We’ve Just Booked in Walking 3000 km across New Zealand

In November I’m flying out of Australia and into Auckland with the rest of my family. We’re going to New Zealand to hike (or to use the kiwi term, tramp) the Te Araroa.

The Te Araroa is a long-distance trail, stretching 3,000 kilometres (1,900 miles) along the length of New Zealand.

We’ll be south bounders (SOBs) which means we’ll start at the northernmost point of New Zealand, Cape Reinga, and we’ll finish at the southernmost point, Bluff.

It should take us between four and five months to walk.

I’m not even quite sure how it started. I think it was in Berlin. Mum, dad and I were up late scheming our next adventure and mum suggested the Te Araroa. She’s always wanted to do a long-distance hike and she’s always wanted to go to New Zealand.

Holli and Asha were REALLY keen on the idea. They want to go bird-watching in New Zealand and they’re outdoorsy people so this will suit them. Before we booked the plane tickets, they kept telling dad that they didn’t really believe that we’d go and it was just another of our crazy schemes that we wouldn’t follow through on, hoping that this would egg him on and make him more likely to support going!

Rex and Forrest are still young enough to be excited about going along with whatever we’ve planned.

And my thoughts? I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into. I’m always up for a challenge and hiking the length of a country is definitely a challenge. Still, it’s mostly my fault. I’m the one who’s been researching and organising for the past month to make it happen. Guilty as charged.

And have we ever done much hiking? Nope, not at all. We’ve done quite a lot of short bush-walks but NOTHING that is multi-day, little lone multi-month and certainly nothing that involved carrying everything on our backs!

Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound. We may as well do it properly!

HERE I COME NEW ZEALAND!