TA Trail Profile:
Trail: Te Araroa
Where: New Zealand, I hiked the South Island
Distance: 3000 km Cape Reinga-Bluff, South Island 1400 Ship Cove-Bluff
Days on Trail: 64 (including zero days)
Grade: Medium/Hard (as with any thru-hike, it depends on the section)
Optimal season: December-February/March
Resupplies: 11
The trail in a nutshell: Does any nutshell fit an ultra long-distance hike? I suppose the best word to describe the TA is variation. Crossing a country naturally takes you through all kinds of terrain, and New Zealand is basically five countries for the area of one. You will pass through countless beech forests, mountains, hills, plains, rivers, alongside beach, gorges, roads and lakes. The weather changes in a heartbeat, rivers will flood in a matter of hours, a sweltering day can be interrupted by a sudden snowstorm. I was beyond lucky, the 2017-2018 season was the warmest and driest on record, and I experienced a total of four rainy days whilst on trail.
New Zealand is a country made for nature tourism and hiking. The Kiwis are world-renowned for their friendliness, and I highly recommend setting aside both time and budget to enjoy other adventure activities when you pass through places like Queenstown. One of the best things about the TA is that every new section is completely unique. You will never get bored before you’re in a seemingly different land. Do yourself a favour and buy a 6 month Backcountry Hut pass for the bargain price of 90 NZD, and you will have accommodation covered for over 80% of the trail.
The TA is the baby of thru-hikes, and you will see why. Some stretches are characterised by a makeshift touch. There are several long roadwalks, although the South Island is significantly better than its northern counterpart (where you will enjoy 800 km of tarmac…). In the middle of the island, you might encounter some logistical difficulty navigating the two river hazard zones: the Rakaia and Rangitata. See the “Trekking tips” page for tips on how to navigate this.
American hikers who have completed one or more of the Triple Crown hikes often complain of the trail maintenance on the TA. I agree that some stretches leave a lot to be desired, the quality of the trail is highly dependent on how trafficked it is. Stretches like the Queen Charlotte Track, the Travers-Sabine circuit and the Greenstone Track practically seem like highways compared to the Longwood forest, the Richmond Ranges, and the infamous Deception-Mingha Track. I soon learned to appreciate easy stretches for all I was worth, speeding up into a near run because they typically lasted only a few minutes. On day 7 – in the Richmond Ranges – I spent over half an hour trying to traverse a spot known as “the Apocalypse”. Check out the trail blog to see what I’m talking about.