Green Party East Cape candidate Jordan Walker arrived in Ōpōtiki on Sunday after cycling more than 330 kilometres along State Highway 35 from Gisborne.

Walker and fellow rider Markus Szillat completed their four-and-a-half-day journey cycling the length of SH35, stopping in coastal towns along the way and talking to residents about the issues facing their communities.

Walker said the ride was challenging, especially getting back into cycling long distances for hours at a time, but they were grateful for the opportunity to do it for what they described as a good kaupapa.

The hardest part physically was the many hill climbs, with the pair also facing strong winds on two of the days, making the journey a bit harder.

The weather was not as much of an issue, with the heaviest rain coming while they were in Waipiro Bay before clearing when they rode out of Taharora Marae.

Walker said one of the most memorable parts of the journey was meeting Pearl Beattie and David Donnelly in Waipiro Bay.

The pair spent about two hours with Beattie and Donnelly, who shared their experiences of climate mitigation and local resilience.

Walker said the journey also changed some of their thinking about the different issues faced by communities along the East Coast.

They said not every township experienced climate change in the same way, particularly when it came to forestry slash.

Walker said the trip had shown them the importance of listening to local people before making assumptions about the issues affecting their communities.

“It’s so important to listen to the locals and for any form of Government, local or central, to do the same.”

Common issues raised by people included unemployment, the cost of living and the fuel crisis.

Walker said they spoke to an older tāne who had initially told them he was not planning on voting, but after talking with Walker, he had changed his mind because of the kaupapa.

Walker said the man appreciated the effort made to reach their communities and listen to them.

The state of SH35 was another issue Walker said stood out during the trip.

Walker noticed a number of slips being managed along the highway, which they said was providing work for Coasties through contractors including Downer, Parata and Apanui.

However, Walker said they were surprised to learn in Waipiro Bay that SH35 was not part of the Road of National Significance.

Walker said residents told them this had made it more difficult to get roads in and out of Waipiro Bay repaired after Cyclone Gabrielle, Cyclone Hale and the January weather events.

“SH35 should be a Road of National Significance,” Walker said.

Walker also spoke with marae, iwi and hapū about the work involved in maintaining their whenua and keeping their communities going.

They said Te Waonui a Tāne, the Greens’ proposed $2.44 billion Māori-governed trust, could provide long-term funding for marae, hapū and communities.

Walker said the funding could help marae that also acted as civil defence hubs to be repaired or upgraded, while also supporting jobs and ahi kā roles determined by hapū and whānau.

Walker said people they spoke to liked the policy and wanted it, although there were concerns about whether East Coast communities would receive their share of the funding.

“There is concern that they might not be the quickest at the table to grab funding for their region,” Walker said.

“I assured them that I would fight for equity for the East Coast.”

The ride finished with whānau from Ōpōtiki greeting the pair at the Dunes Trail before they rode into town together for the finish-line event and then had a catch-up at the St John lounge.

Walker said Ōpōtiki was chosen as the final destination because the pair wanted to ride the entire length of SH35.

They said the journey had achieved what they had set out to do, and more.

Walker plans to drive back up the coast next week to reconnect with people they did not get to speak with in person in Te Araroa, Waihau Bay and other communities.