Te Araroa Trail Blog Introduction

Te Araroa
Written By Sharon Evans

Te Araroa Trail Introduction

The countdown has started!

In October 2023 I am embarking on my most ambitious adventure yet Te Araroa - New Zealand’s Long Trail. A continuous 3,000 kilometre (1,864 mile) walking track from Cape Reinga to Bluff. I anticipate this thru hike to take around 110 to 130 days.

While on trail, I will share daily Blogs here on my Website along with pictures and videos on all my social media channels. Be sure to bookmark this page and come back soon!

I hope to meet as many of you as possible so please do introduce yourself if you see me or send me a direct message via social media if you think our paths are going to cross.

See you on the trail, Sharon  🏕️ 

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What I'm taking to walk 3000 km across New Zealand - Te Araroa 🥾 🛶 🥾
What I'm taking to walk 3000 km across New Zealand - Te Araroa 🥾 🛶 🥾

In this video I’ll share with you what I’m taking to walk Te Araroa, New Zealand’s Long Trail, 3000 km from Cape Reinga to Bluff. This walk will take 110 to 130 days and I’ll be carrying everything I need in my backpack aside from restocking food along the way.

In this video I’ll share with you what I’m taking to walk Te Araroa, New Zealand’s Long Trail, 3000 km from Cape Reinga to Bluff. This walk will take 110 to 130 days and I’ll be carrying everything I need in my backpack aside from restocking food along the way.

This gear list applies the same if it’s a multi day hike or a thru hike like New Zealand’s 3000 kilometre Te Araroa trail which I’ll be hiking 2023/2024.

Understanding Hiker's Language 🌲🏕️🌲 Te Araroa Thru Hike
Understanding Hiker's Language 🌲🏕️🌲 Te Araroa Thru Hike

Have you ever joined a new group and wondered if they were speaking a different language, some of it sounds sort of familiar but there seems to be acronyms and words used in context that are nothing like you’ve heard before?

Have you ever joined a new group and wondered if they were speaking a different language, some of it sounds sort of familiar but there seems to be acronyms and words used in context that are nothing like you’ve heard before?

As a group, hiker’s are no different and in this video, I’m going to explain what SOBO, NOBO and even HOBO stand for when used in a hiking context along with a whole lot of other hiker lingo.

I’ve chosen one of my favourite bush hikes as this video’s backdrop, this is the Mangamate Circuit in the Whirinaki Forest which I solo hiked over three challenging days in late winter. A highlight of this trip was hearing kiwi calling across the valley where I was camped deep in the forest, it was the first time I’d ever heard Kiwi in the wild and it was a magical moment.

Keep your phone charged while hiking and backpacking 🌲🏕️🌲
Keep your phone charged while hiking and backpacking 🌲🏕️🌲

How to keep electronics charged while hiking the Te Araroa end to end thru hike. In this video I’ll share with you what I’ve learnt about keeping my electronics and phone charged while hiking and as preparation to hike Te Araroa, New Zealand’s Long Trail.

How to keep electronics charged while hiking the Te Araroa end to end thru hike. In this video I’ll share with you what I’ve learnt about keeping my electronics and phone charged while hiking and as preparation to hike Te Araroa, New Zealand’s Long Trail. These principles apply the same if it’s an overnight hike, a multi day hike or a thru hike like New Zealand’s 3,000 kilometre Te Araroa trail which I’ll be hiking this coming season. The main electronics I typically take and which need charging are my phone, headlamp and camera.

I’ve chosen one of my favourite desert hikes as the video backdrop, this is the Tongariro Northern Circuit which I hiked over four particularly hot and windy days.

I've never finished a thru hike | Te Araroa Preparation
I've never finished a thru hike | Te Araroa Preparation

I’m going on a walk soon, it’s a long walk, actually, it’s a very long walk, about three thousand kilometres and is known as a thru hike and this will be my very first thru hike.

