Bashed, robbed - but NZ's nice

Irishman Paul Mack has been all over New Zealand and is now looking forward to the South American leg of his mission. Photo / Alan Gibson

He's been robbed twice, bashed for wearing the wrong colour and been in three hospitals, but as he prepares to leave New Zealand, Irishman Paul Mack says he can't wait to come back.

The 48-year-old has cycled 1500km - from Auckland to Invercargill - since March to spread a message of love, hope and kindness to the world.

He is cycling through 42 countries on his eight-year Blanket Earth project, collecting signatures on blankets in each place.

The blankets - with words such as "bringing" and "love" on them - will be stitched together in Ireland and presented at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

A week after he arrived in New Zealand, his video and still cameras, two iPods, a discman, shoes, clothing, travel documents and credit cards were stolen from his bike outside St James Parish Union Church in Thames while he was inside praying.

His cellphone was taken from his pocket while he was playing pool in a bar in Tauranga, but the two men who took it were captured on security film and the police soon nabbed them.

Mr Mack was also punched in the face by Mongrel Mob members for wearing blue bandannas around his neck and head.

He says the head of the Mongrel Mob came to see him afterwards to apologise.

The incident happened at a hotel but Mr Mack won't say in what town, as he doesn't want to damage the reputation of the place, which he said had "generally nice people".

"This is the nicest country in the world. There's just a very small element of people who need to learn manners. The love is paramount. I will definitely be back."

In another incident, Mr Mack was fallen on and urinated upon by an intoxicated man while he was sleeping at a house in Dunedin.

He has been having physiotherapy on a shoulder injured in the incident.

Mr Mack has also been in hospital twice to have cysts removed from his backside and a third time when he started urinating blood.

New Zealand is the sixth country on Mr Mack's list, after Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Holland and Australia.

He started the project in 2004, giving up a job in advertising in Australia.

The idea to collect signatures on blankets came after he gave a blanket to a homeless man and felt happy he'd helped someone.

He will leave for Argentina in two weeks.

The Herald spoke to Mr Mack at Napier's Brazenhead Irish pub, where he will be collecting blanket signatures tonight.