Three former dairy farmers will later this month (Feb) set out on a cycling adventure that will not only see them travel the length of New Zealand but also help raise funds towards a dedicated helipad in Winton.

Cycling trio (L-R) Inge de Kruijf-Doornekamp, and Janet and Wim Overgaauw out on a practice ride. Photo: Supplied

The Winton Helipad project is a collaboration between both the Winton Lions and Winton Rotary Clubs, with suppoprt from the Otago Rescue Helicopters Trust and the backing in principal from the Oreti Community Board.

Helipad committee member and Winton Lions secretary Juon Schuen said the project was necessary because Medivac helicopters currently landed in a rugby field, which was often muddy, risked stuff being sucked up into the machine and required the fire brigade to turn out each time the ground was used.

He said wheeling stretchers through the paddock to the helicopter was also really really hard.

Schuen said the Helipad committee already had a preferred site in mind, but would need approval to use it first, before establishing firm overall costings and actively starting to fundraise.

However he was hopeful it could be done for between $70-80,000, a cost that may be further reduced with donated labour and supplies.

"It's not going be an overnight project, it's not going be there next month."

"The moment we get the costing right, we're going to go to the community and actually start actively fundraising.," Schuen said.

The Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter on the Fiordland Medical Centre helipad. Photo: Southland App

Recreational cyclists and fellow Lions members Janet and Wim Overgaauw (South Hillend), and Inge de Kruijf-Doornekamp, along with Inge's husband Lar (Invercargill) in a support vehicle, will begin their 3000-kilometre helipad fundraising journey in late February.

Janet said the idea of a New Zealand cycling trip had been with the Overgaauws for a while, but it was only after their Invercargill friend Inge decided to join them that they had decided to use it as a Lions fundraiser.

While the Overgaauws are frequent cyclists, usually having one big day a month where they would cycle between 80 - 90 kilometres, Inge said she wasn't quite as experienced with big multi-day trips.

However Janet said they were going to do this trip on electric bikes, "as we are a wee bit older."

"We'll try to cycle every day, probably up to 80 kilometres."

"We'll take it day by day... it takes as long as it takes," she said.

Lar de Kruijf and Inge de Kruijf-Doornekamp. Lar will drive the teams support vehicle. Photo: Supplied

Janet said they didn't have a fundraising target but that all funds were welcome and would go directly to the helipad project.

The team expects their odyssey to take up to 7-weeks to complete.

CLICK HERE to find out how to support the Winton helipad project.