Te Aorere Pēwhairangi expects to walk between 200 and 250km on his awareness-raising hikoi. Photo: Givealittle
Two days into a walk along the length of State Highway 35, a Ngāti Porou social media star says the support he is getting up from communities along the East Coast is overwhelming.
Te Aorere Pēwhairangi is on a 10-day hikoi to raise awareness about the devastation caused to communities along the East Coast highway, many of which have been cut off by Cyclone Gabrielle.
The 27-year-old started the hikoi - which he has dubbed Waewae the 35 - on Monday with a karakia on Gisborne's Kaiti Hill, starting a journey along the length of the Ngāti Porou tākiwa, which he estimated will take 10 days and cover some 200-250km.
He spent his first day travelling to Whangarā, where he was greeted by a haka from the kura and received enthusiastic support from coasties.
"People stopped to offer me coffees and Powerades and kai," he told RNZ's Midday Report.
"Someone even pulled over and said, 'Sorry brev I can't join you but I can drop my dog off if you want a companion', which was really cool.
"Then I thought later, 'oh, maybe the bro just wanted someone to walk his dog for the day'."
Te Aorere Pēwhairangi stops to chat to a worker on SH35. Photo: Givealittle
Pēwhairangi is from Tokomaru Bay, which has been isolated for nearly a month since Cyclone Gabrielle destroyed the highway at each end of town.
"There's 24 kids in the bay who live in Tokomaru but go to school in places like Tolaga, Gizzy and Ruatōria and they haven't been able to get out to go to school.
"So my cousin Hoana, she started a pop up school in her carport, so the kids can get their education and learn. Because of that I thought there's stories on the coast that need to be told about the reality of the aftermath," he said.
An aerial view of flood damage at Tokomaru Bay and near the Mangahauini river. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull
Today, Pēwhairangi is walking the section to Ūawa/Tolaga Bay, where he will visit the school. He spends his mornings walking, and putting videos together in the afternoon.
"I'm winging it a lot," he said.
"It all came about when I was at Matatini which was a huge cool celebration for te ao Māori and I think was a huge success, but it was bittersweet for some knowing that our whānau here on the coast and down in Kahungunu and up in Te Tai Tokerau are still facing challenges after the cyclone.
"I've just had to call cousins, call favours, call mates just to get it off the ground," said Pēwhairangi.
"I put a poll up, 'should I do it in Red Bands?' Eighty percent of people said yes do it, but my cousin ... he's famous for his white gumboots, he advised against" - Te Aorere Pēwhairangi
He has even managed to figure out how to cross the devastated highway, such as when he gets through the Hikuwai Gorge between Tolaga and Tokomaru Bay.
"The manager of State Highway 35, she reached out to me and said she can offer me a pilot vehicle and someone who can radio in all the roadworks and what's happening on the road," Pēwhairangi said.
"I put a poll up, 'should I do it in Red Bands?' Eighty percent of people said yes do it, but my cousin ... he's famous for his white gumboots, he advised against. I've taken his professional advice, he was like 'save your legs cuz, too many blisters'."
"He's someone who's lived in his gumboots for the last 20 years so I've taken his advice, I'm wearing my walking shoes."
Pēwhairangi has so far raised almost $22,000 through his GiveaLittle page.