COUNTRY EXPEDITION

In February a 60-year old Ngāi Tahu man walked the length of Aotearoa in 115 days. Karen Arnold talks to Dene Cole about his journey down the long pathway.


Dene showing off two of the three pairs of boots he wore during his walk.

When Riverton man Dene Cole set out to live his life-long dream of walking the length of the country, he wanted no fuss. There was no fanfare, no media, no sponsor-printed T-shirts – just a man on a mission, doing his own thing. Dene (Ngāi Tahu), was driven by several motivating factors.

He wanted to walk in the footsteps of his Ngāi Tahu ancestors, and make a protest on behalf of those who suffered health problems after service in the Vietnam war. He dedicated his walk to the memory of two brothers who were ex-servicemen: George Cole, who served in Malaya; and Peta, who served in Borneo and Vietnam, later suffering and dying from Agent Orange-related illnesses. More importantly Dene wanted to be an example to his children and

grandchildren.

"I like to have a few beers and a good party but you can also get your highs in the mountains. If I have shown just one person there's an alternative to substance abuse … There's lots of awesome stuff out there."

Dene took a different route to the normal walk from Cape Reinga to Bluff, ditching the tarmac of State Highway 1 in favour of the yet to be completed Te Araroa trail.

Opening in late 2010, Te Araroa – the Long Pathway Home – links existing tracks into one, encompassing coastline, forest, farmland, mountain passes, river valleys and green pathways.

"It follows many of the old greenstone trails. They were important for Ngāi Tahu – slaves and war parties would have walked through there."

Dene marvels at the resilience of his ancestors., He was thoroughly equipped with the best tramping gear, food, GPS, maps and a locator beacon – none of which they would have had. "How on earth did they do it?"

Dene was 60 when he set out on his tramp on 8 February. He was accompanied by his mate from Ōraka Aparima (Riverton), Lloyd Blakie.

The first harsh reality of the walk was the huge blisters they endured during the first few days. "The whole of my heels were covered. I was in agony for a week," says Dene. "We put meths on our feet every morning and night to harden them up – we never got them again."

The pair completed the North Island leg in 50 days, staying at camping grounds, Department of Conservation camps, and with friends Dene had served with in the infantry in Vietnam during 1970 and 1971. Lloyd's wife travelled in support, meeting up with them at the end of each day. "We had a glass of red wine every night," says Dene.

After five days rest in Picton, Dene set off on the South Island leg from Cook's Cove on 5 April. Lloyd was unable to complete the second part of the journey, so Dene's wife Sally stepped in as his support person. However, because much of that part of the walk was so far off the beaten track, it was sometimes several days before they could meet up.


Dene's neighbor James Bell (left ) who served in Vietnam with Dene's brother Peta and visiting friend John Bluett (right), from Bay of Plenty, who served with both Dene and James in Vietnam.

For some of the journey, Dene was joined by two buddies from Vietnam, Pete Peters and Mac Mackenzie. The trio spent eight days together tramping through the Lewis Pass, spending Anzac Day in the mountains at Lake Guyon near St James.

By the time he arrived at his final destination on 8 June, Dene estimates he had covered 3,300kms, averaging 30 to 40kms a day.

He was also 16kgs lighter.

This summer, he plans to complete parts of the trail that were inaccessible when he first undertook the journey because of snow.

He's also looking ahead to walking the track again when he's 70.

In the meantime he's happy spending his retirement with friends and family, fishing, walking and having a good time.

"I'm at peace with myself. It was very satisfying."