Windy, friendly reception for 5000km runner

Perry Newburn on the road as he circumnavigates New Zealand by foot to raise funds for mental health. Photo / APN

Feilding man Perry Newburn has so far loved every minute of his 71-day, 5000km fundraising run and circumnavigation of New Zealand.

Mr Newburn passed through Hawke's Bay at the weekend for his 37th and 38th consecutive days of running, and despite the ups and downs he says he has met amazing people and traversed beautiful countryside along the way.

Raising money for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, he has a goal of $30,000 in donations to go towards the organisation.

"There is still going to be good days, there is still going to be bad days, it's just keeping going and enjoying it as much as I can," he said.

That attitude, he said, drew parallels to those with mental health problems.

"I accepted right before I started that there were going to be good and hard days. The wind yesterday was pretty horrible to run in, but you accept that before you start and it's not actually a biggy when it happens."

His daily blog on Saturday described his pleasure in running around the Napier harbour, stopping to chat with some friends in Clive, but also getting "pummeled" by head winds on the way to Waipawa.

He hoped to raise awareness by setting an example, illustrating how exercise can have a positive effect on peoples' health, physically and mentally.

"To me, this is a great cause. It's [about] getting the message out there as much as possible."

Mr Newburn is a drug and alcohol counsellor, and works in a field he understands as he battled his own addictions for more than 15 years, from the mid-1970s, after dropping out of university.

He faces another 32 days of running before he can finally put his feet up. Despite the fact that some days he felt as though his body was screaming, "What the hell are you doing to me?' he believed his body had become "attuned" to running every day.

"It's a beautiful country, New Zealand, [with] great people," he said. "I love every minute of it."