A man walking the length of New Zealand to raise awareness for suicide has had more than $3000 of equipment stolen, days before he finishes his trek.
Karl Taaffe began his 2012km journey in Bluff on November 15. In Kaitaia on Sunday night his car was broken into outside a
motel.
"I was gutted. I mean I'm doing this walk for a good cause and someone stole all my stuff. It's terrible."
The thieves tried to jimmy the car's locks before breaking a window and taking a laptop and cellphones.
"I'd just finished a really long day of walking, 41km, and was really exhausted. It was that day that we had that really weird and extreme weather too, so I was very tired. It was just the last thing that you'd want to happen."
His wife and friends accompanied him in the car which was broken into.
"Luckily we took our video camera inside which had documented our entire journey so far. If we'd lost that, it'd be absolutely heart-breaking."
Mr Taaffe has 100km to go and will finish his walk this Friday.
"Up until then it had been a really great walk and I don't want to let it get me down. So far everyone has been really supportive of the cause."
He was prompted to raise awareness of suicide after a 17-year-old cousin took her life in 2007.
Mr Taaffe said he would continue his journey despite the setback.
People can follow the last stretch of his walk at www.dare2hope.co.nz.
