You also need to know what survival equipment to carry and how to avoid getting hypothermia… A moderate level of fitness is all that is required to make a realistic attempt at a through-tramp.". 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. During 1931 and 1932 James walked 2500km from Spirits Bay to Bluff through New Zealand towns and communities. It’s a spiritual place, so very fitting for what lies ahead. 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. There are other logistic nightmares to consider as well including tide times for estuary crossings, crossing the Whangarei Harbour, booking shuttles to get around the two danger zones in the South Island (the Rakaia River and the Rangitata River), booking the Whanganui canoe journey and juggling weather events. But there are increasing numbers of walkers choosing to walk northbound mainly because they will likely encounter fewer walkers and get stuck in fewer walker bubbles. The Mangaokewa River path is barely a foot wide and in poor quality, traversing high above a river. Created with sketchtool. Increasingly, however, as the trail has become more popular, more trail angels have popped up to help with logistics and provide accommodation. Kendal Mountain Festival - 2020 Trailer and Discount Code for UKC/UKH Readers, New Zealand - British Hiker's Lockdown Surprise, Show your support UKH Supporter badge on your profile and forum posts. The maps in 1:50,000 scale are helpful for the road walking sections but are a bit harder to navigate off for the other trail sections. We need to look at new ways to ensure we can keep providing our content and features whilst maintaining our key aim of allowing free access to everyone. But I think that walking this trail, believe it or not, is a bit like baking a cake. Tramping the full length of the trail generally takes three to six months. It's because of this that the idea of walking the length of my home country has always appealed to me. Written by: McKenzie Barney. 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. One of the most talked about topics on the trail is kit and how heavy and/or light it is. They consist of a fireplace, a cooking bench and sleeping bunks. It jumbles the bustling cities, sleepy beachside settlements, muddy forests and volcanic landscapes of the North Island with the remoteness, mountains and vast open spaces of the South Island. Visit remote villages, hike coastal cliffs, and savor Kiwi culture at its best. It’s the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand or, more appropriately, just Te Araroa, meaning “the Long Pathway in the native Maori language. There are not always trail markers so sometimes navigation can be difficult, while several tracks are exceptionally steep, both for ascent and descent. This is one of the other most talked about topics on the trail. Firstly, expect blisters – lots of them. The old man - founder of A.H. and A.W. He went North Cape, Cape Reinga, Kaitaia, Herekino, Kerikeri, Whangarei, Warkworth, Puhoi, Albany, Auckland, Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti, Taumarunui, National Park, Raetihi, Pipiriki, Jerusalem, Wanganui, Marton, Bulls, Palmerston North, Masterton, Wellington. Anyone can do this if you're prepared and have the right mental attitude. The Te Araroa Trust suggests 50-80 days per island. These are updated annually in early September to take into account any track changes or closures. Interesting that A.H. chose, for his "leisurely" walk, a route that mostly followed roads, but which was, in its geography, similar to Te Araroa's off-road North Island trail. Furthermore, the water tanks at huts can be contaminated with possum droppings or dead rats. They covered roughly 3,000 kms - with a third of that each on foot, bike and kayak. The quality of the tracks is variable, and sometimes questionable, and it's not always the case that there will be a path present. 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. This is mainly a result of agriculture with farming runoff. His North Island route mainly off-road, started at the northernmost point, Surville Cliffs, and ended at its southern-most, Cape Palliser. What is the Te Araroa 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. For a country rich in natural beauty, it is perhaps one of the most thorough ways to see all that New Zealand has to offer. The temptation to re-write it and ‘tart it up’ with exciting expletives and dripping metaphors has been resisted. he says. Indulging in a decidedly un-Scottish form of walking, Ronald Turnbull spends a mollycoddled week in huts on Austria's spectacular Stubai Höhenweg. I also brushed up on my navigating and map reading. She wrote a bestselling book, stood for parliament, designed and built houses and ran several businesses. Read more, Heading south: Starts at Cape Reinga and finishes in Bluff, Estimated number of through hikers each season: About 