John Sturmfels thinks the off-road mobility scooter he has designed will be allowed on Ruakaka beach even if a Whangarei District Council proposal to ban vehicles on beaches is approved.
The council says it has received overwhelming support for a vehicle ban, and it will decide on November 25 whether to adopt a draft bylaw.
But Mr Sturmfels thinks his scooter will beat the ban.
He has limited use of his legs after a car accident in England 15 years ago, and has to use a wheelchair. After a short time of thinking life wasn't worth living, he designed a scooter that would enable him to keep on having adventures.
His four-wheel off-road petrol-powered mobility scooter has been refined through six models. The size was calculated to keep it just under the maximum permitted length.
The scooters can go across rough terrain and are comfortable in sand, mud and steep slopes.
He has helped other people achieve an independence they thought they had lost forever and he has kept on having adventures - including "great walks" like the Abel Tasman, Heaphy and Queen Charlotte tracks and the Skyline Walkway in Wellington.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
Nippy ... and small enough for the beach
John Sturmfels designed his off-road mobility scooter after a car accident. Photo / Northern Advocate
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