New Zealand

After finishing 1700 kilometers of hiking on New Zealand's North Island, I let myself rest…

I MADE IT to the end of North …

We 14 who met along the Te Araroa Trail,…

Tongariro was absolutely a major reason I chose to hike the Te Araroa Trail! It's a famous volcanic complex on New Zealand's North Island and one of the highlight features of the TA route. Its spectacular landscape and significant importance have drawn countless people from far and wide to visit throughout history. Like my ancient ancestors, the 'Hobbits,' who once came to this place known as 'Mount Doom' to complete their mission—how could I not follow in their footsteps to trace my roots?

In that moment, it felt like a scene straight out of a drama. I looked up toward the other side of the bridge—a cyclist standing there. For a split second, I thought, 'Oh, I must be in their way,' but then it hit me the very next second and I cried out, 'Remi!!!' That French guy I'd first met at 90 Mile Beach on Day 2 of the Te Araroa Trail, the travel companion who first invited me to hike along with him. He'd injured his foot and switched to cycling instead to complete his New Zealand adventure, planning his own bike version of the TA. That's why I'd never seen him on the trail after that—just the occasional text message to say hello. A month had flown by in the blink of an eye. This unbelievable encounter made us both incredibly happy. Even though we were taking different paths, we were both equally pushing toward our destination. There was some mysterious force that kept drawing us together, and once again, we were reunited!

Since leaving Hamilton, the TA route started increasingly making us...

I turned to Sara seriously and said: 'Can you stop laughing?' A few minutes later,…

The night you left, the children pulled out the tents and pitched them in the garden, watching the stars, …

The night before I'd camped near Hamilton, a big town on the North Island. This day was lighter…

We walked together from Paihia to Ngunguru, 180km…

You'll never know if it's worth it until you actually walk it yourself. Setting out on a month-long hike at the end of November…

I continued alone, heading south towards Auckland, walking on a rural road with barely any traffic, ...

That day I walked alone, anxious about the river mouth on the beach ahead, not knowing...

"Do I really have to keep going like this?" Dragging my aching right foot along, thirty kilometers…

We walked across beaches, through forests, and then that day we stepped into one private pasture after another. This also…

After getting lost in a terrifying muddy forest, I enter the third forest and face the challenge of wading through streams...

Within an hour, I was lost... The night before at Raetea F…

Odd Characters on the Te Araroa Trail This American person...