Ice challenge of a different kind - Kiwi's plan to ski to South Pole

John Dennis, pictured with son Aaron, plans to become the first Kiwi to ski to the South Pole.

When father-of-two John Dennis decided he wanted to ski to the South Pole, his first step was to take a "business case" to his wife Heidi.

"It was January when I pitched it to my wife - and when I say pitched I mean pitched. I created a document with some background research. I had been speaking to logistics companies and other people who had done expeditions, so when I went to her it was a real concerted effort to make sure she didn't think I'd gone mad."

Mrs Dennis was "quiet for a couple of days". But she said yes.

John Dennis plans to become the first Kiwi to ski to the South Pole and will use the trip to raise depression awareness.

Mr Dennis, a Kiwi now living in Britain who turns 40 next month, aims to be the first New Zealander to ski solo to the South Pole from the edge of the Antarctic continent, a 1170km trek that will take 37 to 40 days, pulling a sled with his tent and supplies.

Until recently, Mr Dennis's life has been much more ordinary.

He met his English wife Heidi in New Zealand in 1998 and followed her to Britain in 2000. They have two children.

He started a business making steel-framed housing and built it up but the business crashed when recession hit in 2008 and since then he has had only short-term contracts.

Last year he suffered a severe bout of depression.

"It just snuck up on me," he said. "I had gone into an inward shell and was hiding from everything and doing my best to evaporate, for want of a better word. I spent several weeks lying in bed."

He went to a psychologist and had weekly counselling until May this year. He wants to use the expedition, dare2express, to raise awareness of depression.

"For me it's just a great way of pushing myself, showing people that if you do push yourself you can get out the other side," he said.

He needs to raise $185,000 in corporate sponsorship and is aiming for $70,000 of that from New Zealand.

He also plans to channel donations to two mental health charities in Britain and one in New Zealand - Live More Awesome which plans to use any money raised towards a scheme to get school students to write down five things they feel grateful for at the end of each week, a practice that has raised school attendance and cut bullying in the United States.

While his daughter Daisy, 8, is a bit nervous about the expedition, his wife is now on board and son Aaron, 10, "just thinks it's cool".