-
The Te Araroa Was Great but What Happened to the Rest of 2020?
To say 2020 didn’t quite go the way most people planned would be an understatement. Along with travel restrictions and lockdowns, loved ones were lost, weddings cancelled, and ordinary life completely disheveled. After returning from New Zealand, I struggled in finding a new normal. I stopped working on my travel blog and did my best to separate myself from social media. I just needed a break from it all, a moment to reset and find balance, but I wasn’t quite sure how. It was a difficult journey but beautiful in countless ways. I’ve got a lot planned for 2021, but for now I’ll do a quick flash back on the…
-
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…
-
Te Araroa: Wanaka
27.02.2020 Day 122 (24km) I’m never climbing anothing mountain in my life! That was the reoccurring thought that ran through my brain several times as I fought to remain upright against the wind on the thin ridges. I love heights; I think they’re amazing and the views are often unmatchable, but the second my footing feels insecure or there is an increased chance of falling, I’m an utter wreck. Coming down from Pakituhi Hut would have been spectacular were it not for the wind. The sky was clear and the sapphire blue Lake Hawea shone in the sunlight like a jewel fixed in a ring of commanding mountains. I hardly…
-
Te Araroa: The Part Between Two Rivers
12.02.2020 Day 107 (20km) It could have been a very long day if we hadn’t gotten a lift, but let me go back to the beginning. We had a late start from Hamilton Hut, having not one, but two morning coffees. The plan was to camp at a free site, not too far down the trail, then have a long walk along a rural gravel road the following day. Valley strolls and mild river crossings were the theme of the track, allowing us to keep a good pace and walk next to each other for ease of conversation. Unfortunately, we arrived to find the camp extremely lacking. None of us…
-
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,…
-
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…
-
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…
-
The Final Chapter
There had been two different groups to visit the Grampians while I was living at the hostel Landing Pads in Melbourne. I didn’t manage to go with either party and was excited Looci and I had elected to end our holiday with a couple hiking days there. The delightful heat we had enjoyed thus far had vanished, replaced by a cold, biting wind. Still as we climbed the rocky terrain to Hollow Mountain, I built up a sweat. The trail was a clearly marked dirt track, at least for the first five minutes. Then it gave way to stone steps; after a while it was difficult to determine whether there…
-
Solo Hikes in the Jungle
If a cassowary attacked, I would be ready! At least that’s what I kept telling myself as I walked through the Wooroonooran rainforest. The Goldsborough trail was 19 kilometers and wove its way between two mountains, all the way from Babinda Boulders to Goldsborough Valley. Solo hiking is something I don’t think twice about back home. I mean there are mountain lions, bears, snakes, and potentially crazy mountain people, but other than that it’s perfect safe. But in Australia they have snakes, crocodiles, cassowaries, snakes, spiders, paralysis ticks, and snakes. Funnily enough most of my Aussie friends have said they would take the risks of Australia any day over bears…
-
Hagrid and His Hills
The view made the steep climb entirely worth it. From a solitary picnic table, we stood gazing out over the Pacific. As a local, I would have gladly hiked up there every day to enjoy my lunch in the sun. From one side of the hill the terrain was a moist jungle, with spider lines crossing the path every few feet. Wild turkeys strutted about in the bush, eyeing us with caution. The opposite side was a drier, dusty walk, with wide spaced eucalyptus and tall, pokey grasses. Though we could have climbed up a mountain near Buladelah and seen an old mine, I really wanted to go for a…
Insights and Stories Through the Eyes of a Wanderer
