Day 16/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Date: Thursday 16th November
Weather: hot & sunny ☀️
From: Mangawhai
Start time: 9.30am
To: 485.1 km - off Govan Wilson Road
End time: 7.40pm
Accommodation: free camping 🏕️
Terrain: dusty gravel road, beach walk, forests
🥾Km: 33.6
🦶Steps: 43,113
4 river/stream crossing - all very small and manageable
Total Km: 485/1715 = 28% ✅
💰Costs: $0
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10
Fatigue: 4/10
Ease of terrain: 9/10
Highlights: felt so rested after the night in the hut. Great not having to pack up a wet tent. The beach views were stunning. An amazing walk along the coast line. Chilling on a helicopter 🚁 pad at the top of the mountain while eating dinner was epic!
Challenges: I was waiting for go pro footage to upload so didn’t set off till 9.30am - I prefer starting earlier. It makes doing the miles easier. The gravel roads at the start were so dusty - especially when the cars were driving by super fast.
Day 17/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Date: Friday 17th November
Weather: dry during the day and then rain in the late afternoon 🌧️
From: 485.1 free campsite
Start time: 7.30am
To: Remiger Conservative area 519 k
End time: 6.15pm
Accommodation: camped 🏕️
Terrain: forest & gravel tracks
🥾Km: 30.4
🦶Steps: 38,964
Total Km: 519/1715 = 30% ✅
💰Costs: $0
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10
Fatigue: 4/10
Ease of terrain: 9/10
Highlights: I finally feel as though I’m starting to get into the swing of the trail. Although there has been road walking today. It hasn’t been all road walking. There has been forests and stunning views and tough sections with mud and roots. But I’m getting use to it now. It is what it is - with the mud, roots and roads.
Passing 500k 🥳🥳🥳
Challenges: starting to think more about the distance left and how to start increasing the miles to make sure I make it to Wellington in time for my flight!
Day 18/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Date: Saturday 18th November
Weather: rainy in the am, and rain most of the day. It got really bad towards the end of the day 🌧️
From: Remiger Conservative area 519 k (free)
Start time: 7.45am
To: Long Bay
End time: 7.15pm - but didn’t set my tent up till 9pm - I sat in the toilet block and tried to stay warm
Accommodation: camped ⛺️
Terrain: gravel road walk 4K, forest track, beach, estuary, coastal path.
🥾Km: 23.8
🦶Steps: 30,476
Hitch 1 - from 520 - 540! Missing the dangerous highway!
Hitch 2 - from 550 down spur road to Stillwater motor camp 557 (another windy, dangerous road)
Rested at 560.5 from 1.30pm - as needed to wait for low tide at 5.46pm and couldn’t take the other route due to the section being closed due to disease.
1 estuary crossing ✅
Total Km: 566/1715 = 33% ✅
💰Costs: $38 resupply. (sweets, crisps, chocolate & ribena - #healthy #hikerfood
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 6/10
Fatigue: 4/10
Ease of terrain: 9/10
⭐️Highlights: easy to hitch and not having to do dangerous road walking. Crossing the estuary was cool - but I got cold doing it.
🏔️Challenges: waiting for low tide.
Not being able to walk the alternative route.
🌧️The rain the afternoon - getting cold 🥶 🚽sitting in a toilet block for 2hrs to escape the bad weather.
💬Messaged my friend Amanda @walkingthethingreenline and asking for ranger advice!
🏕️I was too slow setting up my tent and the inner is soooo wet 💧Now trying to dry the inner, keep everything else dry (sleeping bag, jacket etc and stay warm!) it’s challenging!!
💭Thoughts: I need to get faster at setting up my tent - especially when raining!! I need to do a pros & cons list re my new @msr_gear tent. I really miss my old tent 😞
Day 19/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Date: Sunday 19th November
From: Long Bay
Start time: 6.45am
To: Epsom (in the city) close to trail marker 600km
End time: 3pm
Accommodation: private room 🛏️ booked via booking.com
Terrain: road - but there was pavement! The city walking was good - lots to see
🥾Km: 29.5
🦶Steps: 37,424
Total Km: 600/1715 = 35% ✅
💰Costs: $75 bedroom
Breakfast (scrambled eggs, bacon on gf toast) & hot chocolate $29.40
$8 ferry ⛴️ to Auckland at 12.15pm
Resupply $29 (fruit, crisps, nuts, tomatoes, avocado)
Late lunch - Burger & fries $24
New 2L water bladder $37
Total 🟰 $202.40
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 5/10
Fatigue: 3/10
Ease of terrain: 6/10
⭐️Highlights: reaching Auckland and reaching 600k on the trail
🏔️Challenges: getting everything packed up - knowing it was going to a damp day.
🪧Lack of signs on the way to Davenport - difficult to follow the track -
So I made my own way to the ferry terminal. 📝Trying to plan where to stay after Auckland - there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of options 🤷♀️
💭Thoughts: I need to get organised and suck up the road walking - it is what it is and complaining about it won’t change it!
Day 20/50 🥾Te Araroa Trail - The North Island 🇳🇿
📍Supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo
ℹ️Stats: Date: Monday 20th November
Weather: dry ish - with a little rain.
From: Epsom
Start time: 9.37am - stopped for lunch and resupply on the way
To: Totara Park
End time: 8.40pm
Accommodation: camped 🏕️ 638
Terrain: road, flat and grassy, concrete paths. Motorways 🛣️
🥾Km: 39.8
🦶Steps: 51,145
Total Km: 638/1715 = 37% ✅
💰Costs: Resupply $120
Ibrupfofen $15 (anti inflammatory)
Total 🟰 $135
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 5/10
Fatigue: 4/10
Ease of terrain: 6/10
⭐️Highlights: I was very surprised how beautiful it was leaving the city and doing the coastal walks.
🏔️Challenges: there was a small motorway section - that was ridiculous- road works, super busy. Felt really unsafe.
💭Thoughts: I’m sure I had more thought during the day. But now lying in my tent - my brain has gone to 💩. I’ve got enough energy to get in my sleeping bag and scroll on social Media for a bit!