It's not often a holiday combines walking, horse riding or mountain biking through some of New Zealand's most beautiful countryside with raising funds for important medical research but that's exactly what the Great New Zealand Trek offers.

Organised by GNZT Charitable Trust, the trek began in 2006 with the aim of giving people the chance to enjoy parts of the country they'd never normally see and support the Malaghan Institute of Research in Wellington in its work to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis.

Bikers and horse riders on the Great New Zealand Trek.

Trek co-ordinator Kitty Johnson of Hastings says next year's trek from February 23 to March 3 is stage eight in the series which will, over the next 12 years, traverse the length of New Zealand.

Stage eight begins at Eketahuna and ends at Lake Ferry in the Wairarapa. Registrations are open now.

'We have people of all ages taking part. The youngest has been seven and the oldest in their 80s,” says Kitty.

Each day's trek covers around 30km but doing just half that distance is an option for walkers, thanks to the fleet
of support vehicles which accompany the trek.

'We also have marshals on quad bikes who will give walkers a ride up steeper parts of the route and you often see horse riders dismounting to give tired walkers a ride along the way. Everyone helps each other.”

Stages one to seven have attracted an average of 240 participants and 80 volunteers and hopes are high that stage eight, the last leg in the North Island, will be just as popular.

'Some people, including a woman horse rider who has multiple sclerosis, have completed all seven treks so far,” says Kitty.

Trekkers need take only their own tents and personal gear. Everything else is catered for and at the end of each day a mini town is set up with marquee, hot showers, flush toilets and caterers. There is a ‘fuel stop' half way along the day's trek and medics, a farrier and vet travel with the trekkers.

Kitty says so far the treks have raised $150,000 for MS research and while she has no personal experience of the disease, she and others on the trust are committed to raising money to help the Malaghan Institute find answers for the debilitating disease of the central nervous system that affects movement, sensation and body functions.

To find out more about the trek, visit www.greatnewzealandtrek.com

To find out more about the Malahan Institute go to: www.malaghan.org.nz/what-we-do/multiple-sclerosis/