On January 21st, Auckland entrepreneur Jimi Hunt is taking his pink, inflatable pool float and is going to "Lilo The Waikato". The 425km journey from Taupo to Port Waikato is a bid to raise awareness for depression in NZ. Something tells me that this will be an interesting adventure…

So you've got to admit lilo-ing the longest river in NZ must be something of a conversation starter. What are most people's reactions when they find out about what it is your doing?

Madness. Greg Boyed, the Close Up presenter said it best; "he’s doing it not because he's mentally ill, quite the opposite, he's doing it because he's no longer mentally ill..."

Why a lilo? Talk us through how this idea was born. 

If I did it on a boat, a jet ski, a kayak or anything else like that, no one would have cared. I picked something a little ridiculous to match doing something quite ridiculous in order to raise awareness for a serious problem that affects far too many New Zealanders.

(you used the right effect/affects. Well done, sir. Seriously irks me when people don’t know the difference!)

What's are the logistics behind it? Will you have a team coming along with you?

I get in the river at Taupo and finish at Port Waikato. And I'll be doing as many interesting things as I can find along the river on the way. Each night I plan to get out and go and knock on someone's door. Hopefully they'll be nice enough to let me have some dinner with them and stay the night. During the day I have been humbled by the people that have offered to come and support me. Without them this project simply wouldn’t have been able to happen. Not asking for help was the reason I suffered from depression for so long. And that is what this trip is about; asking for help to make the adventure amazing, and getting people to ask for help to fix their depression.  People are there to help you. Just ask.

What kind of training does one need to undertake to become lilo fit? 

A fair bit of lilo-ing. It's a pretty strange movement. Basically, I wasn't fit. But Darren Ellis and Crossfit NZ have fixed that for me. I've been training for about 5 months now, and I feel like I can take on the world. That was a key ingredient to getting my depression under control as well, fitness and routine.

So if we are talking about raising awareness, what is the ultimate outcome you are hoping for?

The best things that could possibly happen is that people are inspired to ask for help. I had watched all the John Kirwan’s ads, but I still acted like a macho Kiwi male. "I can fix this!" – But I couldn't. I needed help, and it wasn't until I reached out that I found the solution to my depression. (Thanks Dr John McEwan) No drugs, just great lifestyle advice. 

I want people to understand that it's not embarrassing to suffer from various kinds of Depression. Many of your friends probably do as well. When you talk about it and ask for help it makes it a lot easier. And people are there for you.

If people need help, where can they get it?

John C McEwan was my doctor. Smartest man I've ever met. Worst website in history. www.drstress.co.nz

Go see your GP to get a referral, if you don't think the person that is trying to help you is helping, go see someone else, I went through 4 doctors who were useless before I found John.

www.depression.org.nz

www.beatingtheblues.co.nz/

www.thelowdown.co.nz

Ask your friends, parents, teachers, whoever... People are actually nicer than you think and will help you.

Can we expect this to be a yearly event?

Probably not Lilo The Waikato as such. But this will not be the last thing I do to raise awareness for Depression. There are already some fantastic plans in the pipeline…

How can people help the cause?

Join the community on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lilothewaikato

Donate on the Uncle Percy page: http://goo.gl/ITkuC

Bid on the TradeMe auctions: Search "lilo the waikato"

And take a close look at your friends and see if they're all ok. They might just need your help, but are too afraid to ask.