Trio take on tuk-tuk tour of India

RICKSHAW RUN: Wairarapa College old boys Matthew Fleet (left) and Nick Jacques are striking out this year with their old college mate Brandon Love-Allen, pictured, on a 3500km charity Rickshaw Run across India. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

A trio of Wairarapa College old boys are steeling themselves for a 3500km charity jaunt across India aboard a seven-horsepower rickshaw with three wheels.

Masterton man Nick Jacques said he and his Hamilton-based friend Matthew Fleet, and their mate Brandon Love-Allen, from Perth, had agreed on a whim to take on the Rickshaw Run.

Since 2006, the run has taken place three times a year with up to 80 teams of adventurers competing, most of whom had completed similar pan-Indian rallies in the tiny auto rickshaws, or tuk-tuks.

"They have a top speed of 50 kilometres an hour but that's probably only going downhill we'll get that. But we're not treating it much as a competition - we don't really want to miss out on India on the way."

Mr Jacques said the three mates will travel to Perth in late July and ahead of the rally will go sightseeing, taking in wonders "like the Taj Mahal".

The 16-day challenge will take them from eastern India and Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya state - with "no route, no rules and no support" - to the major port city of Kochi on the south-west coast.

The trio will run through two days of test-driving the rickshaw before setting off on their adventure and they expect to arrive in Kochi on or about August 28, when a spectacular and traditional finish line party will be held.

"They leave it open for a little while afterward as well for the latecomers and the prize really is just finishing,' he said.

"We thought it would be a cool adventure to go on and a chance to raise money for a worthwhile charity at the same time.

"Although we thought it'd be stupid to go all that way and not see the Taj Mahal, so we'll do that before we start the run proper. After all, we don't know if we'll ever go back to India."

Their trip will also include birthdays for Mr Jacques - on the day they leave New Zealand - and Mr Love-Allen - on the day of the finish line party - and the entire journey will be logged to social media as well, he said.

Mr Jacques said the trio would share driving duties during the rally and they will take a map but would wing their route from Shillong to Kochi.

"We'll have a map we're going to play with but we won't have a path and we're not going to book motels because we don't know when or where the tuk-tuk will break down, it'll just be that we do what we need wherever we go, and wherever we end up each day," he said.

"We want to be on the southern coast because that will be our general direction and Brandon is a pilot, so he's pretty solid with maps."

Mr Jacques said the three mates were not widely travelled - it would be the first time out of New Zealand for himself - but they were seeking sponsorship for their nominated charity from individuals and companies.

They were happy to carry sponsor brands and logos on their rickshaw, which would be the focus of a film they intended to shoot of their adventure.

The trio had already won rally sponsorship from outdoor apparel and equipment firm Kathmandu and had chosen to raise funds through their Rickshaw Run for the animal rescue and support organisation Paw Justice New Zealand.

Prospective sponsors can contact the trio at nickjacques@hotmail.co.nz.