A long haul through stormy weather saw the Herald team ready to embark on their long trek south this morning.
Reporter David Fisher and photographer Mark Mitchell were planning to spend the evening at Spirits Bay in the Far North before setting out on their three-week road trip to Bluff.
Some storytellers are being visited on the southward trip. Others will have their tales told through nzherald.co.nz in the month leading up to the anniversary.
The road trip stops tonight at Ahipara, at the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach. The day's journey is expected to take them from Spirits Bay to Mangonui before heading to the west coast beach settlement.
How to tell your story
Readers can contact the road trip duo through the New Zealand Herald on nzhgreatest@nzherald.co.nz, through nzherald.co.nz/nzhgreatest, or through social media, including Twitter, using the hashtag #nzhgreatest or go to our reporter directly @dfisherjourno.