Over-60s team embark on 16,000km charity rally to Mongolia
Five kiwi "old buggers" are taking part in a 40-day trip across 22 countries, traversing 16,000km from Belgium to Mongolia for charity.
The 'Kiwi Nomads', a group of five childhood friends from Christchurch, are preparing for the annual charity rally across Europe which kicks off in July.
All in their 60s, 'Kiwi Nomads' Jim Davis, Phil Trengrove, Graeme Blair, Mike Trengrove, and Terence Coakley will be driving to Mongolia the long way – 16,000km overland from Belgium through Eastern Europe, south to the Black Sea region into Central Asia to the Mongol capital of Ulaanabaatar.
The men on the adventure drive are raising money for rally organiser UK charity Go Help for medical and educational projects in Mongolia and for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand.
"It started as a boys adventure but it's morphed into a charitable venture," said Davis.
"We're going about one-third of the way around the planet.
The Kiwi Nomads' vehicles for their trip from the United Kingdom to Mongolia.
"It's going to be a bit of an adventure... We're all looking forward to it."
All Cantabrians, except Phil Trengrove who now lives in Sydney, the group leaves for London in late June, starting the rally alongside 13 other teams from all over the world on July 1.
Another New Zealand team will be taking on the challenge this year, team Kiwi Traveller, made up of three young Canterbury men Scotty Bamford, Ben Irwin and Mitchell Pannett raising money for Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue.
"The only reason we're all doing this is we're a bit weird... it's not that we're hard-out adventurers, we just don't mind roughing it," Davis said.
Davis learned about the rally from a thrill-seeker friend and knew his childhood mates would be keen to get involved.
"We've all known each other for so long, I knew they'd be into this," Davis said.
Charity Rallies' rally commander Jo Meade said the Kiwi Nomads were the oldest men on the trip this year, and said every year Kiwis and Australians supported the rally.
The group raised around $40,000 for their rally vehicles - a Toyota Hilux and an Ambulance truck - which will be donated at the end of the rally.
The group was donated their return flights by Singapore Airlines, QV health insurance, a drone for filming and data coverage to keep their social media up-to-date.
"We've had a truck load of support we didn't expect," Davis said.
To complete the "marathon-type event" in the planned 40 days, the group needs to be travelling around 400km a day.
"It is an adventure. While it will be fun, it won't be easy.
"If you think about it, we've got to drive from Christchurch to Dunedin each day and do it for 40 days, except you're not on roads like in Christchurch.
"By the time we've finished, we'll need a holiday," Davis said.
Davis said the group chose to support the Prostate Cancer Foundation because "it's about five old men aligning themselves with a charity that any one of us might need some day."
Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand chief executive officer Graeme Woodside said one in eight Kiwi men will get prostate cancer, and fundraising efforts such as this rally allowed them to continue their work.
"It's great these guys are doing this rally and have chosen to support us. We really value that," he said.
"Whatever they raise is money we would use to increase awareness of prostate cancer and to support the men with prostate cancer."
Written by Monique Steele. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.