A couple of architects are about to embark on an epic adventure to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The two Waikato brothers, Sam Thomas of Chow:Hill Architects and Eli Thomas of Livestock Improvement Corportation, will depart for Vietnam on 25 April to travel the length of the country on 50cc scooters in just two weeks.

“This is no Sunday ride; it’s 2500km of pot holes, break downs just waiting to happen, mountain passes and monsoon rain in a country where we can’t even understand the locals; not to mention we’re on motor bikes with about as much power as our Mum’s kitchen blender,” Sam says.

The idea for the journey, cheekily dubbed The Dong Project (after the name of Vietnamese currency and because “it appealed to our school boy sense of humour” according to organisers), was seeded five years ago when the brothers were travelling around South East Asia.

“Top Gear’s Vietnam Special inspired our first trip to Vietnam. However once we were there we decided we would love to do a trip on motorbikes,” Eli says. 

“It became a reality about two months ago when we were thinking about ways we could do some fundraising for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. We decided that the an epic adventure would be a great way to raise awareness,” Sam says.

Given the state of the roads and the power of the scooters, the pair expect to be spending 10-12 hours on scooters each day. 

To donate to The Dong Project, click here.