In the North Island, food and resupply isn't a big problem because of the towns regularly walked through. Geoff Chapple - one of our great Kiwis - picked up the concept that had previously floated around without any real traction. The trail travels from Cape Reinga on the North Island to Bluff on the South Island, passing through 9 distinct regions on its way. Hike the best parts of the Te Araroa Trail on the North Island of New Zealand. It is known for its electrical sub-station that supplies the lower central North Island (visible off in the distance at right as you approach the village) and the historic Glaxo factory beside the road at your right. While I haven't walked any other long-distance trails, I met a heap of people on the TA who had, namely the big trails in the US, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail. By way of some post-Covid planning inspiration, local expert Nutan Shinde-Pawar introduces all the major mountain are... One of Europe's great long-distance routes, the Haute Route Pyrenees extends for some 800km from Atlantic to Mediterranean along the crest of the high Pyrenees. Despite New Zealand's clean, green image and its sparkling clear river waters, New Zealand has a nasty secret – a lot of its waterways are actually highly polluted. You can show your support and with recieve rewards. If heading northbound (NOBO), most people leave Bluff between November and the end of January. In recent years, fast hikers have completed the trail in 100 days. His North Island route mainly off-road, started at the northernmost point, Surville Cliffs, and ended at its southern-most, Cape Palliser. On-demand, live and on catch-up, discover the very best mountain, adventure and nature films, specialist sessions, guest speakers... John and his trusty companion Moss embark on the Cape Wrath Trail, starting from Fort William and ending up in the far north of... A British hiker emerged from five days alone in the mountains of New Zealand to find that the country had unexpectedly shut down... UKHillwalking is a vibrant site with rich content and an amazing community. Increasing numbers of walkers start the trail in September – often to avoid getting stuck in a large bubble of walkers – but they run the risk of heavy spring rain and track closures in September and October due to farming and forestry operations. (Prices & Dates) These are updated annually in early September to take into account any track changes or closures. The North Island route is just over 1600.0km long, and the South Island just under 1400.0km. The rewards of thru-hiking are many, but the trail presents equa… To bring Te Araroa to life, Geoff walked New Zealand himself - covering the North Island in 1998, then the South Island in 2002. So far, all we’ve asked is that you visit and interact with the site, but we are now in uncertain times. New Zealanders have coined the word tramping, which I like to define as extreme hiking. Te Araroa - North Island,Te Araroa. In the decades since, many other Te Araroa walkers have also recorded and shared their journeys. I met a lot of walkers who weren't carrying water treatment means to save weight and because they believed New Zealand river water was safe to drink. What Te Araroa offers is a snapshot view, at walking pace, of the best of New Zealand. The Te Araroa trail is diverse and potential walkers should expect beach walking, road walking, exceptionally muddy native forests, traversing bustling cities, climbing active volcanoes, crossing farms with paddocks of bulls, six days canoeing down a river, majestic mountain trails, and crossing tidal estuaries and more than 200 rivers. Holly Pfeiffer -  Blog / Fundraising / Instagram, Amanda Farmilo - Fundraising Page / Instagram, Michelle Green (Long White Gypsy) YouTube / Blog / Instagram, Mark Kerr -  Facebook /  Blog / Fundraising, Michelle Green (Long White Gypsy) - YouTube - Blog - Instagram, Lewis Matthews - Running TA - Facebook / Instagram, Montana O'Neill - Facebook - Fundrasing Page, Dave + Baxter Murray - Walk the TA Website / Instagram / Facebook, Walk for Wiggly Eyes   Website / Instagram / Facebook / Youtube, Mickey & Michelle - musical tour on foot   Website / Instagram / Facebook, Edward Colenbrander   Instagram / Blog / Gearlist, Danny Strayer   Website / Instagram / Facebook, Lucy Clarke   Website / Instagram / Facebook. This makes navigating interesting at times. But I also met walkers who were scrimping on safety equipment to keep their weight down. They now have a dedicated website. Te Araroa is New Zealand’s premier long-distance hiking trail, stretching 