Great views for charity walk

Kathy Jenkins

Boasting both forest and coastal views, the Parkinson's Hawke's Bay charity walk is back and this year it will traverse one of New Zealand's largest wildlife sanctuaries of its kind.

The Cape Sanctuary will be the landscape for the walk, which is returning after a few years' absence.

Cape Sanctuary spokesman Andy Lowe was happy to open the private property up to the public on March 12 when asked by charity chairwoman Kathy Jenkins.

While Mr Lowe said he helped out within the community often, this charity was particularly special to him.

"It helped my father out a lot and supported him. He had Parkinson's for 15 years."

The private sanctuary aimed to bring back communities of birds, reptiles and invertebrates that would once have existed on the Cape Kidnappers peninsula.

Adamant that people didn't "suffer" from Parkinson's, Mrs Jenkins said it was a "condition" that one in 500 people had, including herself.

"It doesn't kill you, you die with it," she said, and raising community awareness was crucial to reach the $100,000 it reportedly costs for the services provided to locals.

"GPs will seldom see a case of Parkinson's, so it's important to have the support of the charity", which included informing families as well as providing home visits by a registered nurse, she said.

Unfortunately, Mrs Jenkins could not attend the walk.

"Murphy's law," she said.

Instead she would be undergoing deep brain stimulation in Auckland.

"Only 10 per cent of people are suitable for the surgery which is offered to just 14 people a year in New Zealand, and only after a lengthy application process," she said.

The surgery is relatively new in New Zealand and people once had to travel to Australia and Germany to receive it.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders states the surgery consists of using a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device to deliver electrical stimulation to specific areas in the brain that control movement and block abnormal nerve signals.

"I'm excited but anxious at the same time," said Mrs Jenkins, whose husband would accompany her to Auckland for the surgery.

Their 24-year-old daughter, Hayley Jenkins, would be on-hand to assist with the walk.

With 50 tickets for the event already sold, people are encouraged to get in quick as the remaining 150 go on sale to the wider public from next week.

Tickets for the walk are $50 and include a lunch put on by Paella A Go Go.

The leisurely walk would begin about 9am and was timed with low tide so people could stroll back along the coast.

People could choose between a 17km walk, which climbs 250m, or a less strenuous option of 14km.

For tickets email jenkinsb@xtra.co.nz or call Kathy Jenkins on 027 439 5097.