When John Herbison ( said goodbye to his wife before setting off on a walk,  he didn’t say “I’ll see you later”, it was “I’ll be back in about a year”.

The devout Hare Krishna of 30 years has set out on a pilgrimage to mark the 50th anniversary of the Hare Krishna Society’s arrival in the western world.

He left Christchurch 10 days ago with a stroppy horse named Samson and a restored 100-year-old wagon, intent on travelling the length of New Zealand.

The first leg of his spiritual journey will see him walk from Christchurch to Bluff via Queenstown, and then from Bluff to Cape Reinga. His journey will end in Auckland next July as a finale of  the 50-year celebrations.

Also known by his religious name of Yasoda  Dulal , Herbison visited Timaru 25 years ago during a three-year expedition around New Zealand, walking with oxen. The trip was co-ordinated with followers throughout 100 countries and has inspired him to celebrate that feat as part of next year’s festivities.

Waitaki Valley born and bred, Herbison has always enjoyed a challenge. He has worked as a mountain guide and was involved with search and rescue at Mt Cook in the 1980s before getting married and joining the Krishna group.

Read more and watch video: http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/71350906/hare-krishna-yasodi-dulal-embarks-on-a-years-pilgrimage