2000, Cost for a through-hike: NZ$7,000-$10,000 (£3,500-£5,000), Number of river crossings: Several hundred, Non-walking days: Six days kayaking, one day cycling, Longest section between resupply points: Nine days, Number of blisters: 12 (at the same time) after two weeks. The North Island - The Te Araroa Cake I’m no baker and to be quite honest I wasn’t particularly well-versed in the ins and outs of long-distance hiking before I started the Te Araroa Trail. Geoff also kept a blog of his walking expeditions and in 2001 produced a study of international long walking trails as part of a Churchill Fellowship. Throughout the course of the trail hikers can find themselves walking on golden sand, through knee-high mud, on fluid scree, wading up rivers, boulder-hopping, scrambling on all fours over rocks, pavement pounding, and treading on seemingly non-existent paths, as well as kayaking, canoeing and cycling. There is a long-drop toilet, without toilet paper, some walk away. During the walk she wore NZ-made clothes to focus the nation’s attention on the value of buying NZ made. They now have a dedicated website. I also did a kayaking course to prepare myself for the kayaking sections that can be done. Located 7 km north of Atene, 2 km south of Koroniti and 43 north of Whanganui. And along the route, class after class of school-children were gathered for compulsory, but unforgettable, immersion in the eerie spell cast by this old, gaunt giant of early hiking. I took rest days for rest, injury, f… It is situated 175 km north of Gisborne city, along State Highway 35 between Tokata and Awatere. Katrina Megget offers the lowdown on this classic Kiwi mega-tramp, and advice on gear and logistics. Looks like we have a... Iran may get a bad press, but behind the headlines is a stunning country of mountains. 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 . I might be biased but New Zealand is stunning. While there is no permit or fee needed to walk the trail, a permit is required to walk the Queen Charlotte Track at the top of the South Island. * 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 … You wouldn’t be walking the TA without all this, so give something back for that privilege and to make it even better by donating to the Te Araroa Trust . Bad weather closed in, strong winds lifted him off his feet, but he made it out, crossed farmland to Ashhurst, road-walked to Shannon, then traversed the Tararuas, linked with the Rimutaka Incline trail , road-walked to Lake Ferry then round the coast to Cape Palliser. The North Island route is just over 1,600 km long, and the South Island just under 1,400 km. Te Araroa goes deep into the central North Island forests before exiting at the foot of Mt Tongariro. The Te Araroa (Maori for “long pathway”) is the world’s newest long-distance hiking trail, from the northernmost tip of the North Island to the southern point of the South Island. To get to and from Bluff at the southern terminus, a bus is required again between Bluff and the bigger city Invercargill, which has plane and bus links to other cities. She also completed other long walks, spent time in Australia diving for coral, crocodile hunting and opal mining. As a general rule, around 80% of the North Island is camping (or tenting as Kiwi's call it) at designated campsites or holiday parks, while about 80% of the South Island is in backcountry huts. New Zealand’s Te Araroa Trail is the world’s newest long-distance thru-hike. It is a great place to celebrate completing the North Island, or to ready yourself for the journey north. Te Araroa (TA), or “The Long Pathway,” is a hiking trail across the North and South Islands of New Zealand. In the end I soaked my feet in Epsom salts for several days, popped my blisters with a sterilised needle, used an iodine solution and taped my feet. How it compares to other long-distance walking trails. Of course, as one NOBO walker I met said, hard is relative – some people will find the trail and the terrain harder than others. This is what is written on the Te Araroa Trail website: "Tramping many of the Te Araroa's tracks requires the bush craft skills of an experienced backcountry tramper. A smelly old tramper from way back, Rex Hendry returned to New Zealand in the early 1980s after studying and working in Outdoor Education in UK and Europe. On our South Island journey, this famous trail brings us from the coastal forests of Queen Charlotte Sound to Fiordland National Park, where the Te Araroa meets the Southern Ocean. Finally, I came back to hike the Richmond Ranges in December 2018. