Across New Zealand in 3 and a half minutes!

I‘ve just finished this short highlights video of the Te Araroa. It’s roughly in chronological order from the Top of the North Island to the bottom of the south, unfortunately I don’t have any footage of us getting to the end due to a memory card malfunction… Song used: Bow Wow by Tommy Bass

Flickr photo set – I’ve edited our mountain of photos down to reasonably easy to flick through 200 photo set of the highlights. And then a slightly longer 1000 odd photo set that covers the trail in a bit more depth.

01. Far North

Start of the Te Araroa Trail

Start of the Te Araroa Trail

Destination -> Bluff

 

And we’re off!

Windy Start

CookieIt’s a bit windy up here at the Cape but the sun is shining and it feels great to finally start the walk. Not far to go today because it was about 3.30pm by the time we finally stopped taking pictures and video at the lighthouse.

Nipped around this bit just before the tide came in

Cookie walking, lava flows

CookieThis is an old lava flow that we’re walking along, apparently the top end of New Zealand used to be a separate volcanic island which has been joined onto the north island by the ocean currents pushing sand up the coast. There’s certainly plenty of sand about.. Gets everywhere! 

Cookie with Cape Maria van Diemen in the background

Cape Maria van Diemen

CookieThe cape in the background was named by Abel Tasman after the wife of his patron, Anthony van Diemen. It is – along with the Three Kings Islands – one of only two geographic features in New Zealand to retain the names given to them by Abel Tasman. Cheers Wikipedia! Well I’m not sure if Maria was a looker, but the cape named after her isn’t too shabby.

Camp 2

Camp 2

CookieWe still haven’t found any grass to camp on yet.. Camped tonight behind the beach in the sand dunes, picked this spot because it was slightly damp to give the tent pegs something firmer to stick into! We camped near and filled our boots with water from Te Paki Stream, water tasted good, but a bit worrying that the the stream also doubles up as a road for all the fisherman and tour buses..

Day 4, The Bluff – Sand Dunes

Day 4, The Bluff - Sand Dunes

Day 5, Sand Dunes – Utea Campsite

Day 5, Sand Dunes - Utea Campsite

Utea Park, Hukatere

Utea Park