KEY POINTS:
A mayor will launch a two-year walkabout this week that will see him trudge 543km through every street in his city.
Stuart Crosby of Tauranga is fulfilling a pledge he made when a shock election result tipped out most of his old team of councillors.
True to his word, Mr Crosby, who easily won his second term in office, has announced he will begin his 543km walkabout around the Tauranga district at Matua.
It is the equivalent of walking from Tauranga to Wellington.
His challenge was partly motivated by the realisation too late that the council was out of step with the community on some critical election issues.
Mr Crosby says he wants to get a feel for what is happening at the street level and intends to make the best use of the quieter time in mid- January to clock up some reasonable distances.
Once his full workload comes on late this month, he expects to spend a couple of hours every three days walking the suburbs to keep in touch with the community.
At that rate he should have covered the western side of the city out to Pyes Pa and Welcome Bay by the end of this year, leaving Mt Maunganui and Papamoa for 2009.
Mr Crosby will keep a photographic diary of his walkabout around the city's 1450 streets, capturing images of interest plus anything that needs attention.
He says he would like to link up with City on its Feet walking groups.
"The exercise will be good for me - I enjoy walking."
While welcoming the contact with city residents the walk will bring, the mayor says he will not be able to stop and talk all day if he is to achieve hisobjective.
Mr Crosby's quest could be a world first for a city mayor.