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's gained a reputation for being challenging - but it also looks fantastic. (Prices & Dates) Most of Te Araroa’s through-walkers start their epic journey at Cape Reinga at the northern end of the North Island. North Island Trail. Te Araroa in the Wellington region takes in the Tararua Ranges - some of New Zealand's most challenging tramping country. It is a pathway stretching more than 3,000 kilometers (nearly 2,000 miles) from Cape Reigna at the top of the North Island to … The general theory seems to be: the lighter the kit, the faster you can walk, the more distance you can travel, and the less injury you will sustain. The 3000km route stretches from Cape Reinga in the north of New Zealand to Bluff in the south. And in 2013, a TA walker died approaching the second-highest point on the trail. By the end of the second week I had 12 blisters on my feet and was forced to take extra rest days. For a first long-distance walk, the Te Araroa Trail is hard, especially as you're still learning about your kit, your body and your food requirements. Hiking Trails. The free demo covers a 60-kilometre portion of the Te Araroa in the Auckland area on the North Island of New Zealand. Te Araroa is New Zealand’s premier long-distance hiking trail, stretching 3000 km (1860 mi) across the country’s two main islands. For a trail like the TA, that is rugged, remote and potentially dangerous, carrying safety kit is paramount. India is a stunningly diverse country for walking, and every Himalayan state and trekking route has its own special character. In recent years, fast hikers have completed the trail in 100 days. These are their stories. The trail is best tackled north to south, beginning from the top of the North Island at Cape Reinga in late spring. Most people go with lightweight trail running shoes that dry quickly, based on the vast number of river crossings on the trail. Walking on sand, which gets into your shoes, with wet feet, because you can't escape the tide, is a recipe for blisters. I aimed to go through three pairs of trail runners over the course of 3,000km. It means the trail can be brutal and unforgiving; it has a reputation for both mud and road walking. In 1983/84, Rex Hendry walked from the top to bottom of New Zealand, through the bush – a little under 3000kms in 168 days. Te Araroa. The Te Araroa Trust suggests 50-80 days per island. In the end you will figure out what works for you but I recommend hardening your feet and breaking in your footwear before starting the walk. In the North Island, food and resupply isn't a big problem because of the towns regularly walked through. Details about where to post to are in the trail notes but these need to be posted ahead of starting the South Island section. 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. The written word follows this intrepid trek and relays the true characteristics of the journey – rough, raw, tenacious, and at times tedious. These skills include trip planning, navigation, and river crossing skills, all of which are prerequisites to good decision making and capability in the field. 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. Walkers should not assume the Te Araroa is just another long-distance trail, and it should be thoroughly researched before attempting it. Their stories give us a powerful insight not just into Te Araroa but to New Zealand. 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. Not all who walk Te Araroa describe their adventure online, but those who do leave a vivid record. As a backup I also carried a rather heavy Steripen. It’s a walking track about 3,000 km long from Bluff at the southern tip of the South Island to Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island that was officially opened in 2011. But I also met walkers who were scrimping on safety equipment to keep their weight down. What Te Araroa offers is a snapshot view, at walking pace, of the best of New Zealand. I returned in January 2020 to complete the South Island and was on schedule to reach Bluff by the end of March but New Zealand's Covid-19 lockdown hit seven days before finishing, putting an end to the walk. Technically, high in the mountains, the water "could" be safe to drink but you can't guarantee clean water and there are some sections with no adequate water sources. © UKClimbing Limited. Our adventure begins in the seaside town of Russell among the subtropical splendor of the Bay of Islands. The North Island route is just over 1,600 km long, and the South Island just under 1,400 km. We recommend checking this page regularly before and during your journey as route alterations may have arisen since planning your journey. I met several ultra-lightweight walkers (mainly Americans), who had base weights of 6kg. People clapped him through, brought him cups of tea, waved and tooted from cars, screeched to a halt by the entire busload. Long-distance walker Esther James reaches Bluff 18 June 1932 – NZ History, Photo: Esther James. Everyone will give advice on how to prevent and treat blisters. The octogenarian did the North Island half in 86 days. Please register your trail usage before embarking on your journey. 