To champion men’s mental health, Andrew Robinson rode all 23 Great Rides across New Zealand in November.
He began in his hometown of Kerikeri and ended in his new home of Queenstown on Sunday.
Initially, he was hoping to raise $10,000 per trail but ultimately his goal came to be about completing the challenge he had set out for himself, he said.
"I think the biggest lesson I learned from the whole thing ... well, there were two.
"One is the answers you’re looking for are in the silence you’re avoiding."
The second lesson was " this too shall pass", he said.
However, that was a two-pronged lesson.
"... If it’s currently tough, eventually it’ll pass ... and you can accept that if you’re currently having a great time, this too shall pass.
"So you have to take the highs and the lows.
"You can’t just have that mentality when times are tough, if that makes sense."
His only method of transport last month was his bike or a boat when absolutely necessary. He camped out for about half the nights with offers of accommodation gratefully received the rest of the time.
Having grappled with his mental health since the age of 12 he knew that things being "difficult" could be relative.
"For some people, riding 6000km is difficult.
"For others, getting out of bed is difficult.
"My goal ... is to inspire people to step outside their comfort zone, do difficult things, have meaningful conversations and provide space for those who need help. Either way, it’s about showing up, doing the hard thing, and finding meaning through that."
"For me, the outdoors and doing difficult things has always provided space to think and to just be.
"It’s also given me the confidence to push through tough times when they come.
"Running’s phenomenal, but you can switch off. Riding’s different. Especially on technical singletrack — you can’t switch off, which means you have to be present. That’s what I love about it."
Mr Robinson’s Movember page says $50 can help prepare a man with a plan on how and when to reach out to a friend who is struggling with their mental health through the Movember Conversations programme.
He raised $5605 for the cause.
