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Te Araroa: The Storm That Ends All
Te Araroa: The Storm That Ends All 22.03.2020 Day 146 (16km) Thank goodness it was a short day, because the wind was howling as we walked a pebbly beach towards coastal farmland. One of my gaiters came loose, allowing the tiny rocks to fling themselves into my shoe. With the temperamental weather, I wasn’t keen to stop and remove them. After our final climb of the TA, which was only a couple hundred meters up to a viewpoint, we descended into Riverton’s residential neighborhoods. Alex had booked us an AirBnb, which was so lovely that within a few minutes we decided to reserve it for another day. The weather was…
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Te Araroa: Final Forests
17.03.2020 Day 141 (32km) If my pace matched the time estimate in the trail notes, I would arrive at the hut at 9pm. There was nothing appealing about arriving that late. Not to mention the temperatures had been dropping over the last week or so and I was not keen to lose the use of my hands to the cold, which was a common occurrence on the TA. After leaving Te Anau I planned to push several big days in a row, cause to be honest I’m over tenting. It’s gotten colder and I don’t want to deal with a wet tent in the mornings anymore. However, in order to…
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Te Araroa: Motatapu Track
02.03.2020 Day 126 (25km) It was another flip-flop morning. There was the temptation to stay an extra day, but I knew one day would turn into two, because the weather forecast predicted lots of rain for Tuesday. So after dragging my feet for the better part of the morning, I set out to walk along the lake from Wanaka to Glendhu. It was a lovely day with cloud spotted skies and passive breezes. A small crowd was gathered around the Instagram famous Wanaka Tree. I snapped a few pictures as I passed, not bothering to take a selfie or ask anyone to do the honors. (Crazy thing, about a week…
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Te Araroa: The River Rush
06.02.2020 Day 101 & 07.02.2020 Day 102 (0km) It was really difficult for me to decide to take an extra rest day. I had planned on spending the sixth writing and catching up on work, but not the seventh. Unfortunately, I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked (aka typing up my blog). A weird pain had also taken up residence in the side of my foot, forcing me to limp around town when running errands. With the majority of my friends having departed on the fifth and sixth, I was keen to get going and try to catch up. It was nice having an extra day,…
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Te Araroa: Nelson Lakes
31.01.2020 Day 95 (29km) Today was possibly one of my favorite days on the TA thus far. We strolled out of St Arnaud around 8:30 in the morning and followed the trail as it meandered past the lake and up the river. The path was never steep nor difficult, just a lovely walk in the forest. Initially, the tranquil waves of the lake provided the melody of motion. This was eventually replaced by the constant sigh of the river. We stopped on a grassy bank to sun ourselves as the wind kept most of the sandflies at bay. Then later we dropped our packs and took a short detour down…
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Te Araroa: Pelorus River and Richmond Ranges (Part I)
23.01.2020 Day 87 (0km) How on Earth do I have so much food!? I stayed in Nelson today to resupply and hang out with a few hiker friends, although I had initially intended to head back to trail. The next section is supposed to be a doozy, requiring extra food in case of weather delays. I decided to try those Backcountry freeze dried meals because they are light and have a decent amount of calories. Silly me, I didn’t realize just how much space they occupy. It’s ridiculous, I’m going to look like I’m being eaten by my pack because it is so enormous. I honestly think I let what…
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Te Araroa: Able Tasman
20.01.2020 Day 84 (23km) Well, I’m off the TA again, making up kilometers I skipped on the road sections. My side trip of choice, Able Tasman, a beautiful National Park along the northwest coast of South Island. Sarah and I took an early morning shuttle from Nelson so we could catch the earliest water taxi of the day. They loaded us into the boat at the tour company, then towed it down to the water using a tractor. Since the tides go out by a few kilometers each day, sometimes they have to drive the boats quite far to launch them. We stopped at some iconic rock formations along the…
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Te Araroa: The Tararuas
30.12.2019 Day 71 (15km) I was soaking wet, tired, and hungry, but the second I smelled the fire coming from the hut, I pushed myself into overdrive. It was my first day in the Tararuas and they had met my expectations: difficult and muddy. Within the past two weeks two people I knew personally, had been seriously injured in the mountain range. So, I was absolutely content to take things slowly on the slippery, wet slopes. Rain was my constant companion as I navigated through roots, scampered up rock walls, and climbed up into a bursting green forest, shrouded in mist. Sweat dripped down my face in rivers, and despite…
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Te Araroa: Egmont National Park
10.12.2019 Day 51 (0km) It may have been a zero day, but it wasn’t a rest day. I spent the morning at the library, then made a split second decision to hop on a bus to New Plymouth to do a bit of off-trail hiking. I’ll be making up a few kilometers around Mt Taranaki, which is not a part of the Te Araroa, before heading back to Taumarunui to do the 42nd Traverse and Tongariro Crossing. Hopefully, by then the weather will have improved. Day’s Highlights: Having a lie in this morning. 11.12.2019 Day 52 (10km) We made a hitching sign, unsure if it would help or hinder our…
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Te Araroa: The Northern Forests Part 2
29.10.2019 Day 9 (25km) With one foot on either side of the muddy ravine, I prayed that the terrain would hold as I swung myself over. If it didn’t, I would end up with a broken leg, or worse. It had rained all night and morning, leaving the track slick and dangerous. Ben and Tobi encouraged me from the other side; their longer legs had given them a slight advantage when they crossed over. It wasn’t our first sticky spot that day and it wouldn’t be the last. Later on, Ben would literally have to pull me up a slope of sheer mud. The beginning of the walk had been…
Insights and Stories Through the Eyes of a Wanderer
