Anakiwa to Auckland-the hard way

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 248, 28 June 1988, Page 5

Anakiwa to Auckland-the hard way

Six ex-criminals are currently trekking, cycling and kayaking their way through New Zealand on an outdoor odyssey led by Turangi1 s Graeme Dingle.

The month-long expedition, which will pass through the Waimarino, is designed to focus attention, in a positive way, on the problem of violence in the community. "The Journey", a Telethon '88 project, could also raise up to $200,000 for NZ Home and Neighbourhood Trust schemes aiming to reduce violence in the community, preserve families and neighbourhoods and assist the victims o f violence. Six young offenders aged 18 to 24 are on the gruelling, monthlong sponsored journey from Outward Bound at Anakiwa across Cook Strait by kayak t o Porirua and through the T araruas to Palmerston North.

The group will pass through Waiouru and Ohakune in mid-July. They will 1 e a v e Ohakune and trek up to the Turoa shelter, over Ruapehu, down the Mangatoetoenui Glacier to State Highway 1. They will journey on to Lake Taupo, paddle down the Waikato River through Hamilton, ending the journey in Auckland. The marathon trek involves kayaking, mountaineering, tramping and bush survival skills and will push the young offenders to the edge of their endurance limits. Justice Minister Geoffrey Palmer said: "It is remarkable that these young men, who have committed offences in the past and paid for these mistakes, are now giving a

month oi their lives to raise money for a cause which aims to reduce violence in the community," he said. "I am happy to support this effort to rehabilitate themselves and achieve a difficult goal through their own efforts." "The Journey" was organised and promoted by The Woolrest Foundation, a registered charitable trust aiming for Innovative social reform in New Zealand. Mountaineer adventurer Graeme Dingle, executive director of the Foundation, will lead "The Journey" with Outdoor Pursuits Centre instructor Greg Brosnan and probation officer Doug Roberts. Mr Dingle said strict criteria, including physical capability of undertaking the gruelling trek, had been used in selecting the six young offenders. "Willingness to accept responsibility for past offending and evidence of a genuine desire to modify their future behaviour so they would lead a better lifestyle than before were high priority requirements." The p e r s o n a 1 rehabilitation of the offenders will be monitored during the challenge and a television documentary screened by TVNZ in September. "We are aiming to mobilise public com-

mitment to soiving the problem of violence in the community," Graeme Dingle said. 'The Woolrest Foundation is working to involve - and to raise Telethon funds from - groups in the Justice system, such as convicted offenders in custody, the police, the Justice Department, plus gang members. "A corporate sponsor is being organised for each of the participants on 'The Journey', " he said. We are delighted to announce Government Life, Mainzeal Group and Hitchcock Realty Brokers have each donated $10,000 to T elethon, plus $ 1 5 0 0

for equipment, clothing and food needed b y 'their' young offender during the marathon trek. "Though Telethon officially ends the day after we set out, we are hoping m a j o r contributions will also come from fundraising events and 'The Journey Continues . . .' Tshirt saies at 'stopovers' along the way, as well as telephone pledges to a toll-free line in Turangi," he said. Mr Dingle said six young offenders had been selected for the gruelling trip and "The Journey" leaders had already spent a weekend with them in the bush at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre of New Zealand, near Turangi.