No, they haven't been pulled over for speeding. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
No, they haven't been pulled over for speeding. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
Two intrepid Northlanders are just a few hundred kilometres from the finish line in a tuktuk race the length of India.
Houhora police officer Tracee Knowler and Advocate reporter Kristin Edge, calling themselves the Chickshaw Blues, are taking part in a 3500-kilometre charity rally from Shillong in north India toCochin in the south. The catch is that they are driving a tuktuk, a three-wheeled motorised rickshaw described as a glorified lawnmower.
Money they raise will go to the Miriam Centre in Whangarei to provide counselling for sexual abuse victims in the Far North.
They have battled crazy traffic, giant potholes, almost daily breakdowns and (in Ms Knowler's case) a bout of Delhi belly. They have also been amazed, at times reduced to tears, by the kindness and generosity of strangers in a poor land.
The pair are determined to reach the finish line in time for the post-race party on August 21 so have twice loaded their tuktuk on to a truck in a bid to get ahead. Even then it can take 12 hours to travel 500km.
The race rules allow the occasional use of trucks or trains. Tuktuks are so slow that finishing the race in two weeks would otherwise be impossible.
The pair struck gold on day 11 when they had all but given up negotiating a decent price for a truck. A new-found friend intervened and got them a better rate.
"Many chai teas later and a truck was ready and waiting. A team of men lifted our beast up on to the deck and she was secured with rope," Ms Edge said.
Houhora officer Tracee Knowler (centre) and Advocate reporter Kristin Edge with their Indian police escort. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
"We had to travel on the back of the truck but it was an amazing experience watching everyone's reactions as they passed us. Tried to give the guy who helped us out for about three hours the equivalent of $10 and he refused to take it. Nearly brought me to tears. Such a generous man," she said.
The day before they were pulled over by Ms Knowler's counterparts in the Indian police force. The officers insisted on escorting their tuktuk for the next 125km, even taking them to a hotel and inspecting the room to make sure it was up to standard.
