Big reception at Raumati Beach School for cyclists

WELCOME: A haka is performed in front of Adrian McKenzie and son Ted at Raumati Beach School.

It was a special moment when Adrian McKenzie and his son Ted rode into Raumati Beach School on Wednesday.

Pupils clapped, there was a haka, and everyone chanted "go Ted, go Ted".

"I think he high fived just about everyone in the school," Adrian said.

The pair, from Raumati Beach, are involved in a charity ride on a tandem bicycle from Cape Reinga to Bluff to raise funds for the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation.

The journey, of which Ted is doing some of it, started in Cape Reinga on Sunday February 28 and finishes in Bluff on Monday March 21 - a total of 2170 kilometres.

Adrian said there had been a lot of support along the way including from Olympic gold medalist rower Joseph Sullivan and blind Paralympians runners Rob Matthews and Phillipa Gray, who rode some sections.

Adrian, who did a lot of training beforehand, said there had been a few tough days but overall he was coping well.

There had been a problem with the bike's front chain tensioner from Taihape to Palmerston North which made for a long time in the saddle.

"That was pretty tough."

On Wednesday a quiz night was held at The Jolly, Paraparaumu, and raised about $4000.

And on Thursday, before departing south, the team popped in to Thrive Chiropractic, where Adrian had some back treatment, and also collected a cheque worth $1446 courtesy of a a fundraising effort from clinic staff and a number of patients.

The idea for the 23 day epic bike ride came from Adrian who wanted to set himself a challenge while also repaying the charity which had given so much to his family.

The foundation funded the tandem bike a few years ago which has enabled eight year old Ted, who has cerebral palsy and deafness, experience the joy of riding a bike.