Every year Blair Jones escapes to the Maniototo hills in search of silence and solitude.
However, this year the Dunedin-based support worker has added an extra element to his annual trek, hiking 120km in the Hawkdun Range to raise funds for the Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust.
The trust provides support to families impacted by suicide or those who are suicidal.
Mr Jones said he had been to the Oteake Conservation Park — a conservation area of almost 65,000ha of mountainous high country ranges which straddle Otago and Canterbury — and thought his annual trek would be a good opportunity to try to raise some funds for an important cause.
"People’s mental health is coming more into the public eye and I think a lot of people struggle.
"We all know someone — a family member, partners, colleagues, going through tough times and I thought that was a worthwhile cause."
Returning from overseas four years ago he decided to finally get out and explore the area that had intrigued him as a child.
"Ever since then I’ve just been going there once a year for the silence and the solitude and getting away from it all."
Mr Jones began his hike at 7am yesterday, starting at the entrance to the conservation area and walking to Mt Ida.
He would then double back along the range and finish at Falls Dam — a trip he believed would see him in the hills for four nights.
Mr Jones had set up a Givealittle page with a fund-raising goal of $1000.
To give go to www.givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/hiking-the-hawkduns-raising-money-for-s...
