April 2018 It’s been a month since I finished the Te Araroa; the scratches, sandfly bites and bruises have faded, my feet look less hobbit-like, and the massive knot in my shoulder is slowly und...Read More
March 2018 I posted about what I was taking with me for the TA here, this is to go through how I got on with different pieces. Gear is very personal, so this is just my opinion of how they worked for ...Read More
When researching a trip, “How much is it going to cost?” is often one of the big questions. It’s impossible to give an answer that will be applicable to everyone as we have our own b...Read More
It ends! This section covers the rest of Southland to the finish at Bluff. Day 60: Te Anau to Aparima Hut 25km, +800m -600m, 7.5 hours We walked a couple of km to the edge of town to try and get a hit...Read More
This section covers the rest of Otago and the start of Southland. Day 49: Wanaka to Highland Creek Hut 31km, +1300m -800m, 10.5 hours We said goodbye to our lovely cottage and dropped the keys off on ...Read More
This section covers the end of the Canterbury region and the start of the Otago region. Day 41: Twizel to Ohau 30km, +150m -100m, 7 hours We couldn’t get in to our lodge until 3pm and the fronta...Read More
This section covers the middle of the Canterbury region. Day 30: Arthur’s Pass to Hamilton Hut 32km, +800m – 600m, 10 hours We got ready in the kitchen so as not to disturb the girls but t...Read More
This section covers Lake Sumner Conservation Park and the top of Arthur’s Pass National Park. Day 25: Boyle to Hope Kiwi Lodge 27km, +200m -200m, 7.5 hours Ali and Liv had managed to source a ta...Read More
This section covers the Nelson Lakes national park. Day 17: St Arnaud to Lakehead Hut 11km, <100m, 2.75 hours With only 11km on pretty flat ground to cover, I had a lie in at the hostel and l...Read More
This section covers the Richmond Ranges (and the Kaikoura interlude). I’ve added some rough ascent and descent to the distance and time (hut to hut times). I had a gloriously sunny couple of day...Read More
January 2018 It begins! This section covers my faffing around in Wellington and the Queen Charlotte Track. Things that I arranged a few weeks before arriving in New Zealand: Hostel in Wellington Ferry...Read More
Here is my gear list of what I’m taking to New Zealand to hike the South Island section of Te Araroa in 2018. My base weight (total of that in the table below, minus what I’ll be wearing, ...Read More
Last weekend I booked my flights to New Zealand for the beginning of January, with a return flight at the end of March. It now feels much more real! Work gave me the go-ahead for 3 months extended lea...Read More