Sharing the journey. One thru-hike at a time.

2016/17 TE ARAROA TRAIL JOURNAL

Miles

Days

Avg. Daily Miles

Zero Days

*Most of those “zero” days were days spent off trail doing side hikes in NZ. I had 7 days over the hike that I did not hike in some capacity on the Te Araroa.

About the Te Araroa: November 5-March 4

Oh man, where to begin with the Te Araroa. Well, first off, it is 1863mi/2998km and runs the full length of both islands of New Zealand. One of the few hikes in the world that hikes the full length of a country. Second, it is relatively young (officially opened at the end of 2011) and still has a lot of growing to do. The range of experiences on the TA is quite great varying in terrain including road walking, beach slogging, mountain hiking, water crossings, canoeing, farmland, jungled muddy forests, and countless other experiences. It’s going to bring on a wide range of challenges in both terrain and weather (wind/rain). Daily distance hiked each day is significantly lower than the US long trails given the slower terrain, but know that my pace was a couple weeks faster than most would take to complete this track if walking the full length.

 

BASE PACK WEIGHT: 12lbs. 15.4oz.

Before The Hike

During The Hike

Day 1: Embracing The Unknown
Day 2: Views, People, and Sounds Of The Trail
Day 3: A Beachin’ Birthday (Part 1)
Day 4: A Beachin’ Birthday (Part 2)
Day 5: Muddy Mash Up
Day 6: More Mudslinging On Election Day
Day 7: Final Forest Finished!
Day 8: I’m Really Enjoying This!
Day 9: A Welcomed Relaxed Day
Day 10: Thru-Hiking, Holiday Version
Day 11: A Day For Headphones
Day 12: The Push To The Boat
Day 13: It Was Will’s Idea
Day 14: Only On The Te Araroa
Day 15: Everyday’s A Town Day
Day 16: A Sweet Day Sixteen
Day 17: Mistakes Made & Lessons Learned
Day 18: The Long Road To Auckland
Day 19: Town Hopping
Day 20: Auckland Or Bust
Day 21: Auckland Zero
Day 22: Urban Hiking On Thanksgiving In The Rain
Day 23: Ah, The Fumes & Traffic Of Nature
Day 24: It’s Always Something Out Here
Day 25: Making it to Mercer
Day 26: Gorse Two, Becky Zero
Day 27: Bouncing Back In The Hakarimata Forest
Day 28: Christmas Comes Early!
Day 29: Hamilton Zero, The Gear Makeover Continues
Day 30: Happiness, Peace, Scenery…Crowds
Day 31: Over The Hills And Through The Mud
Day 32: A Classic Te Araroa Day
Day 33: The New Zealand Sun Strikes
Day 34: This Is What It’s All About
Day 35: The Big Day In A Cloud
Day 36: Finally, A Roadless Day!
Day 37: Get Out Before The Rain Starts!
Day 38: The Road Walk to Taumarunui
Day 39: Rest & Reset
Day 40: Hittin’ The Road With New Shoes
Day 41: Stretching It Out
Day 42: Dodging The Rain
Day 43: The Te Araroa Shuffle
Day 44: Finally, Tongariro Crossing & Mt Doom!
Day 45: Fisher’s Fast Track
Day 46: A Reunion, In More Ways Than One
Day 47: Getting Our Feet Wet
Day 48: Just Around The River Bend
Day 49: Earning Our River Rapid Merit Badges
Day 50: The Canoe Novelty Wears Off
Day 51: Christmas Eve With The Trail Family
Day 52: Christmas On The Road
Day 53: A Sunny Day For A Group Walk
Day 54: A Solo Day To Recharge
Day 55: Filling The Tank
Day 56: The Cold and Wet Squishy Squashy Slog
Day 57: A Clear Beginning To The Tararua Range
Day 58: Threading The Needle
Day 59: Flooded Trail & Swollen Streams
Day 60: Down And Out To 1,000mi
Day 61: A Gloomy Moody One
Day 62: Just The Break We Needed
Day 63: North Island Completion!
Days 64 & 65: Double Zero In Wellington
Day 66: Kicking Off The South Island
Day 67: It’s Been Awhile
Day 68: Rest Tomorrow…HIKE Today!
Day 69: Abel Tasman Bonus Trip
Day 70: Stretching My Legs On The Abel Tasman
Day 71: It’s Time…
Day 72: The Adjustment Phase
Day 73: A Windy Welcome To The Richmond Range
Day 74: Anything But Flat
Day 75: My Turn In The Fog
Day 76: St Arnaud Before The RAIN
Day 77: Into The Flood
Day 78: Clear Skies, Grand Views
Day 79: Racing Rain & Rivers
Day 80: The Long Soggy Slog Out
Day 81: Zero In Hanmer Springs
Day 82: Finally, A Day To Walk
Day 83: Fairly Uneventful And Welcomed
Day 84: Rain, Rain, Go Away
Day 85: I See The Sun!
Day 86: The Other End Of The Spectrum
Day 87: The Rakaia Dead End
Day 88: The Day The Tussock Swallowed Me
Day 89: The Rangitata Dead End
Day 90: This Is What You Imagine
Day 91: Lake Tekapo Cruise
Day 92: A Zero At E’s House
Day 93: Mt Cook Side Trip…Whoa!
Day 94: Such A Boost!
Day 95: Thank You Clouds & Headphones
Day 96: We’re On A Roll
Day 97: Great Effort, Great Reward!
Day 98: Riverside Stroll Into Wanaka
Day 99: Entering A Mountain Goat’s Playground
Day 100: UP & DOWN For The Challenge
Day 101: Hitting The TA Pause Button In Queenstown
Day 102: Te Anau Zero
Day 103: Milford Sound
Day 104: Kepler Track, Definitely A GREAT Walk!
Day 105: Wooded Half of Kepler & Queenstown Reunion
Day 106: Becky’s Queenstown Birthday!
Day 107: Mt Aspiring-Bus, Hitch, Hike
Day 108: Cascade Saddle-A Needed Hiking Distraction
Day 109 & 110: Out to Glenorchy & Zero
Day 111: Final Side Trip: Routeburn & Caples Tracks
Day 112: Unpaused, Back On The Te Araroa!
Day 113: Passing The Test
Day 114: Te Anau For The Third Time
Day 115: Powering Through The Takitimu Forest
Day 116: Through The Woods And Over The Farm Hills
Day 117: More Of The Same
Day 118: Are We There Yet?
Day 119: A Beach Walk & Time To Reflect
Day 120: Bluff Or Bust!

After The Hike

Some Te Araroa Photos

New Zealand Side Trip Photos (NOT the Te Araroa)

Walking With Wired Logo

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