Ocean advocate reaches Wairarapa and ticks off another milestone on historic swim for change
Wednesday, 25 March 2026
A man attempting to swim the entire east coast of the North Island to raise awareness for a healthy ocean and oppose bottom trawling has reached Wairarapa.
Jono Ridler started his Swim4TheOcean campaign on January 5 dipping into the water at North Cape to begin his world-record attempt for the longest unassisted staged swim.
The Live Ocean Foundation reported that Ridler had pushed through the 150-kilometre-to-go milestone of his 1350km goal on Tuesday and logged more than 415 hours of swimming.
In the morning, he had swum from just north of Riversdale Beach down the Homewood coast.
“This could be the last big push before we get to Wellington [and] It’s going to be hard and we’re going to be tired by the end of it I’m sure,” Ridler said.
“Something that I always come back to is the saying that ‘this too shall pass’.”
Thus far, Ridler had faced extreme weather and adverse ocean conditions. He also battled physical strain and discomfort, including nausea, salt tongue, mouth ulcers, and niggles that impacted him during long daily swim shifts.
He had been exposed to wildlife and the elements, encountering turtles, seabirds, whales, sharks, and jellyfish along his route.
Live Ocean co-founder Blair Tuke was supporting Ridler this week, witnessing both the physical toll and the intent behind this final phase.
“It doesn’t seem like that long ago I was at Rarawa Beach up near North Cape before Jono started this mission,” he said.
“To think what he’s achieved over the last couple of months is huge.
“There’s only around 200 kilometres to go to Wellington. But that stretch ahead is going to be the hardest of the mission.”
Tuke said the coastline ahead was being approached with a mix of caution and belief.
“It’s a piece of coast the team has a lot of respect for.
“It’s going to challenge them like they haven’t been challenged yet.
“But there’s also real energy that Jono’s going to get there, and that we’re going to deliver that message to end bottom trawling in Aotearoa.”
Having seen Ridler in tough conditions off Ākitio, Tuke said the scale of the effort was hard to fully grasp until you witnessed it up close.
“He’s just there, stroke after stroke, minute after minute, hour after hour. It’s relentless.
“But there’s something pretty special about it too. The power of what he’s doing, and the message he’s carrying with him.
“When you see that in person, it’s pretty hard to put into words.”
Tuke said while the final destination was now within reach, the team remained grounded in the immediate challenge ahead.
“There’s still a lot of hard work between here and Wellington, but he’s already shown the grit and determination to get there.”
As the finish drew closer, the call to action became more urgent, he said. Public support for the mission continued to build, but Tuke said turning that support into a clear signal to decision-makers was critical.
“Signing the petition is key – that’s what we’re delivering to Wellington.”
New Zealanders can track Swim4TheOcean live and add their name to the call to end bottom trawling at swim4theocean.org which had received more than 35,600 signatures on Tuesday.