Paihia to ....., Almost symmetrical Yes, I have discontinued walking the TA, but fellow walker, Ian - who I’d met at Cape Reinga, was continuing on, and I decided to accompany him for a few kms. There was a nice walking trail around the hills and coves from Paihia to Opua, and then a short … Continue reading TA day XIII →

Rest day and Kerikeri to Paihia Gnarly tree, Kerikeri Here is where things get messy. Upon arrival at the recommended backpackers in Kerikeri, there was doubt whether they would have a bed for two nights- and I was dead keen to have a rest day. So as a insurance policy I phoned ahead to Paihia … Continue reading TA day XI & XII →

Ahipara to Kaitaia It’s a mere 15km between the two towns, and there are those that grumble about a recognized walkway using roads at all. In my view, however, walking along roads gives one an interesting insight into the values and attitudes of a community. But barely had the road walking begun when I was … Continue reading TA day V →

Hukatete to Ahipara A day for digging deep. The only way off the beach is to walk, and the last 30km was tough sledding. 90 mile beach makes the Meseta on the Camino Frances seem like a stroll in the Botanical Gardens. The kindness of strangers helped. The local fishermen were happy to chat as … Continue reading TA day IV →

Maunganui Bluff to Hukatere campsite In walking the beach you are slaves to the tides, and like yesterday, today’s mid-morning tide dictated a prompt start (i. e. no tea with breakfast) and a two hour coffee break in the sand dunes waiting for the high tide to abate. The early start did permit photo ops, … Continue reading TA day III →

Twilight Beach Camp to Maunganui Bluff campsite. A brisk start over undulating former sand dunes until confronted with a spectacular view down 90 Mile Beach. Thankfully I am not north bound (NOBO in TA parlance) as the extensive wooden staircase would be a killer at the 2,885 km mark. Life’s a beach! And so to … Continue reading TA day II →

While in Covid quarantine I read the first two volumes of Edward Gibbon’s “The History of the Decline and Fall if the Roman Empire”, so I have decided it is appropriate to use Roman Numerals for the day count. Cape Reinga lighthouse is km 0 So, day I of the Te Araroa was s relaxing … Continue reading TA day I →

Lewis Lake to Elk Lake Living by the light of day, I was woken in the middle of the night (about 8pm) by hikers navigating by headlamp. They'd missed the turn in the trail and almost stumbled into the lake. When I was pitching my tent there was another hiker waiting for his girlfriend, and … Continue reading SCT Phase II Day Four →

Suicide Creek to Lang Bay store Normally one would be continuing on the trail to Mt Troubridge, but the proximity of the long weekend was more enticing than bagging another summit, so I hiked the first ten kilometres until I hit Dixon Road, then walked the two km out to the Lang Bay store on … Continue reading SCT Phase II Day Six →

Fiddlehead Landing to Lewis Lake Yesterday was just a warm up for today's climb up Tin Hat Mountain, but 1,000m vertical before lunch is the name of the game on this trail. The climb wasn't as compelling as yesterday's (no distracting fungi) although there was a rock fall with some mammoth boulders, but as they … Continue reading SCT Phase II Day Three →