Setting off from Cape Reinga in November last year 23-year-old Daniel Lee embarked on a unique mission to walk the length of the country and raise funds for the Hawke's Bay Lowe Corporation helicopter.
It took him four months to walk the Te Araroa trail from Cape Reinga to Bluff and his primary motivator was to "give back" to the local rescue chopper that had flown him to hospital after he was involved in a serious tractor accident at 6-years-old.
On Thursday afternoon Mr Lee was celebrating at a local bar with his family after completing the walk and raising more than $18,000 for the local rescue chopper.
"I was never, ever going to quit. I always really wanted to do this walk and I also wanted to give back as well so they were the two big drivers to do it.
"I had a lot of tough days for sure where I asked myself what the hell I was doing but I never, ever once thought about stopping."