"Most of the men in my family never made it out of their 60s due to lifestyle choices and things like that, except for a couple of examples - My father being one, and an uncle. But after that, most of the males in my family just never made it out of their 60s.
Bucket list change
"The El Camino going through Portugal, Spain and France was a bucket list item for me but Covid came along, so I thought I'd set my sights more local."
Tainui, who now works as a mail processor for New Zealand Post in Christchurch, has been preparing for his giant mission by walking to and from work, around 10km each way, at least once a week for the past two years. He has ramped that up recently as the mammoth trek nears.
"It's basically time-on-feet. I like to think that I keep a fairly fit regimen, and I try to, but it's starting to dawn on me the enormity of the situation I've got myself into, or [that I've] painted myself into a corner. I've talked about it for so long. It's been about two years in the making of this. And now it's, 'money where your mouth is, pal'.
"I'm fizzing to go, and then when I hit the trail notes, I'm like, 'Oh my God'. But I'm excited, I really am."
Raising funds
While on a mission to see in a milestone birthday which he says is "out of my comfort zone", Tainui has been convinced to use it as an opportunity to raise awareness, and hopefully funds, for a charity that helps military veterans in their time of need.
No Duff is a charitable trust that supports military personnel in transitioning from a structured, almost institutionalised way of life, into a civilian environment where the support mechanisms aren't always there or visible, he says.
"Everyone, regardless of who you are, either Navy, Army or Air Force, goes through that sort of wilderness stage. And in some cases, army personnel go from broken homes into the army and back again. So there's really no true support mechanism for them.
"I thought it was a good chance to not only raise their profile and what they're doing and the services that they are providing but also raise some money for them. It provides practical solutions to those people who are at the end of their tether, really. They try to be the fence at the top of the hill; in some cases, they're the ambulance at the bottom of it."
Friends taking part
For the most part, Tainui will be doing the journey solo, anticipating only meeting other trampers occasionally at the various huts at the end of each day. However, he has a number of whānau and friends who have indicated they will join him at parts along the way.
"I've got a cousin who wants to do part-way for me, but he hasn't chosen what part that is; one of my daughters is coming through. And a couple of army mates of mine are going to join me as well. So I'm looking forward to that."
A particular part of the journey he is looking forward to the most is paddling along the Whanganui River with a friend, while also paying homage to the different rohe he will pass through over the course of the next six months.
"I would never go on that river because I don't have whakapapa there, but I've got a mate who is going to invite me on to it.
"Being from Te Rarawa, we made a lot of enemies in the North Island - I'm not whakamā, but I am cautious about walking the land. I don't want to do it for mana, I want to honour Papatuanuku, and Tāne when I go through, and mihi to the maunga that are tīpuna; dip my feet in the awa."
Tainui will set out from Cape Reinga in October and aims to reach Bluff by April next year. He is hoping to upload a regular blog to capture and share his journey. A Givealittle page is also anticipated where people will be able to donate money to No Duff.
