Billy Bowman and new friends after the swim that took him to Pauanui and Tairua. Photo / Supplied
Billy Bowman and new friends after the swim that took him to Pauanui and Tairua. Photo / Supplied
Billy Bowman may not yet be a Coromandel local, but in less than a week he ticked off more bucket-list experiences than a lot of us may ever do.
The 24-year-old multisport athlete is on a mission to showcase the scenic beauty of New Zealand while uniting groups of like-minded people as he goes.
Just last week he cycled 160km from Acacia Bay at Taupō to Te Aroha with John Scott, ran a 24km mountain trail run in Waiorongomai Valley to Dickey Flat campground with John and a few other locals, and swam the Waitewheta River.
He then cycled to Tairua, where he swam around Mt Paku - and even into a cave - with a bunch of Tairua women surfers, stepping on the white sands of Pauanui to tick this off his list.
The same day, he cycled to the Coroglen Pub and "realised his dream" of snuggling a piglet on his next cycle over the 309 Road to Coromandel town.
Billy and friends at Coroglen Tavern while on the Coromandel where he cycled, kayed and swam as part of his 6000km multisport mission. Photo / Supplied
With 24 hours' break to ride out a storm, he paddled 41km in a kayak from Wyuna Bay on the Coromandel to Waiheke Island.
Billy is now three-quarters of the way through his journey of 6000km and still smiling.
"It's a personal challenge but it's not a glory-hunting mission," says Billy.
"It's just to have fun and share it with others. But some days are long. I've had 10 days individually that I've thought 'oh this sucks'. The Tararuas was nine hours of trail marathon and the weather was awful.
"I do love the challenge of that, I love the suffering in some ways, but each day brings me a different enjoyment."
The point at which my eyelids were held open and inflated by the wind, and I could no longer close them, was when I truly knew I was having a unique experience
He has a support crew - including his mum and dad - driving to each next destination but has managed an almost unbroken path of kayak journeys, cycle rides, trail runs and swims.
Jonti, Renee Lansdowne and Hannah Andrews swimming around Paku in Tairua. Photo / Alison Smith
He says spending time with new people is always the highlight wherever he goes and he loves seeing them push themselves.
"The people you meet, places you see and some of the weird and spiritual encounters you have with animals is a highlight.
"I came across Hector's dolphins in Akaroa doing acrobat shows with me."
Despite gale-force wind on the Tararua Range, Billy had an unforgettable encounter with a wild stag.
"The point at which my eyelids were held open and inflated by the wind, and I could no longer close them, was when I truly knew I was having a unique experience," Billy shared on his Facebook page.
Cautiously making his way back down the Tararua Ranges in 10m visibility, he came face-to-face with a stag "standing at the edge of the ridge with his chest pressed into the wind, as if he was doing exactly the same as me, defying the uncomfortable".
Billy reached the pick-up point to find out the road was closed due to a slip, and after finally reaching the rondeau, ran another 2km to knock off marathon number 19.
"I've got a lot of years of endurance and physical training that's in my body and my mind to get me through without the damage," he says.
Multisport athlete Billy Bowman has temporarily taken a break from chemical engineering to journey around New Zealand by biking, kayaking, trail running and swimming. Photo / Supplied
Despite this next-level grit, Billy encourages people to join him where he goes.
In Tairua, a message via a friend led to five local women joining him on a swim around Mt Paku the next day.
He's moving up to Cape Reinga next, and wants people to get in touch via Facebook.
"I prefer someone who just comes along and has a really good attitude about it than someone really fast and a stink attitude.
"I'd like people to join, and to get more groups involved.