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. Te Araroa is the birthplace of noted Māori politician Sir Āpirana Ngata. Ref: PAColl-5744-10. You can show your support and with recieve rewards. Death from crossing rivers is one of the top contributors to deaths in the New Zealand backcountry. Being the first person to walk the length of New Zealand was just one of James’ adventures. If you do not take the opportunity to DONATE TO THE TE ARAROA TRUST, and not just $20. Te Araroa (The Long Pathway) is New Zealand's long distance tramping route, stretching circa 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) along the length of the country's two main islands from Cape Reinga to Bluff.It is made up of a mixture of older tracks and walkways, new tracks, and link sections alongside roads. At an average of 25 kms a day, the trail takes 120 days to walk – four months. New Zealand’s long-distance hiking trail, the Te Araroa, connects the North Island and South Island by way of spectacular parks and reserves. Along its meandering route, the TA crosses through native bush forests, rural farmland, stunning alpine vistas, and even Auckland’s city center. I did a river crossing course in the Lake District before I left for New Zealand. If heading northbound (NOBO), most people leave Bluff between November and the end of January. He took 73 days - November 24 1996 - Feb 5 1997. The Te Araroa Trail was officially opened in 2011, and in trail terms it's still considered new and some sections are still under development. Created with sketchtool. Here is a fast-paced video showcasing the Te Araroa and all its variety: Te Araroa Video Overview Te Punga Homestead – 2929 Whanganui River Rd, 06 3428239. Equally, walkers need to carry clothing for all temperature and weather conditions. They expected the Te Araroa trail to be exactly like the PCT and AT with their "easy" well-maintained paths, excellent signposting for navigation, strong volunteer networks, and wilderness. The 85-year-old's journey entered New Zealand's heart. Mine was a gloriously leisurely thru hike and below is my Te Araroa Trail itinerary. It's the one word most commonly used in conversations. 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. He followed bush tracks in the Kaimai-Mamaku Range then exited into Carter Holt Harvey forestry roads that led through to Taupo. Obviously, fitness training, namely hillwalking with a heavy pack, should be considered. Running the length of New Zealand from end to end, the Te Araroa (TA) Trail officially opened in 2011 and has seen a steady increase in walker numbers over the years. What followed was an 18 year labour of love to turn Te Araroa into reality, picking up many willing contributors along the way. 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. The TA website lists safety courses, while New Zealand's Department of Conservation has a brochure on planning backcountry trips here. The vast majority of these walkers were surprised by the Te Araroa, especially the North Island section. There may have been other hikes - but the first one everyone knew about was when A.H. Reed, then aged 85, walked the length of New Zealand between 22 September 1960 and 12 April 1961. Many walkers also try to hitchhike from Kaitaia. He road-walked SH1 to the Kaimanawa Range, then entered the Ruahines. Many people choose to only walk the South Island where the "proper" mountains are, but this is almost a disservice to the full trail and misses the numerous highlights of the North Island, including the town and country culture of New Zealand. Te Araroa is NZ's walk of a lifetime. The Te Araroa is a 3,000km trail stretching from Cape Reinga in the North of New Zealand to Bluff, in the very south, through beaches, volcanoes, forests, mountains and cities. There were plenty of rest days – 29 to be exact, with 12 on the North island and 17 on the South island. But, in his book From North Cape to Bluff (A.H.& A.W. The quality of many of the tracks makes the going challenging, and many people get frustrated at the slow walking pace they are forced to take. The downside of trail runners is they wear out much quicker than traditional hillwalking boots. The saying goes that if you can do the first two weeks, you can do the whole trail. Reed, 1961) A.H. says in explanation of the journey "Yes, I knew I wanted to travel leisurely on foot through the whole length of our favoured land..."A.H. that's it - you had Te Araroa spirit! For me, the trail was both physically and mentally demanding. So far, all we’ve asked is that you visit and interact with the site, but we are now in uncertain times. Most walkers use a GPS app on their phone, with Guthook being the most common, although the TA Trust introduced its own trail app last season, which seemed to get pretty good reviews from the people I spoke to who were using it. Some people also think northbound is harder because of some of the tracks and because the trail notes northbound are incomplete, and so it presents more of a challenge. Logistics can be a nightmare too, making decision-making challenging and forcing hikers to walk longer distances than they might like just to get to the next accommodation point. Support the trust today so that you can enjoy the trail tomorrow, either one day at a time, or all 3000km! George firmly closed the door of his Whangaparaoa home to begin his long hike, and dislodged the lucky horseshoe. 