Trail Notes, Trip Stories and Honest Advice from the Field

The Freewheeling Kiwi Blog

Sharon Evans is the founder of Freewheeling Kiwi and one of Australasia's leading small group Himalayan trekking specialists

She has walked the full length of Te Araroa — 3,000 kilometres from Cape Reinga to Bluff — and led multiple groups to Everest Base Camp with a 100% summit success rate. She also treks in Australia, Bhutan, the Annapurna region and across New Zealand.

Te Araroa, New Zealand, South Pacific Sharon Evans Te Araroa, New Zealand, South Pacific Sharon Evans

Te Araroa - My Top 5 Mistakes

Walking New Zealand’s 3,000 kilometre Te Araroa was the first thru hike I’d ever undertaken and as a novice thru hiker, I made my share of mistakes plus possibly a few more.

As a beginner, there’s so much to think and plan for plus the countless variables you’ll hopefully anticipate ahead of time from the comfort of home, rather than from a mountain top in the middle of a blizzard.

Here I share my top five mistakes that I made when hiking Te Araroa including the context that surrounded my decisions to better help you avoid making my blunders. 

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Sharon Evans is the founder of Freewheeling Kiwi and one of Australasia's leading small group Himalayan trekking specialists

She has walked the full length of Te Araroa — 3,000 kilometres from Cape Reinga to Bluff — and led multiple groups to Everest Base Camp with a 100% summit success rate. She also treks in Australia, Bhutan, the Annapurna region and across New Zealand.