Te Araroa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Te Araroa
Te Araroa sign in front of Telegraph Hut
Length	3,000 km (1,864 mi)
Location	New Zealand
Trailheads	Cape Reinga Bluff
Use	Hiking

Te Araroa, also known as "The Long Pathway," is a super long walking trail in New Zealand. It stretches about 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) (1,864 miles) from the very top of the North Island, called Cape Reinga, all the way to the bottom of the South Island, called Bluff. The trail uses a mix of old paths, new tracks, and parts that go along roads. Walking the whole trail usually takes hikers about three to six months.

History of Te Araroa Trail

The idea for a national walking path in New Zealand started way back in the 1970s. The Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand first suggested it. In 1975, the New Zealand Walkways Commission was set up, but it didn't make much progress.

Then, in 1994, a journalist named Geoff Chapple pushed for a walking track that would go across all of New Zealand. He started the Te Araroa Trust to help make this happen. Over the next few years, people worked hard to get permission for the trail. By 2006, plans for the trail were becoming part of local government ideas.

The 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) trail officially opened on December 3, 2011. Hundreds of volunteers worked for 10 years to build it. The Te Araroa Trust continues to build and improve parts of the trail even today.

The trail has about 300 different sections. Some parts are short walks that take only an hour or two. Other parts, especially in the South Island, can take about nine days. Hikers on these longer sections often carry a lot of food and gear. About 60% of the trail goes through land managed by the Department of Conservation. In 2007, the government gave $3.8 million to help build new parts of the trail on this land.

As of 2019, there are plans to make the trail even better. A big goal for the future is to have less than 5% of the trail be on roads.

Walking the Te Araroa Trail

The straight distance from Cape Reinga to Bluff is about 1,475 kilometres (917 mi) (917 miles). But the Te Araroa trail winds and stretches for roughly 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) (1,864 miles). The exact length can change a little when parts of the trail are improved.

The trail is a mix of different types of paths. You will walk on wild tracks, through farm fields, along beaches, and even on roads and highways. One part of the trail is a river, so you need to use a kayak to get across it! Many parts of the trail are quite difficult. For these sections, it's a good idea to plan your trip carefully. You should also know how to cross rivers safely and how to navigate. Being very fit and wearing strong hiking boots are also recommended.

Most people who walk the entire trail, called "through-hikers," take between three and six months to finish. The fastest person to complete the full trail was British ultra-marathoner Jez Bragg. He finished it in just 53 days in 2012–13 with a special support team. The youngest people to walk the whole trail were Jonathan Rapsey, who was 7, and his sister Elizabeth, who was 9. They walked it with their parents.

Hundreds of thousands of people walk some part of Te Araroa every year. In the summer of 2018/19, the Te Araroa Trust counted 1,200 through-hikers. This number was much higher than in previous years. For example, in 2016–17, about 550 people tried a through-hike, and the year before that, only 350 did. Some sections of the trail are very popular. One part of the trail sees 70,000 to 80,000 people each year. This section is on private land, and so many walkers can make it hard for farmers to use their land.

You do not need a special permit or pay a fee to walk Te Araroa. However, the Te Araroa Trust asks for a donation to help maintain the trail. They suggest $500 for people walking the whole trail and $250 for those walking just one island. Smaller amounts are suggested for people walking only a section. If through-hikers want to sleep in New Zealand's many back-country huts, they will also need to buy a six-month Department of Conservation Backcountry Hut Pass, which costs $92.

Gallery

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  Stirling Point, Te Araroa's southern end in Bluff

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  A sign for the Te Araroa Trail

See also

In Spanish: Senda Te Araroa para niños