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. Geoff Chapple's Churchill Fellowship report, The last New Zealand long walker we know of is George Spearing. Some will work, some not. Most walkers seem to start out with too much – my pack weighed 17kg but I met people who started with 25kg. The trail travels from Cape Reinga on the North Island to Bluff on the South Island, passing through 9 distinct regions on its way. Every dollar makes a difference. Some had walked other long distance trails, but for others, the TA was their first. (Updated 25 September 2020) South Island maps - 68 pages, 413 MB, 300 DPI. The post office in Kaitaia after the first section down Ninety Mile Beach does a roaring trade with walkers sending home extra weight they've decided not to carry. Several sections of the route intentionally require kayaking and canoeing as well as the aforementioned ferry. and it got right behind AH. Please help UKHillwalking continue to provide varied and free content by becoming an official UKH Supporter. I met one girl who fell and gave herself a concussion on another. One of the particular advantages of this trail is that New Zealand has no bears, mountain lions, snakes, poisonous insects or insect-borne diseases, meaning there is one less thing to worry about. About 8km north of Rivertime Lodge on map gridline 5902E. Sometimes there is no signage at all. The TA Trust supplies trail notes and maps on its website which can be downloaded to your smartphone (although I met two walkers – both French – who had printed out all the trail notes and were carrying them in giant ring binders). In 1998, when the online journals were in their infancy, Geoff Chapple was one of the first people to walk Te Araroa. There are numerous steep ascents and descents that are exposed. He'd already walked the 4,000 km Pacific Crest Trail along the Sierra Nevada Range in America. Mostly corrugated iron, they can be draughty and are home to legions of mice and rats. Waikato trail notes, including information about accommodation, transport and resupplying; Waikato region trail maps (82 MB) - For more info see Downloads The otherworldly volcanic landscapes of southern Iceland are home to the Laugavegur Trail, one of the world's classic trekking... Jan Bakker, co-author of the first English guide to Tajikistan, shares some photos of this spectacular country. She was only able to get back on the track due to having a walking companion that day. 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. He has written an account of the journey. When I returned to complete the walk, I used the Sawyer squeeze water filtration system, which worked well. For my first attempt at the trail, I used the MSR Trailshot Micro water filter. Buying a backcountry hut pass from the Department of Conservation will be needed. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. I injured my knee on one. Why? Within the space of a month I walked in temperatures in the mid-30s and also in snow and torrential rain. Navigation on the trail can be pretty sketchy in places. The trail can be walked either northbound or southbound, but the traditional route is southbound with the trail description and notes in this format. It is a quite young trail as it was only opened in December 2011. However, this was impractical when I needed to treat water collected from a tap and because of the time taken to pump river water it increased the time sandflies had to bite and suck my blood. Te Araroa is New Zealand’s premier long-distance hiking trail, stretching 3000 km (1860 mi) across the country’s two main islands. Logistics and planning each day's point A to point B walk can be challenging in places, particularly on the North Island. Geoff Chapple's Reports from North Island Trail, North Cape to Wellington, 1998, with photographs and maps. Esther James. "I must honestly say that I did not." Some of the trails, particularly those in the North Island, are in poor condition and even borderline dangerous. The Te Araroa trail is best tackled north to south, beginning from … It is an incredible gesture and quite a lot of work. You don’t … Originally planned as the Aotearoa Adventure Trail, the newly formed Te Araroa Trust asked the trio to join forces with them. 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. A... Iran may get a bad press, but behind the headlines is a long-drop toilet, without paper... 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