Day 30. Hamilton – (shortly before) Kapamahunga Range. 25km. Total 825km. Rainy day and blisters. Last night I woke up in total darkness and was completely lost. I thought I am in my tent but couldn’t find a way out, I touched a wall and thought for a moment I had fallen into a big…
Category: Te Araroa
A lovely rest day in Hobbiton
Day 29. 0km. Total 800km. Rest Day in Hobbiton. I didn’t sleep much last night in my fancy single room. Too much Wi-Fi, input, things to organise. I talk to friends and family in Germany while being comfortably in my bed in the early morning. At 8.30am I am taking the free hostel breakfast, a…
Mercer – Hamilton. 800km in 4 weeks.
Day 26. Mercer – Rangiri (plus a hitchhike into Hamilton and back). 26km. Total 745km. I had a horrible night. All my moskito bites were itching like crazy and I was feeling so unwell I couldn’t sleep. I had to read and do other things to not think about the itching. It was also raining…
Ambury Park to Mercer. Trail Magic and hard days.
Day 22. Ambury Park – Brookby Road. 37km. Total 650km. Trail Magic! It rained quite a lot last night but when I prepare breakfast it stopped – just to start again once I am finished. I stay a bit longer in my tent, waiting for the rain to stop before heading off. There are still…
Orewa – Ambury Park. I have reached Auckland and done the first 600km.
Day 19. Orewa Beach – Tatarata Point. 32km. Total 576km. The night was alright but the best is the sunrise I can watch right from my tent. I am not in a hurry as the river crossing in 20km can best be done at the lowest tide at 3.17pm today. So after packing up and…
Auckland region. Mangawhai – Orewa. Ups and downs.
Day 16. Coastal Cows – Omaha forest. 34km. Total 482km. Incredible, I have already done the first section, Northland! I didn’t sleep much the night with the guys having their party and myself a few things to organise, write, prepare. I still wake up at 6am so I slowly get going, giving my parents a…
Jaggers camp to Manghawai. Finishing the first section, Northland.
Day 14. Jaggers camp – Urititi camp. 33km. Total 412km. Getting up very early again to see the sunrise at the beach. 6am is a perfect timing for the reddish clouds shimmering over the ocean. How can any day start better? A few kilometers on the ocean until the trail will get tough again. From…
Whananaki to Jaggers camp. Everything from rainforest to beaches, hills, sun, rain.
Day 12. Whananaki – Ngurunguru / Nikau bay Camp. 26km. Total 338km. After yesterday’s crazy long hike, I am of course tired today! The night in the small hut was so nice and dry but I think I even sleep better in my tent now. As always I start at 7am. We have about 26km…
Opua to Whananaki. Beautiful rainforest plus long road walking.
Day 10. Beachside Holiday Park – Russell forest hut. 22km (12 by boat and 10 by foot). Total 273km. What a perfect campsite. I lay in my tent in the early morning and watch the sunrise right over the sea. The birds are singing and as I have the luxury of not hiking this morning,…
Puketi to Opua.
Day 8. Puketi Recreation Area – Waitangi Forest. 33km. Total 231km. I wake up at 6.30am and start cooking my porridge and tea while still sitting in my sleeping bag in my tent. I love being cozy like this for breakfast! At 7.30am I am the first to start the trail and I enjoy being…
Te Araroa 2. Mud battle in the Northland forests.
Day 4. Oct 17. Ahipara – km 128. 27km. Total 128km. Mud Party in the Herekino forest. I didn’t sleep much in the dormitory and get up at 6.30am. Around 7.20am I leave the nice Ahipara holiday park. It’s 8km on the road till the start of the Herekino forest track. Easy, not many cars….
Te Araroa. 1. Cape Reinga – Ahipara. Sand and ocean.
Auckland – heading north. October 13. Thursday morning, my bus leaves at 7.45 am from the close-by bus station. The chatty driver talks for ages about where we will stop and who will get off or in etc, repeating it at every stop. I talk to a German guy who is joining for 2 days…
Hello Mountains 