Instead, Mark ‘Willy’ Williams is aiming to raise $30,000 by jumping onboard, this week, a length-of-New Zealand bikepacking challenge.
He’s on the first wave of the 10th-anniversary Tour Aotearoa, in which participants make their own way, mostly off-road, from Cape Reinga, in the far north, to Bluff.
Williams is hoping to complete the 3018km distance in about two weeks.
And he’s encouraging locals to sponsor him for each kilometre or day’s riding he completes.
QTT’s raised about half the $850,000 for the 2.3km trail, including $313,000 from Central Lakes Trust and $100,000 from developer Park Ridge Ltd.
‘‘We’re hoping the [southern corridor] community and maybe some corporates or developers realise the importance of this — it’s not a huge amount when you look at the scale of some of these projects that are ongoing.’’
Williams believes the long-awaited trail, linking with existing trails in Hanley’s Farm and Jack’s Point, will be a ‘‘massive game-changer’’, especially for students and commuters.
Otherwise, with continuing southern corridor developments, including the just-approved Homestead Bay, he foresees traffic congestion worsening.
Once the full sum’s raised, the project — currently going through detailed design — can be tendered and contracted out mid-year for completion by Christmas.
Williams adds he’s very grateful to landowners James Patterson, Darby Partners and Mike Mee for granting easements for the trail.
Meanwhile, for Tour Aotearoa, starting during Aotearoa Bike Month, he’s using the same Salsa Cutthroat bike he used for the 4345km Tour Divide in North America in 2024.
Now 52, he says he’s not as fast as he used to be, but he’ll rely on his capacity for endurance to hopefully complete about 215km a day.
For his last day, he’s planning to take a boat from Queenstown to Walter Peak then bike all the way to Bluff.
To follow his progress and donate, visit shorturl.at/w30h5
