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The Hardest Thru Hike in the World is About to Get a Lot More Expensive.
International walkers who register to hike Te Araroa (TA) during the ’25/’26 season are now required to contribute a lot more money to receive the official Trail Pass. Te Araroa is a 3000 km (1865 mile) hike across the length of New Zealand, and has been gaining in popularity in recent years. As a result of the increased foot traffic and a recent decrease in government funding, the registration cost to hike Te Araroa is increasing significantly.
How Much Will It Cost?
Non-New Zealanders planning to hike either the South Island or the whole length of the trail will have to pay $1,350 NZD (approx. $800 USD) for the Trail Pass. International hikers planning to complete just the North Island are being asked to pay $605 NZD (approx. $360 USD).
The cost for citizens and residents of New Zealand is $310 NZD, plus a recommended donation to the trail association.
What’s Included in the Pass?
The TA Trail Pass covers hut fees and helps to maintain the network of huts along the trail.
The Pass is valid from September 1 to April 30 and includes a number of benefits. Before setting off on the trail, registered hikers will receive an information package with an official hang tag.
The most valuable benefit of the Trail Pass is paid access to the 71 huts and campsites directly along the trail, plus a 20% discount on ten serviced hut bookings along Te Araroa. The pass will also cover stays at any of the over 400 standard huts covered by the Backcountry Hut Pass throughout New Zealand.
Additionally, registered hikers can expect to receive discounts at a wide variety of businesses along the trail, likely including shuttle services, hostels, restaurants and local shops. Registered walkers will also be able to get a discount on the Interislander Ferry, an official part of the trail between the North and South Islands.
Finally, a large part of the pass fee goes directly to maintaining and improving Te Araroa for future walkers.
Why the Additional Cost?
Donations help maintain critical trail infrastructure.
In past seasons hikers have been asked to make a donation to the trail association. Last year’s recommended donation was $850 NZD (approx. $500 USD). This year, that donation is a mandatory part of the trail pass for visitors to New Zealand.
A Te Araroa Strategic Plan was released in 2024 with an overarching vision of creating a regenerative trail and connection to te taiao, the natural world. In order to achieve this vision and secure the future of Te Araroa the plan calls for building financial resilience to fund core costs. Much of these costs are for care and repair of the trail, facilities, and environmental care. The additional fee for registered walkers will significantly help achieve this goal.
Another facet of the Strategic Plan is walker engagement and resilience. A couple goals are to have at least 80% of walkers registered and to have those registered walkers become members/supporters in subsequent years. They hope to have registered walkers receive exclusive benefits, engage and celebrate walkers, and to recognize trail alumni.
Why is it a Lower Price for Residents of New Zealand?
Volunteers clearing brush (Source: Te Araroa Manuwatu Trust)
New Zealand citizens and residents are only required to pay the registration fee for the Trail Pass and are encouraged to make a trail contribution. The more flexible structure allows locals to tailor their support, which might focus more on volunteering time than donating funds.
Do I Really Need to Register?
Parts of Te Araroa cross private land, like this sheep station
Much of the trail is on public lands which are open to all. In past seasons registration and donations were optional and hikers could pay per use for the huts or buy a backcountry hut pass. However there are portions of the trail that pass through private lands that have granted special access to Te Araroa walkers and may choose to restrict that to registered walkers. In addition to this, some trail angels may opt to only support registered hikers.
Many thru-hikers talk about giving back to the trail. Registering and paying the additional fee to walk the length of New Zealand on Te Araroa guarantees your support and helps build a better trail for future hikers.
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Comments 3
As an American thru hiker who lives in NZ and has been section hiking the TA, I understand why this is happening and I think it’s generally a good thing. Along with covering actual infrastructure expenses for the trail, the Pass cost will communicate something important, which is that the TA is a different beast than the long trails in the US. Because of the hut network on the South Island in particular, the infrastructure cost is significantly higher than on the long trails in the States, and because TA’s all congregate in the huts, the potential costs that hikers can cause for the infrastructure is also significantly higher. Another aspect of the TA that is different from the American trails is that most people who hike it live abroad, so don’t contribute the same percentage of taxes to the trail as locals do (NZ’s public lands are a huge part of the government budget). It’ll be a bit of a shock to the system (particularly for people whose only long distance hiking experiences are in the US), but I think it’s needed and is part of a shift that will make the TA sustainable across the long term.
From what I have been told, in the past the trail contribution was considered a donation. For NZ tax payers part of that can be claimed back in a tax refund.
In past years fewer than a third of registered hikers chose to pay a contribution and of those less that 25% paid the full recommended amount. That’s only 8% actually paying their way.
Perhaps the now mandatory cost is a consequence of past hikers doing it on the cheap. The ethos of pay your own way and pay it forward should be a part of thru hiking
I just bought my trail pass and thought I had spent more money than I needed. I did pay the amount listed here but was afraid I had gotten scammed. As part of the purchase, they also include a trail app so I haven’t decided if I’ll buy the FarOut version or not. This article makes me feel better about my purchase and puts my mind at ease. I’d also like to add, don’t forget to apply for a 6 month visa in addition to your entry fee. As US citizens, we get 3 months for free, but if you’re planning on a thru-hike, you’ll probably need more time.