Manawahine Walking For a Good Cause

After walking the length of the South Island most people would want a long holiday.

Not so for Lani Evans and Helen Nortje who are already well into their next project; to visit schools around the country to talk about Youthline and outdoor education.

From December to February Lani, Helen and their friend Bronwen Waters made the 1600km journey from Te Waewae Bay to Cape Farwell in an effort to raise awareness of Youthline through publicity generated by their adventure.

The pair say they chose to support Youthline because wilderness experiences can help build self esteem and resilience which they believe fits well with Youthline’s aim to empower and support young people.

They now plan to tour schools throughout the country, talking about their experiences and how young people can seek support. They are also making a short film about their trip to show young people.

“Youthline provides an awesome service and we were keen to make sure that every young person in New Zealand knows that there's always someone out there who wants to listen to them” says Lani.

Not to do anything by halves, the pair have trained to work on the Youth help line and are currently taking calls for Youthline Otago.

“As Youthline listeners, our school and university presentations will be much more powerful and our knowledge about Youth issues will be more relevant,” says Helen.

As for plans for their next trip, exploring unclimbed mountains in Nepal or skiing across Antarctica may be on the cards.