Posts
Te Araroa, Days 5 – 7: Colac Bay to Birchwood Station
In which we encounter the legendary New Zealand Mud, journey through the otherworldly Longwood Forest, and listen to karaoke!
Te Araroa: Days 1-4
Hello and greetings from the trail! I'm writing this post via my phone, so I think it might be short and kinda messy. Stats out off the way first:
I Actually Made It to New Zealand!
Hello and greetings from Dunedin, NZ - a town I actually made it to after something like 30 hours of travel and, all in all, much less confusion than
Unemployment, Gear Tweaks, and a Research Project
In which we learn that unemployment = FUNemployment, I talk about some cool stuff I'm bringing with me on the trail, and I get all excited about the fact that I'm leaving in FOUR DAYS!
Te Araroa: SOBO vs. NOBO
Many long-distance trails have a prevailing direction of traffic – for the Te Araroa, that’s southbound, beginning at Cape Reinga on the North Island. But there’s always a certain percentage of people who, for one reason or another, decide to head in the opposite direction.
Te Araroa Gear List (Why Does Stuff Weigh So Much?)
It’s been strange to spend a bunch of money on precision-engineered technical gear that I’m going to stink up and pulverize. Also, the ULA Circuit can carry all your stuff or, if you prefer, one large cat.
Why I’m Leaving This Hemisphere
In exactly 3 weeks I’m going to be driving to Philadelphia, getting on a plane, and flying to New Zealand to hike the Te Araroa Trail, an 1800-mile track that traverses the entire length of the country. I’m going to the other side of the world, I’m going alone, and all I’m taking is a backpack.