There’s More Than One Way to Walk Te Araroa
Why Section Hiking Might Be the Trail Option You’ve Been Looking For
I begin walking in tears. For many reasons, not least of which is the unknown.
As much as I’m nervous for what lies ahead, there’s something encouragingly familiar about the process.
I shove three or four sausage rolls into my mouth as my parents (and our family dog) bid me an emotional farewell (more on my part, than theirs) and I start walking uphill towards Bealey Hut.
They’re used to this. Only a few weeks earlier I’d announced I was off on another adventure. Once upon a time, it would have surprised them. Now, they barely bat an eyelid.
This is what I do. I’m fortunate that I continue to have their unwavering support.
As Mum wraps her arms around me I hold back a flood of tears, not wishing to worry her or draw questions I’m not ready to answer.
As I walk up the hill taking my first proper steps back on the trail in over four years, I can’t help but notice my pack, my constant adventure companion for the last six years, feels heavy and cumbersome, my steps are jerky and lack confidence, and I bear the full mental weight of that nagging fear of failure – what if I can’t do this anymore?
Four hours later, I’m pacing along a tiny scar of a track in a dense beech forest, an imperfection in a landscape of lush green moss, scents of honeydew and decaying leaves perfuming the air as the faint sound of the Harper River rushes away at the bottom of the valley floor. And I’m overcome with a familiar feeling.
I know how to do this. I’ve been here before.
And for the very first time ever on Te Araroa, the weight drops from my shoulders as I bask comfortable in the knowledge that whatever the trail throws at me, I’m well equipped to handle it all.
It’s like I’ve never left.
At the beginning of my first section hike, at Bealey Hut
How I began section hiking (and why I think you should too)
So, let me tell you how I got here.
Almost eight years prior, on a whim, I’d decided I wanted to give long distance hiking a go. That was back before I even knew Te Araroa existed.
Less than a year later, I was at Cape Rēinga taking my first steps on the trail. And 83 days after that I was calling it quits at the Island Bay terminus at the bottom of the North Island.
It felt like the right decision at the time, but as the months passed, I realised I’d made a huge mistake in doubting my confidence and ability to continue.
The following summer, I pulled out all the stops to return to the South Island and finish what I started. Ten days after starting, I found myself making another hasty exit, this time for reasons over which I had no control.
The trail had gotten under my skin by now, and behind the scenes I was utterly depressed. I’ve battled with failure my entire life, and this felt like just another one.
As the months and years went past, I began to realise that my only hope of completing the goal I’d set back in 2017 was to start all over – make my way back to Cape Rēinga and begin again.
Unfortunately, the time and the funds for another attempt proved more difficult to find this time around.
It took a long time, and a lot of internal reflection, to let go of my idealist notion to make sure that when I eventually arrived in Bluff, I had 3,000 unbroken kilometres behind me.
For the first time, the idea of section hiking entered my head. The reality was that I simply didn’t have thousands of dollars lying around anymore, and quitting my job (or at least taking a 5 month sabbatical) was no longer practical.
And so, in late December 2024 I found myself standing at the trailhead just out of Arthur’s Pass with a plan to complete a short section hike during the two weeks I get off work each year.
I finally realised that walking Te Araroa in sections, was better than not walking it at all.
A (very) short section hike to the Ahuriri River crossing from the road
Past Thru Hikers: How easy is it to re-join the trail as a section hike?
Honestly, it’s easier than you might think. One of the unexpected joys of section hiking Te Araroa is how modular it is.
Because the trail is comprised of lots of tracks linked up with road which pass through towns at regular intervals, you can usually hop back on right where you left off—or close to it—without too much hassle.
Sometimes it’s as simple as getting dropped off at a DOC trailhead or hitching from a nearby town, which makes it really easy to tackle the trail bit by bit and tick off sections as you go.
Section Hiking = Simple Hiking
Let’s be real — setting off on a long walk (especially solo) is daunting. And considering I already had a couple of unsuccessful thru-hike attempts behind me, the doubt crept in fast.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.
