KAYAKING - Adventurer faces biggest challenge yet

MAUNGATUROTO man Rikki Johnson is off on another crazy challenge later this month _ this time an attempt to circumnavigate Raoul Island in the Kermadecs by kayak for the first time.
Johnson, who lost 40 per cent mobility in his right arm as a result of a 1990 car accident, crossed Cook Strait in 2006 and Foveaux Strait in September of last year.
The 39-year-old said the remoteness of the island, its big seas and its high level of seismic activity all combined to make this the most daunting of his challenges yet.
He said he is hoping to complete the trip around the island in about nine hours. "The swell around the Kermadecs could be anything between two metres and 10 metres, it can be wicked and that will obviously affect how fast I will be able to go," he said.
He has been training and working toward the challenge for about six months.
"The main aim is to fundraise for the Air Retrieval Service, people will be able to ring up and donate money through the 0900 Starship number," he said.
Their plane is basically a flying intensive care unit and picks up kids who need care at Starship Hospital, he explained.
Johnson said the remoteness of Raoul Island, the biggest island in the Kermadec group, which is New Zealand's northernmost territory, seemed like a very good way to publicise the service that has most benefit in the country's far-flung regions.
He said television coverage will help boost the revenue earned by Starship Hospital for medical transport service.
"I'm hoping we can raise up to $20,000 for the service."
Johnson's main concern is the threat from the island's seismic activity. "The island certainly has that kind of history, not so long ago a DOC worker was killed when the volcano burped ... all I know is that if the birds start flying away from the island, I'll be paddling back toward the mainland as fast as I can," he said