South Island vs North Island? The 3000km route stretching from Cape Reinga in the north of New Zealand to Bluff in the south. I summited the highest point of the trail. Unfortunately, Mat had succumbed to shin splints so it was just Nicki and I heading out for 2 nights in huts. You pass from grassy cattle flats and beech forest on the east to rugged rivers on the west. It was like a game and I felt like a big kid. The trail encompasses the country’s two main islands. Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill Lucy. There’s plenty of huts on the South Island section of Te Araroa. Te Araroa. It is situated 175 km north of Gisborne city, along State Highway 35 between Tokata and Awatere. Even the 1309 km of the South Island part that this website concentrates on. I've run 3,000km across NZ in 66 days; cycled the length of the UK and travelled through Europe and the USA. Many parts of the trail are challenging. The 3000km pathway known as Te Araroa (‘The Long Pathway’) stretches across Te Ika-a-Māui/the North Island and Te Wai Pounamu/the South Island. We had conquered the Richmond Ranges and next up was Nelson Lakes, including the mighty Waiu Pass. The trail travels from Cape Reinga on the North Island to Bluff on the South Island, passing through 9 distinct regions on its way. New Zealand’s long-distance hiking trail, the Te Araroa, connects the North Island and South Island by way of spectacular parks and reserves. After we visit the historic gold-mining village of Arrowtown, taste some of the famous local pinot noir at a winery, we’ll hike the mountains, lakes, forests, and tussock grasslands of Mavora Lakes Conservation Park, with its Middle Earth scenery. The diversion west is brief as Te Araroa bounces east again over Goat Pass. I hugged Tommy. It was poorly marked so I was constantly second guessing if I was going the right way. It is an incredible gesture and quite a lot of work. Then 16kms on a State Highway which was very popular with logging trucks. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category. But it did further highlight one of my biggest fears - rising rivers. nzherald.co.nz. Bad because we had to do 7 crossings of the Wairo River, which was flowing incredibly fast. We had been warned of knee-high mud and bogs. Rivers rose, roads flooded. In the north huts are way more common than found in the North Island section. Then 10kms on a gravel walkway with our friend Laura, which was pleasant. The only difference was that we would be staying in huts for three nights so had to carry all our kit and food with us. We arrived at 4:30pm but the hut was already full. Depart via Queenstown on Day 14. Te Araroa is the birthplace of Sir Apirana Ngata, who made it his life’s goal to uplift the Māori race spiritually, culturally and economically. Te Araroa means “the long pathway” in Maori. On the Te Araroa, your feet are wet a lot of the time, in fact in the South Island they will be wet for the majority of the time! At 2996 km, stretching from Cape Reinga, the tip of the North Island to Bluff, the southern end of Highway 1, it rates in length. We decided to take a punt and keep going to Anne Hut, which was 22km away. It was fun. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet. I will be posting my full food and resupply strategy on Te Araroa once I’ve completed the South Island section in the 2020/21 season. We took our time, taking in the scenery, chatting about the trip, facetiming my parents. I somehow managed to lunge forward onto a shallow bed of rocks about 1.5m in front of me. 7 hours. Lucky for us, this terrain was similar to what we have back home – mountains, mountains and more mountains – so we felt like we were in our element. At an average of 25 kms a day, the trail takes 120 days to walk – four months. Then Alex joined us. The North Island route is just over 1,600 km long, and the South Island just under 1,400 km. I was a total mess. Phew! Her only regret was that she didn’t have the time to see more of this wonderful country which is now our home. These were slow but the views made up for it. Super fun. There were tears that morning – the type of crying that sounds more like you are hyperventilating. South Island Te Araroa Trail In August 2019, my wife Jenny died a year after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. I didn’t stop to enjoy the scenery or take anything in. As I rounded the final bend, I got emotional for a second but then I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. What Te Araroa offers is a snapshot view, at walking pace, of the best of New Zealand. One of the world’s truly great long walks. I had my own little entourage and they made the whole experience super positive. Usually the South Island Te Araroa takes the most obvious route, following a valley or ridge when it’s there to be followed and crossing over passes when necessary to reach the next valley, but this track was deliberately keeping us far above a very flat farm road just to our right. This allows for cooler late spring and early summer temperatures in the North Island and means trekkers reach the colder, higher-altitude South Island in the mid-to-late summer, when there's less likely to be snow in the mountains, and the rivers will be lower. Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. I'm Lucy and I like to go on epic adventures. Foot care is SO important. It has a lot of road and farm walking. We’ll hike along Lake Rotoiti, where dense beech forest towers over a carpet of mosses and ferns, keeping an eye out for the native forest birds such as the fantail, tomtit, and bush robin. Te Araroa Resupply for the South Island 1689km Picton. We pulled ourselves together and got across using the river crossing technique. Thankfully Tommy accompanied me for the first 12km, which included two river crossings, which were, of course, totally fine. Support the trust today so that you can enjoy the trail tomorrow, either one day at … The 56km flew by. I started the trail on 14th October 2017 and finished on 02nd March 2018. We explore the tide pools before climbing up Howell’s Hill to Mores Scenic Reserve, where the views are phenomenal, extending out to Stewart Island, the third largest island in New Zealand, and the vast expanse of the Southern Ocean. I took rest days for rest, injury, fu… We meet in Blenheim, the gateway to Marlborough wine country, and head to the beautiful Queen Charlotte Track, one of New Zealand’s finest walking tracks. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. Finally, I came back to hike the Richmond Ranges in December 2018. Day 3 was memorable for good and bad reasons. In these sections, trip planning, river crossing and navigation skills are recommended, as w… The track wasn’t very formed – we stumbled our way across tussock and up scree slops. A group of girl guides had lined up and I gave them all high fives. Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. I ate a sandwich, put my pack back on and went on to tackle the next four crossings. 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. Read about my North Island experience, including my favourite sections and getting lost in the Tararua Ranges/ We mark the end of the Te Araroa trail with a hike on the Foveaux Walkway along the coast, right along the edge of the Southern Ocean. This website is a resource for trampers to find help along Te Araroa … As I went to take a step forward, I lost my footing and before I knew it, I was fully submerged in the river. In other words, I got my mojo back. I can honestly say, the final day was one of the best in my life. This is where I began to unravel – getting super stressed out about the next section. Te Araroa is New Zealand’s premier long-distance hiking trail, stretching 3000 km (1860 mi) across the country’s two main islands. 8 minutes. I also chatted to a friend back home to try, who pointed out that I seem to have these melt downs when I am stationary. She was in reasonable health for most of her illness and we travelled when her treatment allowed. 66 days. In Nov 2019, I started running the Te Araroa Trail, from Cape Reinga to Bluff. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking. 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