Dougie Haynes is walking Te Araroa trail carrying two sets of golf clubs. Photo / Fin Ocheduszko Brown
Walking the length of New Zealand is hard enough but Mangawhai’s Dougie Haynes is going one step further by carrying two sets of golf clubs to raise money for KidsCan.
Haynes, originally from Oxford in England, is a full-time caddie, plying his trade at Tara Iti and Te Arai Links golf clubs in Mangawhai.
He moved to New Zealand in 2019 and said the inspiration to attempt Te Araroa trail was from seeing other hikers pass through his town.
“I’ve known in my heart that it’s something I want to complete,” Haynes said.
In late October, he set off with two sets of golf clubs, one on each shoulder.
One is his own set of clubs, packed full with gear to navigate and survive the trail and the other he came across in the lost and found at his work, loaded with a mixture of kids’ and women’s clubs.
He estimates his golf set weighs about 25kg.
The 31-year-old was in Whanganui on January 5-6, treating himself to a rest day.
Haynes was in Taumarunui when the bulk of the bad New Year weather hit but he said that resulted in a more efficient river section, due to the high water level.
It was the first part of the trail that required his golf clubs to be driven while he paddled down the Whanganui River.
Haynes has visited Whanganui before, completing the 2024 3 Bridges half-marathon with a friend.
He said he liked the area and could see himself moving to Whanganui in the future.
“It’s always been sunny when I’ve been here and I really like the Durie Hill Elevator – it’s a cracking view,” he said.
“That felt like a step back in time for me, which you don’t really feel in other parts of New Zealand.”
He was about to get a ride to Waverley Golf Club to play a round when the Chronicle spoke to him.
Haynes was looking forward to playing at the “hidden gem” course that was No 12 in New Zealand’s best golf course rankings for 2025.
While walking the trail, he has played golf on 11 courses.
Haynes said he had understandably had some “crazy reactions” from other hikers and people passing by.
“Along the trail, at Tongariro ... there were lots and lots of ‘are they golf clubs?’” he said.
“Some people would go ‘I never thought I’d see golf clubs at the top of a volcano’.”
Over the past few months, Haynes has had to shorten his explanation to a sentence or two, especially when he is out of breath.
“There’s a lot of crazy reactions – I’ve got my explanation down to a streamlined version,” Haynes said.
“It’s not like people are slamming me; they might tell me I’m a bit mad but, as soon as they hear the story, they are pretty supportive about it.”
The impact of carrying the set of clubs could be felt on both shoulders, his left pectoral and legs, he said.
“I’m actually remarkably okay, I thought I’d be absolutely broken.”
Puketi Forest in Northland was the toughest section, with a steep decline that was tough on the knees and quad muscles, 4km of waist-deep river and a difficult 4km trail.
“It absolutely ruined me. That’s been the lowest point, physically and mentally, where I thought maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew with this challenge,” Haynes said.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing was also tough, he said.
Haynes has raised more than $15,000 for KidsCan Charitable Trust and a further $5000 for United Kingdom mental health charity Mind.
He chose KidsCan after learning about the pressing issue of child poverty in New Zealand and wanted to give back to the country that had given him so much, he said.
Haynes chose to raise money for Mind because one of his friends Jack, nicknamed “Channy”, died in England when they were in their early 20s.
After Channy’s death, Haynes’ friend group completed “Channy challenges” in honour, with Te Araroa trail being one of them.
Haynes was grateful for all the “amazing” support he had received throughout his journey.
“We get so many beeps; [in Whanganui] I would have got 40 to 50 toots from passing cars,” Haynes said.
“A lovely lady called Wendy pulled over yesterday and said ‘you’re the golf club guy, I was just reading about you’, found some change in her car and shoved it in my hand.”
To support Haynes, donations can be made through his Givealittle page givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/the-te-araroa-caddie-double-bag.
Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.