Tane’s Story: E-scootering the length of NZ to raise awareness for men’s health

When Tane Tarlton decided to embark on a mission to travel the length of New Zealand to raise $10,000 for Movember, he couldn’t have imagined the levels of love and support he would have encountered along the way.

Just days before the beginning of Movember he came up with the idea to ride his e-scooter from Cape Reinga to Bluff. Through documenting his adventure he hoped he would be able to raise awareness and funds for the Movember cause.

With no support vehicle, Tane has relied on the kindness of strangers to support his journey. The response on the road from the community has made for an inspiring watch as people across the country have opened up their homes to support his effort. "I’ve met so many kind and generous Kiwis on my travels who have welcomed me into their homes, offered me dinner, a bed for the night, and a chance to charge up my scooter," Tane said.

Highlights for Tane so far have included staying at a working sheep station in Marlborough, crossing Cook Strait to Picton thanks to Bluebridge gifting passage, and even making a pit stop at a local e-scooter store who kindly fixed Tane up to help him on his journey.

Adventure runs deep in the Tarlton family, as he is also the grandson of marine legend Kelly Tarlton. Tane's life has continued the adventurous spirit, having spent time working on super-yachts as well a marine conservation ship with Pete Bethune. He is a keen surfer, scuba diver, free diver, and long-distance runner, to go with his e-scootering skills.

The inspiration for the country-long effort came from a close friend who lost a parent to suicide when Tane was just a teenager:

“Movember is a cause that’s incredibly close to my heart. As a young male in New Zealand, I’ve seen the effects of suicide and mental health, and I wanted to do my bit to make a positive change. This e-scooter mission is my unique way of getting behind the charity to help raise awareness, inspire conversations and share a bit of love along the way. This journey really is proof there are so many incredible people out there willing to help if you can just find the courage to ask. It’s also a bit of fun and a good reminder there’s always an adventure waiting to happen.”

With an ever-growing follower count, keeping track of his progress on Instagram, and with the donations continuing to roll in on his Movember page, it’s clear that Tane’s message has hit home. Tane swiftly reached his initial goal of raising $10,000 for Movember, deciding then to double it to $20,000 which he is well on his way to achieve.

Tane’s journey is inspirational. The help he has received from strangers up and down New Zealand serves as a reminder that our underlying Kiwi spirit of community, kindness and togetherness is still very much alive and well. One thing is clear from Tane’s trip so far, it’s the immense difference that one person can truly make if they set their mind to it. While it can be so easy to feel like we don’t matter, or like the actions of just one of us could never make a significant difference, they do, and Tane is proving it, one electric scooter charge at a time.

You can support and donate to Tane's journey here. You can also keep track of his scootering adventure by checking out his Instagram.