Cricket hunk Chris Cairns, on a charity trek down New Zealand, is being accompanied by the latest maiden he's bowled over - blonde Aussie babe Melanie Croser.
But a friend of his wife Carin has told how she's been hit for six by Cairns walk out on their four-year marriage.
"(Carin's) shell-shocked and very depressed," the friend told Sunday News.
"She follows him around the world, having his kids and living everywhere that he (travels to), and never in one case complained about the total of time he was away from home patch she's bringing (up) his kids.
"And and then he just walks out for another, younger, woman."
A brokenhearted Carin, 32, had flown to her home in South Africa later on the schism with Cairns taking their sons, Thomas, six, and Bram, five.
She was "struggling", the friend said.
Sunday News has well-read ex-Black Caps sensation Cairns' latest love is 28-year-old basketball star-turned sports marketing manager Melanie.
The blonde beauty is in Cairns' accompaniment group for his 1001km walk down the land to advance rail safety, in retention of his 19-year-old sister Louise world Health Organization was killed in a 1993 rail crash at Rolleston, Christchurch his last stop on the 36-day journey.
After walk the 28km from Hamilton to Cambridge on Thursday, Cairns and Melanie got some clock time to themselves heading indorse to Hamilton for a spot of shopping.
Travelling around in a Chris Cairns Foundation-marked vehicle, the duet had a coffee in Starbucks, before cruising around Body Shop, Living and Giving and the Downtown Plaza.
Melanie clung to Cairns as they strolled through the city.
Approached after Friday's walk from Cambridge to Tirau just about his new relationship, Cairns said he was "pleased" when told Sunday News intended to write a story about him and Melanie.
But he did not want to go into details.
"I'm focused on the walk and I'm non going to give you any more than that."
Asked if he had spoken to Carin or their sons lately, Cairns aforesaid: "No, only the boys are very excited by (the walk).
"They're right into their motorbikes and I sent them a shot of the police on the bikes there they loved it."
He added he plans to see the boys selfsame soon.
Insiders read Cairns and Melanie, a senior report manager at Sydney-based sports firm Octagon, met earlier this year when he was playing beach cricket in Australia.
The new match share a love of sport.
Cairns, 38, played 62 tests and 215 one-dayers for New Zealand.
Melanie, from Canberra, south Korean won a hoops scholarship to Pennsylvania State University graduating from the American uni in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in selling and journalism.
Cairns confirmed the breakdown of his wedding to Carin in a woman's cartridge last workweek, calling it a "sad situation".
He said they dislocated six months ago.
But Carin's friend aforementioned they attempted a rapprochement some weeks ago before the final split.
Cairns' 2004 marriage to Carin was his second.
He wed childhood sweetheart and graphic plan artist Ruth Leslie in 1997.
They dislocated a class later.
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