Peter Hardi volunteers his time to give sick and disadvantaged children a respite from day-to-day hardship, thanks to a few hovercrafts.
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The Sydneysider has organised at least 30 free hovercraft events for groups of youngsters across NSW with the help of hovercraft owners in Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
All activities have gone off without a hitch - except in Canberra.
The National Capital Authority has denied Mr Hardi's application to run the hovercrafts on a small section of Lake Burley Griffin.
It is the first rejection he has received since becoming involved in the initiative more than a decade ago.
"I didn't think we were asking too much and it is for a very worthy cause, to take these disadvantaged children on free rides in a small area on the lake," he said.
"We're talking about a radius of about 400 metres out of a lake that stretches 11 kilometres. It's a one-off thing for four or five hours which could be at a very secluded part of the lake. It's all at our own expense."
The NCA rejected Mr Hardi's application for the charity ride because it was not consistent with the Lake Burley Griffin and Adjacent Lands Heritage Management Plan.
Mr Hardi was surprised by how difficult it was to organise events around the lake.
"Even at protected marine parks like Jervis Bay and Port Stevens [we've been permitted]," he said.
"We just needed to contact the marine parks authority . . . if there is a certain marine sanctuary you need to stay clear of, they give you a map of the area showing where there could be special sea grasses to avoid, for example.
"I'm not sure how you guys do things over there. We have never had an event turned down."
In December NCA chief executive Malcolm Snow said Lake Burley Griffin was underused around the edges and on the water's surface.
Despite this an NCA spokeswoman confirmed the application had been rejected. She said the hovercraft operations were inconsistent with conservation policies identified in the 2009 management plan.
"The conservation policies in the . . . plan aim to conserve the social and aesthetic qualities of the lake.
"It promotes the 'non-motorised' recreational use of the lake, and 'minimising the noise and disruption to the water surface'," she said.
Recreational activities that were permitted on Lake Burley Griffin included canoeing and kayaking, dragon boating, rowing, chartered boats, sailing, fishing, swimming, non-powered boats and windsurfing.
"The NCA recommended the event organiser apply to the ACT government to hold the event on Lake Ginninderra or the Molonglo River, which are not bound by the same restrictions as Lake Burley Griffin," the spokeswoman said.
Mr Hardi said the term hovercraft could misleadingly ring alarm bells. He said the vehicles hovered about eight inches (20 centimetres) above any surface, did not create wake or wash and were not as loud as some boats, jet skis and motorbikes.
He said he was looking at holding the event at one of the two alternative waterways suggested by the NCA but was informed by the ACT government late last week that power boats were not permitted on Canberra waterways.
He was concerned about sick children having to travel as far as Lake Burrinjuick, west of Yass, or the coast if the event could not go ahead in Canberra.
A Territory and Municipal Services spokesman also ruled out Lake Ginninderra but suggested Mr Hardi submit an application for Molonglo Reach water ski area.
