Years ago, day hiking with friends, we were discussing life goals. Specifically, hiking goals. Which mountains we still needed to conquer, which famous trails we wanted to traverse. I didn’t have much to offer. I’d found hiking later in life. In my 50’s. When, after co-parenting a family in the flatlands of central North Carolina, I uprooted and moved to the mountains of Southwest Virginia.

Getting out there

Even then, for a few years, when I was outside doing normal outside things like coaching soccer practice or walking across the Abingdon High School parking lot to my car, I’d look out in the distance and marvel at the tree covered landscape rising far above the horizon. The hills and mountains provided a scenic tableau. But it wasn’t until I joined the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club and started hiking up those mountains, that I found true beauty. Gazing at distant mountains is nice, but nothing matches the amazing awe and wonder of being high up in those mountains looking down at this beautiful earth. Talk about perspective!

So, after that hike listening to others talk about hiking goals, I started to dream up some of my own. Dream. Plan. And make them happen. I completed the Appalachian Trail in 2021. It took me years, hiking only in the hot summer months, but I did it. On July 25, under blue bird skies, I summited mighty Mount Katahdin. I was worn out. I honestly thought I’d never want to backpack again. That thought lasted about 24 hours. I was lying in bed at a hiker hostel in Millinocket, Maine, trying to wind down and go to sleep the night after my summit. I googled “The most beautiful long-distance hiking trails in the US”.

The Colorado Trail was on the list. I thru-hiked it in the summer of 2023. The next day resting up at the Durango Motel, I googled “The most beautiful long-distance hiking trails in the world”. Te Araroa was on the list. My next hiking plan was hatched. It required traveling halfway around the earth just to get to the trailhead. Go big or stay home. I’m going big.

Going big

Te Araroa, “The Long Path” runs the length of New Zealand. It is 1880 miles. The trail starts with a 4-day beach walk, then continues over dirt paths, a mix of gravel and paved roads, over mountains and through many, many rivers and streams. It’s a 4 to 6 month trek. It’s a commitment.

Some say it’s a logistical nightmare to even get to New Zealand, much less figure out how to tramp (what Kiwis call hiking) the entirety of it. I started planning early. Made lists. Researched. Took part time jobs to earn extra money. All the things an experienced traveler does to ensure a shot at a successful trip.

But I have a big obstacle to overcome. I’ve never been out of the US. (Well, once. To Mexico, but that was a long time ago, before you needed a passport to travel there.) So, I’m not an experienced traveler, at least not internationally.

And I’m doing this alone. But as all backpackers know, you’re not alone. When I step on the trail at Cape Reinga, I will rejoin the vast and global hiking community. I’m nervous and excited, but crazy? I have done some crazy things in my life, but this is not one of them. Or maybe it is. The trail will tell. Departure date is October 16, 2024. Follow along. Kia Ora.