3000 km (1860 mi) across the country’s two main islands. In the 1960s the nation enjoyed surfing a single emotion - the Beatles right? The saying goes that if you can do the first two weeks, you can do the whole trail. A through-hike of the Te Araroa trail will take four to six months depending on walking speed, distance covered each day (some walkers clock 50km days – on good tracks – once their trail legs kick in), whether you decide to hitchhike or miss sections, possible injuries and weather conditions. Death from crossing rivers is one of the top contributors to deaths in the New Zealand backcountry. The official guidebook (which I did see some walkers carry – and use as toilet paper) is Te Araroa: A Walking Guide to New Zealand's Long Trail. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Te Araroa is the birthplace of noted Māori politician Sir Āpirana Ngata. If you come from overseas you will notice New Zealanders tend to wear heavy boots, gaiters, shorts over longjohns, heavy Gore-tex rain gear and sturdy packs. This is mainly a result of agriculture with farming runoff. Some of the huts only sleep six people, meaning walkers will still need to carry a tent in case huts are full, which is becoming increasingly common. But, weirdly, this is all part of its charm. It means the trail can be brutal and unforgiving; it has a reputation for both mud and road walking. As it was, it would have been unwise to continue had my injury recovered because the seasons were already starting to change and I still had 1,000km left to walk. During the walk I mostly ate my mother's green super muesli (powered by spirulina) for breakfast, peanut butter or cheese wraps for lunch and a dehydrated meal for dinner alongside numerous snacks and a lot of chocolate. But different from Te Araroa - exclusively, as ours is not, a coastal, bush, and mountain range trail. * Tourism booming, people visiting Te Araroa trail The mid section of Te Araroa, which covers the upper South and lower North islands, is becoming a … Hiking Trails. I spent most of my walking time thinking about how much pain I was in and focussing intently on foot placements so I didn't slip or fall over. Our adventure begins in the seaside town of Russell among the subtropical splendor of the Bay of Islands. Furthermore, the water tanks at huts can be contaminated with possum droppings or dead rats. New Zealand’s long-distance hiking trail, the Te Araroa, connects the North Island and South Island by way of spectacular parks and reserves. The Te Araroa trail is best tackled north to south, beginning from … In Nov 2019, I started running the Te Araroa Trail, from Cape Reinga to Bluff. Geoff wrote extensively about Te Araroa, first releasing a publication in 2002 Te Araroa: The New Zealand Trail (One Man Walks His Dream) then in 2011 Te Araroa: A Walking Guide to New Zealand's Long Trail . She was working for the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation promoting buying New Zealand-made goods during the depression. Read about my North Island experience, including my favourite sections and getting lost in the Tararua Ranges/ Obviously, fitness training, namely hillwalking with a heavy pack, should be considered. I also brushed up on my navigating and map reading. About 8km north of Rivertime Lodge on map gridline 5902E. The trail notes list accommodation options at section start and end points and en route, but the distances can vary so it's difficult to walk the same amount each day. What is the Te Araroa Trail? I started the trail on 14th October 2017 and finished on 02nd March 2018. For the most part, this isn't a walk in a park – though there are several tracks through parks and other paths that are of good quality. This was my first long distance trail, and it won't be my last. Within the space of a month I walked in temperatures in the mid-30s and also in snow and torrential rain. The octogenarian did the North Island half in 86 days. He set out donged and bleeding, was almost washed off Te Horo Beach Headland but got to Cape Reinga, then walked 90-Mile Beach to Ahipara. The longest stretch between resupply points is the Richmond Ranges, at the top of the South Island, which can take nine to 11 days, though it's recommended to carry food for another two days in case bad weather forces a stay in a hut for several days. How it compares to other long-distance walking trails. This is a guide for people wanting to through-hike the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand going from south to north. 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