When I decided to travel from Bluff to Cape Reinga and back picking up business cards from all the businesses along SH1 and using them to build online phone books for every town I knew then that there would only be one thing that would stop me and that is money.
The first week of my journey I ran at a huge loss. I had spent lots of money on a fancy brochure and some business cards which turned out to be waste of money. In my fancy brochure I had praised Lands End in Bluff but I still failed in my attempt to give away $112.50 worth of advertising to them in return for a bed for the night. I paid the owners of Lands End Inn $150 for my first nights accomadation on the road.
My negotiating skills have improved from the experience and ever since then I have been successful in doing barter deals with accommadation places. So far on my journey I have stayed in 9 other different accomadation places and I have given away over $2000 worth of advertising in return for a bed and a pillow
No Free Lunches
Lunches are not cheap these days and it is very hard to find a free one.
In Invercargill one cafe owner gave me a free cup of coffee and a mufffin as a donation. A resturant owner gave me a $10 donation so to return the favour I went back there for dinner and it cost me $52 so the next night it was fish and chips on the beach. There are some kind people still about in Edendale a lady gave me free dinner and breakfast.
Donations have saved me.
Trying to sell advertising while calling on 40 to 50 businesses a day picking up business cards was impossible which is why I started asking for donations. I have been amazed at how generous some people are. I man who was a manager for a large company had no money in his petty cash tin so he reached into his wallet and gave me a $50 note. Another young man who had just started his business also gave me $50 note. It funny where money can come from we were sitting around having a beer one night and a man who I had only met for the first time pulled ot a $50 note and put it in front of me said take this I don’t need it. It is well known that corporate companies and chain stores have no money when it comes to giving back to the local community where they get their money from however I was moved with emotion when a young bank manager photocopied 25 colour copies of my newsletter free of charge. The young lady said I admire what you are doing and she gave me $15 from her own purse. The next bank manager gave me 20 cents for a copy of the newsletter their opposition bank had printed for free.
My travel expenses are averaging about $200 day which is a lot of money to raise from donations and I go to work each day with no pay.
Photographing the towns
My journey is not just about promoting the businesess its also about promoting the towns. My camera never stops in its search for things of interest to capture on my journey. I am building a collection of Photos that in years to come will fill the history books of tomorrow. All this I do at my own cost.