I’m going on a walk soon, it’s a long walk, actually, it’s a very long walk, about three thousand kilometres and is known as a thru hike and this will be my very first thru hike.

Te Araroa is considered by some as one of the toughest thru hikes in the world due to it’s varied terrain and the weather that you’re likely to encounter along the way. Added to that are several hundred river crossings, lots of mud, days between resupply points - the longest being eight or nine days, numerous mountain passes, sandflies, wasps, miles of road walking, poorly maintained tracks and, yes I could go on.

So why? Why would I leave a perfectly comfortable lifestyle to endure all of that? Why when there’s easier thru hikes in other countries? What has motivated me to seek out the unknown, when the known is available, to challenge myself in this way?

How I Navigate On A Thru-hike | Te Araroa
How I Navigate On A Thru-hike | Te Araroa

In this video, I’lll share with you what I’ve learnt about how best to navigate New Zealand’s Long Trail, Te Araroa including which websites and Apps will be most useful along with where to go for more information before starting and while on the trail. This is all information I’ve gathered as part of my own preparation for walking the 3,000 kilometre trail this season.

In this video, I’lll share with you what I’ve learnt about how best to navigate New Zealand’s Long Trail, Te Araroa including which websites and Apps will be most useful along with where to go for more information before starting and while on the trail. This is all information I’ve gathered as part of my own preparation for walking the 3,000 kilometre trail this season.

Te Araroa extends from Cape Reinga at the tip of the North Island to Bluff at the bottom of the South Island and offers a fascinating mix of scenic, historic and recreational characteristics.

Walking 3000 kilometres! Te Araroa Trail
Walking 3000 kilometres! Te Araroa Trail

In Spring 2023 I will embark on my most ambitious adventure yet, Te Araroa - New Zealand’s Trail. A continuous 3,000 kilometre (1,864 mile) walking track from Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island to Bluff at the bottom of the South Island in New Zealand.

In Spring 2023 I will embark on my most ambitious adventure yet, Te Araroa - New Zealand’s Trail. A continuous 3,000 kilometre (1,864 mile) walking track from Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island to Bluff at the bottom of the South Island in New Zealand.

I anticipate it will take around 110 to 130 days which means an average of about twenty five kilometres a day.. every day!

For comparison, the longest hike I’ve done up until now was in Fiordland on the Routeburn and Greenstone Tracks and that trip took five days and was about one hundred and five kilometres. As you can see, this is a massive step up and one I’m hugely excited about.

Preparations are well underway which include sorting the logistics, training, organising gear and all sorts of other planning, I’ve still got to find a tent! There’s so much to organise and one of my biggest projects presently is preparing all the food as I’ll be relying on bounce or re-supply boxes the whole way.

In the winter months before I start the Trail, I’ll create a series of videos on these topics so watch out for them, they’ll be particularly useful if you’re planning something similar.

Once on Trail, I’ll be sharing daily updates on all my social media channels and on completion, there’ll be a feature documentary posted to YouTube.

While on trail, I hope to meet as many people as possible, especially followers and supporters of the Freewheeling Kiwi so please do send me a direct message or email if you live along or near to the trail as I’d love to meet you.

If you know of or are a business and would like to support the trip in some way, please do get in touch ahead of time as I’m sure we can figure out someway to work together.

In the meantime, take care, lots of love Sharon 😀

Sharon Evans

Sharon Evans is the heart behind Freewheeling Kiwi — adventurer, storyteller, and coach. Based in New Zealand, she believes that real growth happens outside comfort zones. Having walked the full length of Te Araroa, trekked to Everest Base Camp and numerous other adventures, she now shares the lessons she’s learned from life, travel, and nature.

Through her writing, coaching, and guided group trips, Sharon guides others to find courage, reconnect with themselves, and travel in a way that’s adventurous, grounded, and deeply meaningful.

https://www.freewheelingkiwi.com/my-story
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