Lake Ohau man John Smithies (72) has been riding his trusty three-gear pre-World War 2 bicycle from Cape Reinga since September 15, raising awareness of the blood cancers lymphoma and leukaemia.
He has also raised about $10,000 for the organisation Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand along the way to Bluff, where he hopes to arrive next week, after a few days' rest at his son's place in Dunedin this week.
Fit, healthy and always having enjoyed tramping, climbing and cycling, latterly together with his late wife of 42 years Alison, his latest adventure was not about himself, but about cancer, he said.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma took Mrs Smithies' life in 2011.
Diagnosed in 2001, she and her husband decided to continue their active lifestyle as long as they could, Mr Smithies saidThey built a house at Lake Ohau, went tramping and sailing, and Mrs Smithies doubled her efforts in the garden and as a environmentalist.
During her 10 years with the disease, the couple became aware that people did not know a lot about lymphoma or the other blood cancers, and had planned to do the cycle trip together, Mrs Smithies as support crew, to give something back to the people who had supported them, but she died first.
Not one to let life pass him by, Mr Smithies decided he could do it on his own despite the initial concerns of his four adult children, who were worried about his safety, but who now fully supported his effort.
The original bike from Fleet Bicycles in Christchurch, which he found abandoned after the Christchurch earthquakes under the hedge on a demolition site in Christchurch, had served him well, although its three gears were ''definitely not enough''.
''Oh, I've done a fair bit of walking, all right,'' he said.
Blood cancers
• Blood cancers combined (leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma) are fifth most common form of cancer in NZ.
• Lymphoma most common cancer in 15- to 24-year-olds.
• Leukaemia most common childhood cancer, but 90% of cases diagnosed in adulthood.
• Nearly 900 people diagnosed with lymphoma every year.
• About 2200 people diagnosed with a blood cancer each year.
• Lymphoma more common than leukaemia10,000 New Zealanders estimated to be living with blood cancer.
• The cause is unknown.
