A Dangerous Business

After 2 years of planning and anticipation and 4.5 months of actual walking, my adventure on Te Araroa is at an end. I still can’t quite believe that it’s over. In my latter years at university, a good bit of my free time was spent dithering over my plans, reading blogs and watching videos from…

Read more

Date: 3rd March 2024 Start: Beach Road Holiday Park, Oreti Beach (km 2987.7) End: Stirling Point (km 3028.9) Distance Travelled: 41.2 km Total Distance Completed: 2879.2 km Song Currently Stuck in Head: Praise You by Fatboy Slim (“we’ve come a long long way together, through the hard times and the good”) Emotions: elation, relief, satisfaction,…

Read more

Date: 2nd March 2024 Start: Colac Bay Holiday Park (km 2948.9) End: Beach Road Holiday Park, Oreti Beach (km 2987.7) Distance Travelled: 38.8 km Total Distance Completed: 2838 km Song Currently Stuck in Head: Reach Out I’ll Be There by Human Nature Visibility in the Morning: what visibility? Has my tent always been this comfortable?…

Read more

Date: 1st March 2024 Start: Martin’s Hut (km 2932.4) End: Colac Bay Holiday Park (km 2948.9) Distance Travelled: 16.5 km Total Distance Completed: 2799.2 km Song Currently Stuck in Head: Fire by Peking Duk Muddiness on the Pirongia Mud Scale: 2/5 One final day through the mud, that’s all I have to do before reaching…

Read more

Date: 29th February 2024 Start: Merriview Hut (km 2904.9) End: Martin’s Hut (km 2932.4) Distance Travelled: 27.5 km Total Distance Completed: 2782.7 km Song Currently Stuck in Head: Can’t Catch Me Now by Olivia Rodrigo Muddiness on the Pirongia Mud Scale: easily 5/5 I felt weirdly optimistic when I got up this morning. The last…

Read more

Dates: 27th-28th February 2024 Start: Birchwood Station (km 2877.7) End: Merriview Hut (km 2904.9) Distance Travelled: 25.9 km walked + 5.1 km hitch (31 km total) Total Distance Completed: 2755.2 km Song Currently Stuck in Head: Colours by Voyager How Much I’m Dreading Longwood Forest: aaaaaagh! I was in for a rude awakening at the…

Read more

Date: 26th February 2024 Start: Lower Wairaki Hut (km 2842) End: Birchwood Station (km 2877.7) Distance Travelled: 35.7 km Total Distance Completed: 2724.2 km Song Currently Stuck in Head: Conditions Of A Punk by half•alive Mt Linton Station Scenery: surprisingly beautiful I didn’t wake up in a good mood. For all I knew I had…

Read more

Date: 25th February 2024 Start: Lower Princhester Hut (km 2811.9) End: Lower Wairaki Hut (km 2842) Distance Travelled: 30.1 km Total Distance Completed: 2688.5 km Song Currently Stuck in Head: Whole Again by Dadi Freyr Track Visibility: what track? My alarm went off and a sea of red lights lit up the hut. No, this…

Read more

Date: 24th February 2024 Start: Kiwi Burn Hut (km 2777.4) End: Lower Princhester Hut (km 2811.9) Distance Travelled: 13.4 km walked + 21.4 km hitched (34.5 km total) Total Distance Completed: 2658.4 km Song Currently Stuck in Head: cardigan by Taylor Swift Hours Spent Waiting Out the Rain: 4 I never learnt what the deal…

Read more

Date: 23rd February 2024 Start: Careys Hut (km 2751.6) End: Kiwi Burn Hut (km 2777.4) Distance Travelled: 25.8 km Total Distance Completed: 2623.9 km Song Currently Stuck in Head: Cold Heart by PNAU, Elton John, and Dua Lipa Brief Description of Today’s Trail: easy and flat with a small obstacle course North Mavora Lake this…

Read more