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| Cycling with the Poor team stormed through South Island |  | | |
February 16, 2008
At the end of their epic journey the Cycling with the Poor team was in high spirits. They had successfully cycled the length of the South Island on a tandem mountain bike, traversing rough back-country terrain through the Southern Alps.
The team, led by the Pawson family of Christchurch, aimed to raise $100,000 for World Vision’s Born to be Free projects in India – to prevent children being bonded into labour or trafficked.
Whenever he could get internet access along the route, Sean Pawson – father and team leader of the expedition – blogged on cyclingwiththepoor.co.nz about the team’s experiences:
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Sean Pawson (right) and his family with the custom-built tandem mountain bike they used to traverse the South Island, raising money for World Vision.
PHOTO: CHRIS BROWN
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I’m sitting in a deer shed at Mt Hamilton Station reflecting on a long day and hoping I get enough sleep before kicking into gear tomorrow morning,” he wrote.
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The route today took us through a valley system along the eastern side of the Takitimu mountains and then up the Oreti River valley to Mt Hamilton. There were a few short grunty climbs to deal to. Anna [age 16 – Sean and Gill Pawson’s second daughter] and I dug deep however and managed to nail the pitch. Anna stoked powerfully on the hills. Her volleyball team used to call her Springs because of the power in her legs... I could certainly feel the power kicking in when we needed it. The sight of a bull and a herd of cows saw her pushing even harder … as she reminded me how she was chased and butted by a cow as a toddler!
Sean spent months plotting the route the team took. Though the journey was physically and mentally exhausting, he relished the chance to talk to people about World Vision's work..
“A farmer with two young children pulled up alongside us in his ute on one stretch of dirt and his kids called out, ‘Hey we saw you in the paper!’ Another farmer stopped to yarn and find out how things were going. Local people are being hugely supportive of the ride and the needs of the bonded children in India. Many are horrified when they hear the about this form of modern-day slavery.”
Sean says the team had only minor setbacks, including the odd wrong turn.
“ Missed our first turn into Island Bush forest and had to back-track 500 metres to access the forestry road. A missed landmark later in the day led to an embarrassing 8km tour in the wrong direction, into the teeth of the wind. We may finish up riding 2000 kms by the end of the journey if we are not more alert. GPS is great but you still have to check it regularly to ensure you are following your route! ”
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The Cycling with the Poor team spent months preparing and training for their arduous ride through the Southern Alps.
PHOTO: CHRIS BROWN
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The Cycling with the Poor team was inspired by a trip to India in May 2007, where the Pawson family saw one of World Vision’s Born to be Free projects for themselves.
They followed an arduous route through the Southern Alps on mountain bike and four-wheel drive tracks. They began at Colac Bay on Monday January 14 and finished in the Marlborough Sounds on Saturday February 16.
To make a donation to help the Cycling with the Poor team reach their $100,000 target, phone World Vision on 0800 800 766.
Read more of Sean's blog updates at www.cyclingwiththepoor.co.nz
Read about Cycling with the Poor on www.nzherald.co.nz by clicking here
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