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National | Education

"Wild Boy" inspires youth with unique journey

21-year-old Brando Yelavich, also known as 'Wild Boy' successfully completed a full 8000km circumnavigation around NZ on foot and has now started his new challenge.

He has written a book and is travelling around NZ, this time in a car, sharing a special message, “never give up”.

He expected his trip to be 6 months, but it took him 600 days and he lived off the land and is sharing his diet with the kids.

Yelavich says, “So I have just got some chicken feet for the kids to eat, everyone loves chicken feet and some chicken hearts and some squids for the adventurous.”

He also relied on traditional food sources. He says, “I carried a book with all the native edible plants and all the medicinal purposes for them, lots of kawakawa teas and nedal teas that’s was how I kept my greenery side up."

Apart from his current journey being a motivational speaker, Yelavich is also hoping to start a television series that teaches people how to survive in the wilderness.