But this time was different, because preparing for a section hike is so much easier than preparing for a thru hike.
Thru hikers usually face the following four big hurdles before they set out on their adventure:
Time
Money
Gear
Resupply
Section hiking softens nearly all of them.
Time: I slotted this into my summer holidays. No leave, no quitting my job. Just two weeks I already had off.
Money: A two-week hike meant food and accommodation costs were less than what I’d usually spend at home on groceries and petrol.
Gear: Mine was already dialled in. All I had to do was remember how to pack my pack properly.
Resupply: This was the only real challenge — but even that was easier than I expected.
Swapping two feet for two wheels on the Lake Tekapo canal section
Because the trail didn’t pass through any towns, I had to be self-sufficient. Luckily, I’d already learned how to prep my own meals on my previous attempts due to dietary requirements. I’d spent weeks dehydrating food and assembling resupply boxes — honestly, I used to dread it.
This time, with only 8–10 days of food to prepare, it felt very manageable. I even threw in a few luxury items, since I didn’t have to worry about postage costs or shelf life! And now? I’ve got leftovers ready to go for the next section.
Finally, one part of thru hiking Te Araroa that is the source of constant debate is road walking. There is a substantial contingent of prospective and past thru hikers who despise the fact that such a substantial portion of the trail is routed along roads and footpaths, rather than actual trail.
The good news is that on a section hike, you have very little need to do any of the road walking unless you absolutely want to. You can just start at the beginning of a track, and finish where it ends.
I don’t know about you, but that seems pretty sensible to me.
Safety, Solitude and the Realities of Walking Alone
The last major thing I had to get my head around was the social side of section hiking — or lack of it.
As a solo female tramper with only moderate backcountry experience, safety is always front of mind. That includes the mental side of being alone, as well as the physical risks like solo river crossings or technical terrain.
On a Te Araroa thru hike, especially as a SOBO hiker, you’re hard pushed to find yourself ever alone on the trail. The number of hikers (between 2,000 – 4,000 each year) means that you’re always likely to run into someone, and there’s a real comfort and camaraderie that goes with finding your trail community and sticking with them for the duration.
With a section hike, there’s no such experience. And seeing as how this was one of the highlights of my thru hike attempts, I was keen to see how Te Araroa felt without it.
I’d picked two relatively easy sections — ones I was confident I could manage on my own, even if no other hikers turned up. Based on the timing, I knew most SOBOs would still be working their way down the South Island, and I wasn’t expecting many NOBO hikers. So I had to be prepared for the reality that I might be alone for up to 5 days at a time.
Even for someone like me — introverted but independent — that’s still a big mental challenge. After a few days, you start to miss the sound of another human voice.
But I’ve spent the last four years slowly building my confidence in solo tramping. I know now that I can handle a few nights in the bush on my own if I have to. And that’s key — it’s a muscle you build over time.
My first substantial solo river crossing at the Avoca river, just two days into my section hike
Luckily for me, I met four other Te Araroa hikers on the very first night I spent on the trail, and I immediately fell back into the rhythm with them, despite it being four long years since I’d last set foot on the trail. You’ll become a part of it too.
If hiking solo doesn’t sit well with you yet, that’s totally okay. Try convincing a friend or family member to tag along for a few days. You might be surprised who’s up for a bit of shared suffering and a lot of trail magic.
If You’re Thinking About Giving it a Go…
Now you might be thinking — and fair enough — “That’s all well and good, Michelle, but I’m brand new to thru hiking. It’s not that easy for me!”
And you’re right. My past experience on Te Araroa definitely made section hiking feel more achievable. But here’s the thing: when you’re only looking at one small piece of the trail at a time, it’s far less daunting. That’s what makes section hiking so accessible — you don’t need to tackle the whole beast at once.
Let’s be real — most of us don’t have 5 or 6 months and $10–15k to throw at a thru hike. Some of us (myself included) start with next to no outdoor experience. Building confidence gradually, rather than throwing yourself in the deep end, is not only valid — it’s smart.
