Kevin Macey wanted to challenge himself, so he decided to do something big.

Having had a hip operation about 16 months ago, he had been slowly getting his fitness back, with biking an important part of his recovery.

Having reached the stage where he felt confident with long-distance cycling, he decided to test himself by riding the length of New Zealand in a month.

He started at the top and worked his way down through the country, before finishing at Bluff on February 21, slightly ahead of schedule.

“It went well. I had a good trip. The weather was a bit rough, so I am glad I finished when I did. It was a neat trip.”

It took him a total of 29 days, one day inside his target.

Reaching the signpost in Bluff was emotional.

“It hit me more than I expected. It was a big relief and neat to get it done.”

As for the toughest part of the trip, there were a few of those.

“The weather was tough. I copped it early on. The winds were tough and I managed to stay ahead of it for most of the time.

“Some of the long legs, there were 100 to 120 kilometres between where you start and where you need to finish for the day, with very little in between. Some of that remoteness was a bit tough, but it just keeps challenging you to push on.

“I made a decision part way through the course to change my route, and head down the rail trail route where there were towns every 30 to 40 kilometres.”

Cycling has always been a passion of Mr Macey’s and he also enjoys a challenge.

“I have always wanted to bike and travel and see things,” he said.

“Sixteen months ago I couldn’t even ride a bike as I had a hip replacement, and part of my rehab was going to spin class and I started getting fitted and stronger – then decided, I am going to do it.”

The Kennett brothers had put together a good course to follow.

“I followed it for most of the path and then deviated from Cromwell onwards and went a different route. Mainly because the weather was terrible and accommodation was expensive in Queenstown, but I had always wanted to do the rail trail down that way.”

He said some days were rough going, but stunning views made up for it.

“Some of the views were gorgeous.”

He tented for about a third of the trip and stayed in accommodation the remaining nights.

Mr Macey said he’d love to do something similar in the future but perhaps not spend as long on the bike each day.

“Something with about 40 to 70km of riding would be nice. In this ride, my biggest day was 190km. That was me starting at 7am and arriving at 8pm with good weather and flattish roads.”

The longest trip saw him start in Clevedon and finish just outside of Hamilton.

He said although he didn’t get to look around many of the towns, the route he took was stunning.