Te Araroa - The Long Pathway

I’m in the early stages of planning for the end of 2025 and I’d love to hike the South Island half of TA (+/- the NI half, but not a fan of all the road walking I’ve heard about).

I need to be back in Aus by mid Feb though.

And I’ve heard mixed accounts about how long to allow for the South Island. I’m a fast walker and will happily walk 30+ km in a day, probably more once my legs are acclimated to it. But I’d also rather not rush my way through it if possible.

What would be a reasonable start date? And how long should I reasonably allow for the walk?

Thanks in advance!

Kia ora! Planning on doing Te Araroa beginning this year late September/early October. We have already bought plane tickets for late September. We were planning on doing a "speed run" of the north island with more bus/other transport to skip some road walking and get to the South Island by beginning of November where we would complete the South Island more faithfully ... my question is is late October/early November too early to start South Island SOBO? Will it likely be too cold/still too snowy to safely attempt? Willing to get gear for cold temps but don't want to be miserable or stupidly unsafe the whole time. Thank you very much in advance for any info!

Hello, I am thinking about doing the Te Araroa as a sabatical in around 2-3 years. I have some questions about it. 1) Is it worth the money? I am from Germany, therefore the flight and the cost of living is especially expensive. And I guess there are many cheaper trails. 2) Is it still remote? It probably got more crowded over the last years, it is still wild and lonely on the southern island? Has it changed over the years?

Was wondering if anyone had some advice or could share their experiences. How far in advance should I book my canoe hire for the whanganui river? Also do the huts on the South Island fill up pretty quickly.

Would appreciate some feedback thank you

In my research I was hesitant and unsure whether my US set-up would work in New Zealand due to all the fearmongering online. Short answer, yes, your normal hiking set-up is perfectly fine for New Zealand.

Don't buy into the fearmongering. New Zealand weather can be fickle but it's no different than being in the mountains in any other country, the only thing you need to account for is more drastic temperature swings. You need to have the layers for the temperature and weather on the ground just like any other hike. The main difference is the weather can change quickly, but that doesn't mean your 20 degree sleeping bag suddenly loses its ability to keep you warm or that New Zealand has any kind of special rain that your UL rain jacket can't handle.

https://www.couchtotrail.com/blog/gear-te-araroa-nz-vs-us-trailsappalachian-pacific-crest

Greetings all! My brother and I will be starting in Picton in late November and will head south for 6 weeks. I’m hoping for input on layering while trying to cut weight. A few general debates:

Active layer:

Option 1: standard grid fleece hoody (11 ozs) Option 2: heavy weight Senchi hoody ( 7.5 ozs) + wind shirt (3.7 ozs)

I have always used a grid fleece and find them to be consistent and durable though not great when breezy and don’t layer as well as Alpha.

Pants:

Option 1: trekking pants only (Gamma LT) Option 2: rain pants only (zpacks rain pants) Option 3: both

Knowing it’ll rain and that the terrain can be gnarly, wondering if both trekking and rains pants are needed given how sensitive rain pants are when bushwhacking.

Puffy:

I have both a synthetic and down puffy and from what I have read, many go with synthetic given the rain. Is that the smart choice? Obviously give up both weight and pack ability with synthetic.

Gaiters:

I hike in trail runners and haven’t used gaiters historically. How necessary are they? Would something light like dirty girls work or do they need to be beefier?

I am from a shengen country and have right to stay in nz for 3 months visa-free. But the thing is that the thru-hike is most likely to take more than 3 months.. So have you just applied for a long tourist visa? Is that even a choice?

Hi there!

Me and a friend (both from Europe) are planning on doing the TA South island only, SOBO starting in January '25. Could use a few tips & advice, since it's our very first thru-hike. We do have experience in multi-day hikes with tent, but never to be fully self-relient for days at a time food wise.

First of all, is early january a good time to start SI going SoBo? Or should we go earlier or even later?

I have two plans in mind:
- Ship Cove to Bluff (whole TA SI in +- 60 days)
- Ship Cove to Queenstown (+-45 days) + a few great walks around Queenstown (Routeburn & milford track for example)

Or is the TA part after Queenstown to Bluff really worth it?

My biggest 'concern' are that the Richmond Ranges are quite in the beginning of the trekking and (for what I've read) are the hardest part of the trail. I read a lot of fear-mongering about it as well, so quite curious to hear whether it's actually that bad or not.

Also shoe-wise I read a lot of mixed opinions. Boots, trailrunners, gore-tex, no gore-tex,... I really like a shoe with some kind of ankle support, but would like some opinions on that as well from people who have done the TA.

Cheers!

Had a blast hiking across Aotearoa this past season! Would have loved to do more alternates but was pushed around a few due to bad weather.

I loved Sean Maskill's list of alternates and I was able to do each one of those but I quickly realized there were more possibilities after talking with locals. I've compiled a list of all the best trail alts I've heard about that can be linked into a continuous hike and a few more that are nearby. Enjoy!

LINK

I'm planning to hike southbound with my partner of 1 year starting this October. It will be our first overseas trip together and first time being together 24/7 for this long. We have a very good relationship, little to no fighting, and are emotionally intelligent people. I'm just wondering how other couples were on the trip. I'm expecting bumps on the road I'm not naive. I'm not hesitant to go with my partner, I've contemplated countless people over the last 10 years but finally feel like he is the right person to hike this with.

I'm planning a short 2-3 week trip starting the beginning of April with a friend. I've read historical weather reports as well as some other new zealand reddit posts but can't make up my mind if backpacking is a good/bad idea. Would hiking parts of the AT (plan to skip around a bit and also spend some time in towns) be okay? I have backpacking experience but am with a friend who does not, and I want to make sure it will be safe for us. Mild cold is fine but am just concerned about unpredictable weather.

