Two years ago I walked the full length of Aotearoa, from Cape Reinga to Stirling Point in Bluff, covering more than 3,000 kilometres over 133 days.

What I expected was a physical challenge and a long-held adventure ticked off the list. What I did not expect was how profoundly the trail would reshape my understanding of rest, simplicity and coming back to myself.

The lessons did not arrive dramatically. They accumulated slowly, step by step, day by day, until something essential had quietly shifted.

Whether you are a long distance hiker or simply someone craving a proper reset, I think some of what Te Araroa taught me might resonate with you too.

I stood forlornly on the trail as my body trembled with the intensity of my shivering and my teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Tears created by the sub zero temperatures mixed freely with the sleet and snot smeared across my face. I could hardly see through my glasses not that there was anything to see other than the horizontal rain swirling manically about us.

Andrew handed me an OSM bar, with his frozen fingers he couldn’t open the wrapping and thought somehow that I’d be able to. While I fumbled with the wrapping, we attempted to communicate above the howling wind.

Finally getting the bar opened I offered him the larger half, we were clearly living the Te Araroa dream!

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.

Te Araroa is a dream hike for many outdoor enthusiasts and Aotearoa New Zealand is known to be a hiker’s paradise which internationally enjoy’s a reputation as a safe country to visit.  

As you traverse the 3,000 km Te Araroa route from Cape Reinga to Bluff there’s many exciting opportunities to immerse yourself amongst the diverse communities that you’ll wander by.

The chance meetings with locals were some of our best times on trail and these opportunities would have been completely missed if we’d skipped the roads.

I fielded many questions from curious family and onlookers when planning to walk New Zealand’s stunning 3,000km National Walking Trail, Te Araroa.

On hearing of my extraordinary plans to walk the entire length of the country, one concerned youngster asked "but will you have to carry all your own food?" It’s a valid question which can be answered succinctly with yes and no.

Understanding and managing risk for solo women while hiking New Zealand’s 3,000 kilometre Te Araroa.

When planning to hike Aotearoa New Zealand’s 3,000 kilometre Te Araroa trail, I had the usual safety concerns like navigating a fast flowing river, becoming lost in the bush, suffering from hypothermia or possible injuries which were all dangers that I could anticipate and plan for.  

In this blog however, I’m not going to address those general concerns. Instead, what I will be discussing are safety concerns unique to us women hikers. Specifically, the danger that is presented by the one thing that women worldwide have learnt to fear the most, and that is men. 

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. 

Committing to a thru hike is equal parts exciting yet at the same time, immensely daunting. Not only are you going to be away from your home, family, friends and work for an extended period of time, there’s also untold logistics to be taken into account.

Choosing to hike Te Araroa, Aotearoa New Zealand’s three thousand kilometre trail which traverses the length of the country from Cape Reinga in the Far North to Bluff in the Far South (or vice a versa) brings with it many of its own unique challenges.

Walking Te Araroa is the dream of many outdoor enthusiasts and since its inception in 2011, many thousands of people, including me, have achieved that dream.

The Freewheeling Kiwi Te Araroa A to Z Guide is written for hikers who dare to dream big and welcome the unknown. It is the most comprehensive Guide you’ll ever need containing a wealth of information, much of which you’ll not even have considered but all of which is vital for a successful Te Araroa walk. 

In this article I share with you the gear that we took when hiking the 3000km Te Araroa Trail along with the reasoning and context behind our decision making to better help you when making your own decisions while planning your walk of Te Araroa.

The article finishes with my reflections on what gear didn’t last the full distance, what was sent home, the substitutions and additions along the trail and what I’d change next time.