Are you an experienced mechanic looking for a high-paying job in luxurious surroundings with relaxed hours and all the benefits?
Well, this isn't the job for you. But if you are mechanically handy, know your way around a two-stroke engine and want to head off on the adventure of a lifetime, then this will be right up your alley.
Sarah Meikle, founder and owner of All India Permit, is after such a person to join her and a friend for "2800 kilometres of chaos, searing temperatures and highly questionable safety standards" in a three-wheeled rickshaw she barely knows how to drive.
Why? Well, it's all for a good cause.
Meikle, once the face of (and brains behind) Visa Wellington On a Plate and Burger Wellington, has swapped buns for biryani and now leads "luxury small group tours" into India, where she is deeply invested in the people and places she brings her largely Kiwi clientele to.
Now, though, she is taking her passion for India to another level, and in early 2027, will join the Rickshaw Run, a 14-day pilgrimage across India that’s been going for over 20 years. And she has a spare seat for someone who knows what makes a single-cylinder two-stroke engine sputter and belch smoke. Or run properly, in other words.
“I’ve been to India more than 30 times, but this still feels like a new frontier,” Meikle says.
“I’ve always wanted to see Jaisalmer, our starting point. This trip will finally get me there, and then to some pretty far-flung places I’ve probably never even heard of."
The Rickshaw Run is operated by UK-based outfit The Adventurists. There are no medals or winners’ podiums and the idea is simple: survive 14 days on Indian roads, make it to the finish line, and raise some money along the way.
"It’s not a race. It’s an un-race," she says. "You just have to get to the end, somehow."
Meikle says she has already roped in one friend to join her, but is now searching for a third, and with some specific knowledge top of her priority list. They don’t need to have been to India before, but they should be handy with a lawnmower. "We’re looking for someone special, ideally someone who’s familiar with a two-stroke single cylinder engine."
There’s no support crew and no roadside rescue, so an adventurous spirit is non-negotiable.
Liking curry is essential, says Meikle and she’s hopeful that applicants will know their way around a wrench, understand lubrication, and be able to change a tyre.
"We are guaranteed to break down. And we will need to fix things quickly if we’re going to keep moving."
It’s all part of the fun, she reckons. Common failures include spark plugs, fuel filters and fuel pumps, "and probably things we won’t learn about until they snap in half before our eyes".
As part of the run, participants raise at least £500 (NZ$1125) for a charity of their choice. Sarah’s pick is Sambhali Trust, a Jodhpur-based organisation that supports women and children from marginalised communities.
“I take all my tour groups to visit Sambhali’s headquarters. It’s a not for profit focused on empowerment, education, vocational training and support services to help women gain independence and improve their lives. Important work.”
Meikle says she has spent "a few minutes" driving a rickshaw - "It was 10 years ago, in Jaipur!" - but says she has plans to rent one during an upcoming holiday in Sri Lanka before the race kicks off.
"Right now, my skills are more theoretical," she says, and as for the difference between a tuktuk and a rickshaw?
"In India, they’re the same. It’s a three-wheeled motorised thing that runs on dreams and fumes."
In order to begin attracting an applicant for the role of unpaid, self-funded, indispensable mechanic, Meikle says has started an Instagram account (@chutney_and_chur) where she is keen to post updates and info as things progress.
She notes that applicants for the role of rickshaw mechanic must be prepared to cover their own costs (flights, accommodation, food and the Rickshaw Run entry fee) but will be rewarded with "the adventure of a lifetime" and "drinks on me at the finish line".
And she’s happy to share her top tips for surviving two weeks in a vibrating, open-sided, three-wheeled baked bean can, for free: "Buy padded bike pants. Travel light. Get regular massages. And prepare to be amazed, not just by the ride, but by India itself!"
Anyone interested in joining Sarah in 2027 can contact her via www.allindiapermit.co.nz.