Jet pilot swaps to jetski for big trip

A jumbo jet captain will swap the sky for the sea tomorrow when he sets off from Auckland to circumnavigate the country by jetski.

Jeremy Burfoot will be accompanied by friend Brad Burton, 31, also of Auckland.

The pair are doing the trip to highlight the importance of safety in the sun. Mr Burfoot, a 46-year-old Qantas pilot and a father of three, has been through the trauma of a melanoma removal twice. The pair will make the 4000km journey on jetskis with larger fuel tanks, giving them a 500km range. They will have a top speed of 114km/h.

From Auckland the pair head north and then down the west coasts of both islands to Stewart Island. They will come back up the east coast, hoping to return home on February 27.

A shore-based crew of fellow Qantas staff will support them.

Mr Burfoot said the trip would be physically demanding and exhausting. " It'd be fair to say you're tenderised after seven hours on a jetski."

- NZPA