Peddling through Wānaka late last week, Mr Joe said his love for unicycling started during the Covid lockdown.
"I had found an old rusty unicycle and put it under my house.
"Then when we were in Covid lockdown I pulled it out, and now I just love it," he said.
Mr Joe said his children were also interested in unicycling, playing unicycle hockey.
The 57-year-old from Stratford, in Taranaki, said the addition of a set of handlebars allowed him to stay on the bike for longer.
"Most people can only stay on for about an hour.
"The handle bars add weight, which then takes the weight off the seat.
"It also helps me on the uphills," he said
Regularly sleeping in public bathrooms and bus stops, Mr Joe said the stop in Wānaka left him well rested.
"I had a tent, but sent it back to my parents’ house because it was just too heavy to carry on the bike.
"A husband and wife from Wānaka saw me coming over the Crown Range, caught up to me as I was taking a rest and said I was welcome to stay at their house," he said.
Mr Joe — who is raising money for Water Aid, an international not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene available to everyone — said trying to beat the world record was just a "thing on the side" and he was happy to be "out here doing it".
Updates on Mr Joe’s world record attempt can be found via his Instagram.
