Wellington: A New Zealand cricket fanatic is making a round-the-world dash to spend a few hours in Melbourne so he can watch Sunday’s World Cup final between the Black Caps and Australia.
British-based New Zealander Peter Thompson will make a 34,000 kilometre (21,000 mile) return trip from London to Melbourne for the final, missing only a single day of work in the process.
To achieve the feat, he will spend more than 50 hours travelling - including short layovers in Singapore - in order to have fewer than 18 hours in Melbourne for the match.
Thompson, who works in the City of London, told Radio New Zealand that he had received a mixed response from friends to his frenzied trip.
“The overriding emotion is jealousy, which is great,” he said, “A few people are saying crazy, but they don’t understand the passion that us Black Cap fans feel.
“Everyone who’s a New Zealand fan will understand the mission that has to be accomplished here.”
Thompson said the idea sprang from some banter with an Australian friend about their respective team’s chances in the lead-up to the tournament.
“I was texting my Aussie mate in Melbourne and we came up with a pact that if it was an Aussie-New Zealand final and he could get tickets, then I’d jump on a plane and get over there,” he said.
He said his boss could not give him time off, so he was leaving London on Friday night, then arriving back on Monday evening ready for work on Tuesday.
The demanding schedule sees him arrive in Melbourne at 07:35am Sunday and depart at 01:00am Monday.
“The cab’s booked for 11pm from the MCG to get out to Tullamarine (Airport, in Melbourne), hopefully with a big smile on my face,” he said.
He acknowledged he would be exhausted when arriving in Melbourne but believed the thrill of seeing New Zealand contest their first World Cup final would energise him.
“If there’s a game of backyard cricket going on I might roll the arm over, or have a little sleep then at 2pm the big final is on,” he said.
“If I can make it to that point, then I think adrenaline will take me through the rest of the way.”
