The route Mr Gower-Rudman took was almost the one he had planned out, skipping Taupo and staying in Cambridge, and skipping Timaru and going to Dunedin.
"It definitely shows it can be done, you just need a positive frame of mind. Social media and online is the future."
He didn't wish to divulge if he had used the app to "hook up" with anyone along the way but said he had met some cool people on his travels.