John Smithies will set off from Cape Reinga tomorrow, on a bike he found abandoned on a demolition site in Christchurch in the wake of the 2011 earthquake.
''I reckon it's about the same age as me - 1940s vintage. It's pretty rusty and only has three gears, but it should get me there.''
The 72 year-old said he would ride to Bluff in memory of his wife Alison, who died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma two years ago.
Mr Smithies, a keen tramper and cyclist, said he did not have a training programme for the trip, but added that his healthy and active lifestyle should be enough to get him all the way and raise some money for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand in the process. He expected the journey to take about three months. Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand chief executive Pru Etcheverry was ''incredible touched'' by Mr Smithies' efforts.
''His huge personal quest to raise awareness of lymphoma is inspirational, as it's the sixth most common form of cancer in New Zealand yet very few people have heard of it or are aware of its signs and symptoms,'' she said.
