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.

Bungle in the Jungle

Bungle in the Jungle

CookieWe didn’t expect to be fighting our way through thick jungle today, only went to find the local DOC (Department of Conservation) office! Word of warning to anyone else using google maps to find it, this is where they’ve put the pin and there’s certainly no office here..

On our way to Kaitaia (The Far North)

Tiny Plane

CookieTiny little plane that flew us up to Kaitaia, check out the view from my seat here, never actually seen the pilot in action before.

Great Exhibition Bay

Beach

NickyBeautiful white silica sand beach we visited on our way to the top. A good taste of things to come!

01. Far North

Thar she blows! Cape Reinga, the start of the walk

Cape Reinga

NickyBrilliant to finally see the famous light house out in front of us and knowing the real adventure is about to start. But also feeling quite apprehensive suddenly. I think about the isolation, and being so far from people and help ( although I know that i’m in the expert wilderness-trained hands of Cookie of course ) and I know everything will be totally fine – but I think the remoteness of the location and the magnitude of the task in hand is starting to sink in! And, as they say in Bad Boys II, “This shit just got real!”.

Start of the Te Araroa Trail

Start of the Te Araroa Trail

Destination -> Bluff

 

First sight of our first beach

First beach

Nicky gives it the once over, “just like Cornwall… but MASSIVE” she says.

Nicky walking along Te Werahi Beach

Nicky walking along beach

NickyThe first beach. Excited to be by the seaside.

Climbing up Herangi Hill

Climbing sandy dunes

Blimey it’s like the Sahara Desert here!