A Bit Mental

In an effort to conquer his depression, Jimi Hunt decided to travel the length of New Zealand's longest river...on a lilo.

Jimi Hunt is a man who has spent most of his life doing ridiculous things for his own amusement. Things like building the country's biggest waterslide, playing golf through the streets of downtown Auckland, and holding an alternative summer Olympics including events such as sandcastle building and rhythmic gymnastics.

But what none of his friends knew was that Jimi had been silently battling with depression. It was eating him alive from the inside, affecting his business, losing him friends and slowly, painfully destroying his marriage.

Disillusioned with the help and advice he received, he read that having a goal could help with depression. Five minutes later Jimi set his goal and announced it to the world - he would travel the entire length of the Waikato River on an inflatable mattress. Loneliness, 21,000 people following the journey on Facebook, chancing upon a dead body in the river, unbridled kindness from strangers, physical pain and crazy psychic predictions are just some of the strange tales from the river.