"If you haven't got your health, you haven't got much."
That is the philosophy which encouraged David Black to get up
long before the birds or the sun yesterday and walk for two
and a-half hours from his Mosgiel home to work in Dunedin.
The 46-year-old was one of an estimated 600 people who made
similar journeys, if not shorter ones, as part of Walk to
Work Day 2010.
Mr Black left home at 5am.
He walked through Kinmont, Fairfield, Green Island, Lookout
Point, Mornington and down High St - taking a short detour
past Speight's to refill his water bottle - before arriving
at work in the city centre about 7.30am.
"And I'd do it again next week," he said.
"It's funny.
When they had the Bike to Work Day last month, I thought blow
that - too many hills between here and Mosgiel."
However, Mr Black said he was motivated to walk to work after
a recent trip to northern Thailand.
"The kids there are perishing due to malnutrition and poor
health.
"There's nothing like a visit to a developing country to make
you appreciate what you've got."
Other groups walked from Ravensbourne, Northeast Valley and
South Dunedin to the Octagon, where they were given vouchers
for coffee and muffins.
Event organiser Charlotte Flaherty said she had 500 vouchers
to hand out this year, and ran out of them before 8am.
Of the estimated 600 people who walked to work, about 200
started their journey by the train that ran from Waitati to
Dunedin, stopping at Michies Crossing, Osborne, Purakaunui,
Mihiwaka, upper Port Chalmers, Sawyers Bay and Maia.
She was delighted with the number of people participating
this year - particularly the effort by Mr Black.
"The purpose is to encourage active transport and get people
out of their cars.
"Mr Black's effort was magnificent - what an effort."
- john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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