Thank you for the help!

Just in Wellington after completing the North Island and I am anxious about the food carries and parcelling and was looking for some help.

Hello! Does anybody have a gpx for this alt, from/to Top Wairoa Hut? I'd be very appreciative if you could post it or PM it to me.

Cheers.

Is this entire hike possible with me (single mum) and my son, who will be 20 months at the start of this trip? We have up to 6 months to complete and will not be in any kind of rush.

Hi - I'm going nobo currently in Methven and doing some planning.

Does anybody have info on this alt heading nobo? I'm looking for info about the route (gpx would be lovely), resupply - eg if I need extra days of food how many and where would I get it? - and any other relevant info.

Feel free to pm me.

Cheers!

I want to do this trail either this year or next, but I am still in the very beginning of my research. Any tips on where to find more information about the trail? Right now I’m still trying to figure out what direction is most popular and when, information on resupplying and if I need to send myself packages, and other general information. If you could point me in the right direction that would be greatly appreciated.

Hi,

I have about 6 weeks from Feb 20 - April 7 to hike the TA. I'm not planning on doing the whole thing of course

I'd like to meet people while I'm on the TA. I've really enjoyed the people I have met on previous long hikes. Both one off conversations in campsites/huts or spending days together walking

I was planning to go SoBo on the South Island because I've heard SoBo is the more common direction and it's late in the season so South Island should have more hikers on it finishing up.

Is that correct? Or is North Island more social since it is more in civilization?

Also is there a whatsapp group I can join?

​

​

​

I’m planning to embark SOBO from Ships Cove on the South Island in a week, and trying to use TA as an intro to the backcountry in my new home (I’m moving to Dunedin with my wife from the PNW). I’m not a fan of road walking and not a purist at all, just want to see some of the best the south has to offer, ideally by foot as much as possible.

Do experienced TA hikers and/or S. Islanders have any suggestions on alts? Or, if not, resources on good alts on TA? Detours, even long ones, to great areas welcome.

Commented on another post, but wanted to open the question up to a wider group, if possible!

Where is the best place to send a resupply in Arthur's Pass, now that The Sanctuary has closed?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! I'm Alex, and my girlfriend and I are gearing up for a fantastic adventure on the Te Araroa trail in February. Our plan is to tackle a 4-week section, starting at Arthur's Pass and ending in Picton.

Our journey begins and ends in Christchurch, but we're facing a bit of a transport dilemma. We don't have a car, so we're relying on public transportation. While we know there's a bus route from Picton back to Christchurch, getting to Arthur's Pass is proving to be a challenge.

Initially, we thought of taking the train from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass, but unfortunately, it's all booked out until the end of March. We then looked into shuttle services, like Atomic Travel and East West Coaches, but it seems there are no scheduled bus connections from at least Atomic Travel anymore.

So, we're reaching out for some advice. How can we get to Arthur's Pass without a car? We've considered options like hitchhiking or taking a taxi, but we're unsure about their viability or cost.

If anyone has experience with this section of the trail or advice on transportation, we would greatly appreciate your insights. Alternative transport suggestions, tips on hitchhiking in the area, or any other helpful information would be incredibly valuable to us.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Cheers, Alex

Hey everyone, starting off SOBO on the South Island Tuesday and was hoping to find somewhere cheap to pitch my tent tomorrow night. Anyone have suggestions?

Hey guys, I posted on here a few weeks ago about a book I wrote about my adventures on the Te Aroroa during the 2019- 2020 period. I then got really embarrassed and scared and removed the post. I worked so hard on it and didn't even know if it was any good. After Christmas I gave a copy to my girlfriend and her sister who expressed there admiration and praised my work. Thanks to there support I have gotten a bit braver and am posting again!

The book was written completely by memory while on breaks at a factory Job. Its about me leaving my Job as a Tesco trolly boy to try and walk the trail. Its a first hand account of the trials and tribunalations of the trail and the bonds we make with people along the way.

Anyway just wanted to ask if anyone would actually be interested in reading it? I've never written a book before so was just going to self publish and post in this sub and Facebook. What do you guys think of the entire idea? Thank you!

Edit: Thank you everyone for you're lovely messages, means a lot to me. I am just going back through the entire book now to check for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. About 40% of the way through. Hopefully by next week I will have finished and can finally release the book for everyone here. Thank you again for your support.

Edit 2: 02/02/24 Sorry for such a late update, I had a bad few weeks since last posting on here. I have finished another run through of my book and corrected spelling errors and a few grammar mistakes. My friend said he is currently reading through to give any feedback and has informed me its all looking good. Sorry its taken so long, I want it out as much as anyone else, I'm very nervous about it and I just want to make sure its the best I can make it before its out. Also having no idea what I'm doing and it being my first ever book means the progress was slower then I'd hoped. I'm sorry for disappointing anyone. I'm spending all my free time while at home on it and working into the night. Thank you all much love

Edit 3: 07/02/24 Sorry again for lack of update. Still working on the book, only get an hour a night to do anything. Only getting a fee hours sleep a night so I have time time work on it. Just want to make sure it's perfect, just checking all the indentations are correct and double checking any other potential issues. I think I've decided not to sell the book. I don't think I could mentally handle really harsh criticism. I know you can't please everyone but some people are just so mean, and I don't want to put myself out there and have to deal with them. It can be unrentleing and I can't take it back once its out. I think I will give anyone that's wants a copy a free version once I'm finished, I'm sorry.

I'm hiking the South Island solo so the boxes would be rather small. Places that hold boxes for you seem to charge hefty fees (15-35 NZD) plus there's postage, plus the hassle of making sure you arrive when they're open.

So given all that, I'm planning on just shopping at the overpriced convenience stores. I'm comfortable with doing 7 day food carries. Reasonable?