MNZ Supports Road Safety Awareness by Dunedin Multi Ethnic Council
Media Release I 28 January 2016
Kiwi Spirit Healthy Road Ahead “Manaakitanga” Bluff to Cape Reinga cycle tour.
Beginning from Te Aroha Marae in Bluff tomorrow, two riders aged 26 and 62, will traverse State Highway 1 to Cape Reinga, a total 2,300 km, over a 40-day period to promote healthy road culture for cyclists in New Zealand.
Paul MacDonald Gourlie and Hidenori Matamua Koike were two of three cyclists who rode the length of Japan in 2014 to commemorate 70 years of peaceful relations between our countries.
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Hidenori is in New Zealand to complete this next challenge over the period of Bike Wise month, where the riders will focus on talking with media, schools and mayors along the route while gathering signatures to present to the Governor General of public who are concerned about healthy road conduct throughoutAotearoa.
The goal is to establish the important elements that our population, and visitors, need to know about the road culture of New Zealand and produce a multi-lingual document, through the support of the Dunedin Multi Ethnic Council, of which Mr Gourlie is Chairperson, that describes how to keep happy and healthy on our roads while Sharing our roads, drivers, cyclists, and walkers.
While the trip is completely self-funded, once complete, donations to the DMEC will be sought for the publication project.
Having cycled from Bluff, the pair will depart Dunedin from the Dunedin Peace Pole in the Otago Museum Reserve at 12.15pm on Friday February 5th. Well- wishers are welcome to be there to support them on their journey and add their signatures to the pledge.
For any further information, please contact:
Paul Gourlie – 0212608059
Hidenori Koike - 0210605601