The Te Araroa (“TA”) is a relatively new long-distance hiking (“tramping”) trail/track, opened in 2011. It is 3000km/1864mi long, traversing the length of both islands of New Zealand.  The trail is relatively low in elevation, starting at sea level on 90-mile beach, and reaching a highpoint of only 1925m/6316ft. There is a wide range of terrain, including beaches, muddy forests, farmland, stream hiking, canoeing, cows, stopbanks, tussock fields, alpine ridges, and roadwalking.

Blog Posts:

All Packed for the Te Araroa!

Update 1: The Start & 90-mile Beach

Update 2: Northland forests & Kerikeri

Update 3: Walking the East Coast

Update 4: The rainy week

Update 5: Urban hiking

Update 6: The North Island farmlands

Update 7: Roadwalks and the Timber Trail

Update 8: The 42 Traverse and Tongariro National Park

Update 9: The Whanganui River

Update 10: Back to the coasts and roads

Update 11: The Tararua Mountains

Update 12: End of North Island

Update 13: Starting South Island

Update 14: Abel Tasman Track

Update 15: The Richmond Range

Update 16: Nelson Lakes National Park

Update 17: Wet, Windy, and Wading

Update 18: Lower and Drier

Update 19: Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers

Update 20: Part Civilization, Part Elevation

Update 21: Wanaka to Queenstown

Update 22: Cascade Saddle Side-trip

Update 23: Routeburn, Greenstone, and Mavora Tracks

Update 24: The Final Forests and Mountains

Update 25: Beaches to Bluff