French Adventurer Hauls 3000km of Trash Across New Zealand

Léo Ragonneau isn't just crossing New Zealand the hard way. He's making sure we feel the weight of what we're doing to it.

The 23-year-old French adventurer, who goes by Léo Nomade, started his journey at Cape Reinga with a simple but powerful rule: every piece of trash he finds, he keeps. No motors, no support vehicles, just his feet, a small swimming board, and a bag that grows heavier with each passing day.

In just 20 days, he collected 5kg of rubbish despite limiting himself to only two to five items daily. That's bottles, plastic, and paper from beaches, forests, and roadsides across remote New Zealand, far from the typical tourist paths.

His expedition partner Louis Boyer puts it plainly: "Even if it becomes 200 kilos, he will keep it, to show people if we don't do something with the pollution, it will be the same for us."

The journey spans more than 3000km from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island. Ragonneau is traveling entirely on foot and by hydrospeed, a small fin-propelled board with no motor, sleeping outdoors and hunting or fishing for food along the way.

The most daring part lies ahead. Ragonneau plans to swim across Cook Strait using only his hydrospeed, carrying all the trash he's collected. A safety boat will follow at a distance, and the attempt will only happen in safe weather conditions.

Why This Inspires

Ragonneau's previous adventure shaped this mission. He spent seven days surviving naked on a deserted Philippine island, where he was stunned to find plastic washing ashore even in such a remote paradise.

He chose New Zealand specifically to make a point: pollution exists everywhere, even in countries known for pristine beauty. "It's a country that's clean and beautiful, but at the same time, you can see there is a lot of trash even in the forest," Boyer explained.

The expedition, called ITE ORA, is being filmed for a documentary with daily updates shared online. But the goal goes beyond awareness. Boyer says they want people to realize they can take action themselves, that individual efforts matter.

After walking more than 40km in a single day and approaching Auckland, Ragonneau continues in what Boyer calls "full survival mode," proving that commitment to change sometimes means carrying its weight on your shoulders.