New Zealand’s scenery can’t be frustrating in principle – mountain ranges, headlands, and glaciers form an impressive panorama. The Te Araroa Trail – “the long trail” translated from the Maori language – traverses most of these natural beauties. Normally, this route would take you about three months to complete. Ultramarathoner Jez Bragg completed it in 53 days.
“Te Araroa – The Long Walk” will join a certain group of the world’s epic hiking trails, such as the famous Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Pacific Crest and the Appalachian in North America.
Although the most active and persistent hikers will want to take the entire journey, a three-month Odyssey Trail through some of New Zealand’s most stunning landscapes and tourist spots, remember that the route is formed from a network of regional trails and offers a number of short excursions for serious hikers and beginners alike.
The route begins at Cape Reinga, at the extremity of New Zealand’s North Island, and ends at Bluff, the fish port, the southernmost point of the South Island. Halfway through, it passes through the New Zealand capital, Wellington. It’s an amazing journey, worthy of a true traveler. So, if travel is your passion, be sure to give yourself a treat sometime, like a birthday present, and head out to explore the vast expanses of New Zealand.
The trail was first talked about more than 35 years ago when the current Department of Conservation (DOC) was formed. In the last decade, however, there has been a great deal of material progress.
Te Araroa has been thought of by hundreds of like-minded individuals, volunteers, and passionate volunteer workers who have helped develop the track and signage system. No one knows the story better than Kiwi journalist Geoff Chapple, who started the campaign to develop Te Araroa in the 1990s with a newspaper article that described the proposal as “patriotic but also practical.”