Gavin McKenzie
Gavin McKenzie and Trish Gray just before they left on the trip of a lifetime. Photo: Neil Wilson.
Gavin “Cousin” McKenzie is away, working on parts of his bucket list.
The larger-than-life tanker-driver, hunter, socialite and Waikato/Chiefs supporter flew out of New Zealand last Monday on what is literally the trip of a lifetime with his partner Trish Gray. Late last year Gavin was given just months to live due to inoperable cancer, but he is incredibly buoyant.
“It may seem strange, but because of what I am doing right now, and what I hope to do, these are the happiest days of my life.”
Gavin says that he is not being unrealistic about his future and that his determination to confront his situation feels like the right thing to do.
“Don’t think I’m not upset about the cancer, but with the right attitude I know I can’t beat it, I can just fight for time.”
The six-week-long bucket-list trip includes a flight on the new 380 Airbus, in which Gavin and Trish flew business class from Melbourne to Los Angeles.
“I’ve always wondered what they get up to up the front of the plane. It’s cattle class on the way back, unfortunately.”
Gavin and Trish will go to Las Vegas and take in an Elvis Presley show, fly into the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, view moose and caribou in the wild in Canada, go ice fishing on a frozen lake, visit Calgary and take a train trip through the Rockies, go to ground zero in New York and take a nine-day tour of the Caribbean on a big cruise ship out of Miami.
Part of Gavin’s positive approach to his situation arises out his gratitude that he has the opportunity to tick off items on his bucket list and to say goodbye to the important people in his life. He has already enjoyed a special Christmas with his two sons, Cameron and Hayden, their wives and his grandson, Cohen Gavin McKenzie.
“I’m a lot luckier than those poor people who were killed in the earthquake or at Pike River. They didn’t get to kiss their kids goodbye or do the things they’d always wanted to do.”
Gavin was first diagnosed with cancer on 22 October 2009. That morning he was told he had bowel cancer; that afternoon was told he also had tumours in his liver.
“It was a very tough day,” he says. “I asked the surgeon what my chances were and he said there was a 30 per cent chance that I’d be cured.”
He then had multiple operations, almost dying on the operating table because he reacted adversely to a drug. He also underwent two series of chemotherapy, each of them three months long. Finally, on 11 October 2011, Gavin’s surgeon told him that there were four tumours in his liver and nothing more could be done.
“They said that I had just months to live. I sulked for one day, then carried on driving for three weeks while I sorted my life out. Then I left my job at Fonterra after 13-and-a-half years. They’ve supported me so well through my battle. The day I had to stop driving tankers, 6 November last year, was a very sad one. I’ve always loved my job and I’ve been a proud tanker driver. When I picked up my last load, from out at Bainham, I got permission to take Trish along with me. When I had to stop work I got started on the bucket list with Trish. Thank goodness I had health insurance through my super scheme; that’s made the trip possible.”
Gavin says he has been doing some thinking about his funeral and he was seen admiring the Go Willow coffins at last week’s A&P Show.
“I’ve got an escape route planned if I get sick on the bucket list trip. At this stage I’m feeling all right, but I could get sick quite quickly. Who knows?”
If everything goes according to plan, Gavin and Trish will be back in the Bay about 1 March. Then he says, health permitting, he hopes to achieve some more things on his list.
“I want to shoot a 12-plus-point stag and catch a double-figure-pound snapper. That’s been eluding me. Then in April I want to take my son Cameron hunting in the Kawekas and watch him shoot his first deer. Cameron is getting my rifle.”
Gavin’s passion for driving is reflected in the next thing he hopes to do.
“Malcolm Berkett and his family are building a hot-rod race tractor. It’s a Fordson, complete with V8. They’ve said they’ll let me drive it at the National Field Days in June, fingers crossed. And, once these bucket lists are complete I hope to arrange some more.”
Gavin’s surgeon, who was a little uneasy about him making such big plans, has told Gavin that although he is talking about just months, because of the man he is dealing with, “the door’s not shut”.
Gavin pays a big tribute to the support he has had from friends and members of the Golden Bay community. He is especially grateful to his partner Trish.
“She’s been unreal. I don’t think I’d ever have got here without her. I’ve been through everything with her beside me. I’m very lucky, because it would have been a tough go on my own. After every op I’d wake up and she was there.”
Gavin is surprised that so many people have called him an inspiration and says he has had lots of nice comments from people about his attitude.
“This is the kind of thing that could happen to anyone. I’m really pissed off that it’s happened to me. I’ve never smoked in my life and I’ve always looked after myself. I’m sad that I won’t be around to see my grandson Cohen grow up, but I agreed to do this interview to inspire other people with terminal illness to just go out and do it. Life’s too short.”
Neil Wilson