Section hiking lets you experience the magic of Te Araroa without needing to quit your job, rent out your house, and hope like hell it all works out. Because imagine doing all that… and then discovering two weeks in that you're not physically or mentally ready, or that you're just not loving it.
We put off these experiences way too often, waiting for “someday.” The truth? Someday rarely comes. You don’t need to wait. Pick a section. Make a plan. Try it this weekend, this month, this year.
If you’re on the fence about section hiking Te Araroa, I honestly encourage you to just give it a go. You don’t need to have everything figured out. But here are a few ways to ease yourself in:
1. Start small — and bring a friend
If you’ve never done an overnight tramp before, try a short, easy trip close to home. Go with friends or someone with some backcountry experience. These first trips are all about testing your gear, getting comfy with discomfort, and learning the basics.
Great Walks are also a good stepping stone. They’re well-marked, social, and give you a taste of hut life. You might even meet future hiking buddies who are also keen to section hike with you!
Me and Te Araroa hiker Petra had only met a week prior, but we met up to cycle the Lake Tekapo canal together
2. Begin with a Te Araroa section near home
One of the easiest ways to get a feel for the trail is to explore a stretch that’s local. If you live near the trail, chances are you’ve already walked part of it without realising.
There’s no strict definition of a “section” hike — it could be a one-day wander or a month-long mission. The benefit of starting close to home is knowing the area, having a feel for local weather patterns, and having easy exit options. You’re more likely to relax and enjoy it if you don’t have to stress so much about these things.
3. Choose a section that excites you
Some of my favourite sections of Te Araroa have been right on my doorstep, like the section through Tongariro National Park. Others were those “wow” sections like the Queen Charlotte Track or Whanganui River.
These iconic hikes (or paddles) are popular for a reason — they’re beautiful, well-maintained, and give you that sense of “I’m doing something epic.”
Once you’ve built your confidence, you can start tackling the rougher, more remote bits.
Sharon is also an excellent source of knowledge about the trail and will do everything she can to help you take your first steps, but you are also welcome to reach out to me via my website anytime for a casual discussion on how to get started.
What section hiking has taught me
One of the biggest lessons section hiking has taught me is patience—with the trail, with my body, and with the process. When you let go of the idea that Te Araroa has to be completed in one go, something shifts. The pressure eases, it feels like less of a slog, and each section becomes its own mini-adventure.
Some sections feel like scenic strolls. Others are gritty and character-building. But all of them are part of something bigger—and (importantly, especially for me) you’re still a Te Araroa hiker, whether you’re chipping away at it over years or doing it in a single go.
Along the way, I’ve made some excellent friends. Swapping stories with them reminded me we’re all sharing the same trail, just moving at different paces. Sometimes our journeys line up for a few weeks or months. Other times, it's just a quick wave and a smile as we cross paths.
That’s the beauty of it—there’s no one way to walk Te Araroa. Just your way.
And that’s all that matters.
Sharon’s End Note
One of the pleasures of being an Adventure Content Creator based in New Zealand is the mutual support shared with other like minded creators. With our shared love of Te Araroa, creative backgrounds and desire to support others in the outdoor space, it will come as no surprise that Michelle and I are friends.
While overnighting in Methven during our Te Araroa walk, our paths crossed in real life when Michelle took the time to drive all the way out to meet up with us and we spent a delightful afternoon, happily sharing trail stories 💚
Read Michelle’s Guest Author Bio Below
Michelle, Sharon and Andrew in Methvern during our Te Araroa resupply detour.
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I begin walking in tears. For many reasons, not least of which is the unknown.
As much as I’m nervous for what lies ahead, there’s something encouragingly familiar about the process.
I shove three or four sausage rolls into my mouth as my parents (and our family dog) bid me an emotional farewell (more on my part, than theirs) and I start walking uphill towards Bealey Hut.