fabulous.’’
The first charity’s the Wakatipu Community Foundation for an endowment fund to support mental health initiatives — the foundation’s also administering his fundraising.
The others are Melanoma New Zealand, Rainbow Youth, Christchurch City Mission, Antarctic Heritage Trust, Braintree Wellness Centre (for people suffering neurological conditions, and their whānau), Champion Foundation Trust (early intervention services for infants and youngsters with significant disabilities, and their families), Wakatipu High School Foundation, Bruce Grant Youth Trust and Hollyford Conservation Trust.
Rose and his wife, Rachel, have chipped in the first $10,000.
Through his website, mattsgoodwalk.nz, he’s asking people to donate based on cents per kilometres.
Anyone contributing at least $140 goes into a draw for Queenstown-centric prizes worth $7000-plus.
The winning donor can put the package up for a 48-hour auction on Trade Me, with the highest bid going to the charitable trust that runs the Te Araroa Trail.
