Te Araroa

I walked New Zealand’s 3000 km Te Araroa trail solo in a little under 5 months in 2017/18. It was my first long distance hike with a trail community and this is where I quickly picked up the trail name ‘Cosmo’. I wrote all the stories down while I was hiking and turned them into blog posts covering the entire trail, alongside the many, many pictures I took.

I wrote a gear guide aimed at first time thru-hikers. With the interwebs saturated with gear lists, I hope to help you discover what equipment is right for you and the trail you will be hiking.
All the posts can be found below!

Start date + point: 9 November 2017, Cape Reinga
Finish date + point: 1 April 2018, Bluff
Total distance walked: 3,041 km / 1,890 mi
Total days: 143
Walking days: 120
Zero days: 23
(Of which, Rest/Resupply days: 15, Bad weather/Cyclones: 6, Injury: 2)
Average distance per day: ~25.3 km / 15.7 mi

What I will miss: Blue lakes, Impressive mountainscapes, Bunnies bunnies bunnies, Trail family!
What I won’t miss: River crossings, Non-existent trail maintenance, Farmland, Walking through fields of cows with intimidating frowns
Expectations that weren’t met: New Zealand doesn’t look like Lord of the Rings (but Iceland all the more!)
Favourite sections: Tongariro (Northern Circuit), Richmond Range, Waiau Pass
Moments of confusion: Waking up to a frozen tent and shoes, Snow at Tongariro
Favourite animal (not including bunnies): A tiny green bird the size of my thumb
Scariest animal seen: Giant stick insect
Animal tent attacks: Numerous, Woke up to two mouse-sized holes in my tent in the Tararua Ranges
Most dangerous elements on trail: Electric fences, Rivers
Hut experiences: One!
Famous last words: ‘I feel like it’s starting to get a bit difficult now’, – me, less than two kilometres before reaching Bluff
Trail mantra: POSITIVITY

GEAR

Te Araroa : Cosmo’s Gear Advice for the First Time Thru-Hiker

BLOGS

Te Araroa (Part 1) : 90 Mile Beach, day 1-5

Te Araroa (Part 2) : The Muddy Forests, day 6-9

Te Araroa (Part 3) : Getting Into It & Getting Lost, day 10-15

Te Araroa (Part 4) : Back on Track & Trail Names, day 16-20

Te Araroa (Part 5) : Pesky Water Crossings on the Long Road to Auckland, day 21-26

Te Araroa (Part 6) : The Roadwalk Everyone Else Seemed to Skip, day 27-34

Te Araroa (Part 7) : Forest After Forest And… The Timber Trail!, day 35-45

Te Araroa (Part 8) : The Battle With The Cold In Tongariro, day 46-53

Te Araroa (Part 9) : The Whanganui River Journey, day 54-57

Te Araroa (Part 10) : Goodbye Bee, and Hello Tararuas, day 58-66

Te Araroa (Part 11) : The Final Push to Wellington, day 67-73

Te Araroa (Part 12) : An Easy Start and The First Real Richmond Mountains, day 74-85

Te Araroa (Part 13) : Waiau Pass and Loving It, day 86-92

Te Araroa (Part 14) : Not What I Was Expecting… The Long Slog to Rakaia River, day 93-100

Te Araroa (Part 15) : Rivers and Cyclones Do Not Match, day 101-112

Te Araroa (Part 16) : Taking It Easy & A Last River Challenge, day 113-116

Te Araroa (Part 17) : Trailburn On The Motatapu Track, day 117-126

Te Araroa (Part 18) : The Routeburn Detour and The Struggle to Keep Going, day 127-131

Te Araroa (Part 19) : Fall Sets in and Then I… Fall, day 132-136

Te Araroa (Part 20) : An Injured Flip to Bluff & The Last Miles Alone, day 137-144

share it!
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on pinterest
Share on reddit
Share on linkedin

ABOUT ROAMING WILD ROSIE

Hi! I’m Rosanne, or Cosmo, a long distance hiking enthusiast based in Europe. My unexpected love for exploring nature has taken me all over the world, and I’m always searching for new hikes and new ideas. My website is all about the trails I have walked and any advice I can give you so that you can do the same. I love photographing so expect a lot of pictures and long stories!

ABOUT ROAMING WILD ROSIE

Hi! I’m Rosanne, or Cosmo, a long distance hiking enthusiast based in Europe. My unexpected love for exploring nature has taken me all over the world, and I’m always searching for new hikes and new ideas. My website is all about the trails I have walked and any advice I can give you so that you can do the same. I love photographing so expect a lot of pictures and long stories!