Mr Kerr (47) was in Dunedin yesterday, having begun his trek to Cape Reinga a month ago, in Bluff.
He is not walking every step of the journey. He arrived in the city via Dunedin Railways from Middlemarch, and moved on to Waitati yesterday, again by train.
He had long wanted to walk Te Araroa, New New Zealand's national walking trail, which stretches 3000km from Bluff to Cape Reinga, and he plans to walk the equivalent distance.
He is recording his progress at markwalksforlife.com on his internet blog site.
Walking alone, he has already had some moving experiences, including, encountering the ``remarkable black sky'' studded with thousands of stars.
He had a recent close encounter, near the Otago Central Rail Trail, with a possum which was trying to get into a water bottle he had left outside the tent.
``Rather than get out of the tent in the darkness I reached for my headlamp and blinded myself with its light before turning it more effectively to the outside. Did the trick and fortunately the bottle was still in good nick.''
Last December, he suddenly realised he had been putting off a ``bucket list'' experience, and left his job, co-ordinating shore trips and other logistics for cruise ship passengers.
Completing the walk would be a ``personal achievement'', but he also wanted to ``make a difference'' and raise money for St John, initially $3500. This was the cost of a First Response kit used by all ambulance officers and containing ``essential equipment for patient treatment''.
And he has already raised more than $2000.
