Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Trail trek to help rescue helicopter

By Emma Russell
Whanganui Chronicle·
14 Jan, 2017 08:28 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Former Wanganui Collegiate student Daniel Lee is doing the Te Araroa Trail to raise money for the organisation that saved his life.

Former Wanganui Collegiate student Daniel Lee is doing the Te Araroa Trail to raise money for the organisation that saved his life.

A tall, dread-haired man was spotted roaming the rural roads of Whanganui and Rangitikei this week.

Former Wanganui Collegiate student Daniel Lee has dedicated five months to walking the length of New Zealand to fundraise for the organisation that saved his life.

He is tackling the Te Araroa trail, which stretches from Cape Reinga in the north to Bluff in the south, and which opened on December 3, 2011.

It has quickly grown into an international attraction with more than 300 people walking the track each year,about 90 per cent of them foreigners.

The 23-year-old is one of the 10 per cent committed to sucking up every ounce of beauty New Zealand has to offer. "I lived in Whanganui for five years, while I was attending Collegiate, and never explored the region's surrounding adventure," Mr Lee said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Having survived a serious accident 17 years ago, Mr Lee decided Te Araroa was the perfect opportunity to give back to the Hawke's Bay rescue helicopter which saved his life, and he has set up a Givealittle page.

Mr Lee brought in the New Year by canoeing down the Whanganui River.

Chuffed with his efforts and a break from all the walking, he said it was the highlight of his trip so far. The advice he offered enthusiasts considering the trip was this: "Commit, don't hesitate, do it sooner, rather than later. Alternatively contemplate doing it in sections. We shouldn't take New Zealand for granted when it has soon much to offer all at our fingertips.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I've only had three or four days of walking alone, the rest have been filled up with people I've met along the way and friends joining me for a day or two", says Mr Lee.

German couple Michael Wanger , 23, and Jo Rachel, 25, are one of the few Mr Lee has met on his walk so far.

They met in Taumarunui pre Christmas and caught up again with the couple for a night in Feilding last Tuesday.

Mr Wanger says they wanted to see New Zealand and Te Araoa seemed like the perfect opportunity.

The couple have completed all but two days without social media in order to make the most of the trip, they say.

However, Mr Wanger admitted the free WiFi at the Whanganui library was a good chance to make contact with friends and family.

Age is no excuse either, says Mr Lee, who encountered a 67-year-old Dutch man on the journey. "I have even heard of a 70-year-old Kiwi," he said.

Donations can be made at:https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/danswalk

Currently Mr Lee has raised nearly $7500 with a $10,000 goal by the end of the trip. He began his adventure on November 7 and aims to complete the trip by the beginning of April.

-More information can also be found through Mr Lee's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/walkforacause.hbrescuehelicopter/?pnref=story

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Earthquakes every six to seven minutes detected under Mt Ruapehu

08 Jul 10:48 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

'Serious shortcomings' in pilot academy management and systems - authority

08 Jul 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Health NZ stops funds for Fit for Surgery programme

08 Jul 05:01 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Earthquakes every six to seven minutes detected under Mt Ruapehu

Earthquakes every six to seven minutes detected under Mt Ruapehu

08 Jul 10:48 PM

Volcanic tremor remains low; Mt Ruapehu is at Volcanic Alert Level 1.

'Serious shortcomings' in pilot academy management and systems - authority

'Serious shortcomings' in pilot academy management and systems - authority

08 Jul 06:00 PM
Health NZ stops funds for Fit for Surgery programme

Health NZ stops funds for Fit for Surgery programme

08 Jul 05:01 PM
'The truth will come out': Scott Guy's parents speak 15 years after unsolved murder

'The truth will come out': Scott Guy's parents speak 15 years after unsolved murder

08 Jul 09:03 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP