📍Getting to the start of Te Araroa Trail ⭐️ Part 1-3

📍Getting to the start of Te Araroa Trail ⭐️ Part 1!!

💲Travel & Costs from Auckland Airport to Awanui. ✈️🚌🛌🛌🛌🚌🛌🚌….

From Friday 27th October - 30th October

Costs:

Shuttle Bus from Airport to Hostel $33

Accommodation Auckland $96 (Attic Hostel)

Food resupply $114

Intercity Bus Auckland to KeriKeri $53.50

Intercity Bus KeriKeri to Awanui $32.50

Accommodation KeriKeri $130

New Zealand SIM card $11

💲Total costs 🟰$470/£225

I’m not sure what’s going to happen tomorrow - the weather is really bad with high wind speeds.

🥾Which is going to make walking very challenging and potentially not very safe!!

💨Wind gusts on the weather forecast are around 37km p/h going up to 53km on the Tuesday.

⛺️You don’t want to be in a tent, on the coast in this weather.

I’m going to get the bus to Awanui and then make a final decision.

I may have to stay there for a night or maybe 2! I’ll have to wait and see what the weathers doing!

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Part 2 (DELAYED)📍Getting to the start of Te Araroa Trail ⭐️

💲Travel & Costs from Awanui to Cape Regina 💡🏡 (light house)

From: 30th Oct - 1st Nov

It’s coming to the end of the cyclone 🌀

🗓️I decided to wait it out in KeriKeri for a few more days as the winds were still pretty intense.

🚌I managed to change my Intercity bus booking (for a small booking fee) so I now go on the 1st of November.

I got to meet up with Chloe @chloeadventurer for which was awesome.

Chloe is 👉Author & Explorer. Trains wild horses, likes going wild places. From NZ, Expedition Leader, Mongol Derby rider & 6500km of riding in Mongolia to date.

🎧 Listen to Chloe on the TGP she shared her story with me 25th April 2017 . https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/single-post/chloe-phillips-harris

🎤She’s been up to so much since we last spoke and she’ll be coming back on the TGP in 2024.

Plus she shared loads of great tips and advice for Cape Regina 😀

- especially how to prounce it. It’s not re-Gina it’s re Anga.

🛒I did a big food shop for the next 2 days at the hostel and I’ve got food for the journey and the first 3 days of the trail.

Costs:

🚌change bus booking $5.50

🛌Accommodation (2 nights) $50

🛒Food resupply $157 (so expensive 🤑)

☕️Hot chocolate $9

💲costs 🟰$221.50/£107

I forgot to mention yesterday the following fees:

New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority fee: $23

International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy: $35

💲Total NZ Fees 🟰$58/£28

💲Total costs 🟰$279.50/£134

The challenge - the weather - specifically the wind!! 💨💨💨💨. It’s also El Niño year aswell! 🌏Plus with climate change weather all over the world is getting more extreme.

Worth noting:

• some of the backpacker hostels are not on booking.com (which is what I use to book my accommodation) so it’s worth searching on google to see if there are other option’s available.

• I didn’t realise there was a backpackers in Kerikeri or I would have stayed there the other night. Instead of my more expensive (but still the cheapest option) 1 bed room.

• There is a track which runs parallel to the 90 mile beach, which is over the sand dunes and in between the forest. Which starts past Hukatere Lodge. You are protected from the wind and overall you’ll have a much better experience walking this than on the beach. (Swipe left to see the google image of the track).

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Final rest day before the adventure/challenge of walking/hiking the TA begins.

🛌I’m lying in bed at 3am - still got jet lag - but hoping it’s coming to an end soon.

⏰Apparently for every hour you change time zones, it’s another day. So 12 hr difference between the UK = 12 days to get over the jet lag.

💨🌧️💧The noise from outside is deafening - the rain - the wind. It’s all going on. I would not want to be outside in a tent in this weather. It’s extreme.

I do struggle with the down days, the do nothing days.

I can do it for a while - but then it becomes more mentally challenging.

I feel like I’m losing my fitness, there is no purpose to my day (apart from eating, sleeping, watching Netflicks and scrolling on social media). Which is not good for me.

I like structure, routine, the feeling of doing and achieving. Which I get from my life when at home or when out on challenges- part of the reason why I enjoy them so much.

However, I’m very aware that when I start things are going to change. It’s going to be big miles, long distances, new challenges every day. Pushing my body, mentally, physically & emotionally to get done - what I need to do.

Which I’m excited about. 🥳

I can’t wait to start. Can’t wait to get moving, can’t wait to get into my routine. Can’t wait to start making progress every day towards the bigger goal of walking the north island. I’m so much better working towards a goal.

🗓️I will have exactly 50 days to complete the North Island 🇳🇿.

I will be sharing daily update on IG & will be filming the challenge for YouTube.

I’m excited for the challenge and to get going!! 🥳🥳

📍My hike is supported by ZOLEO @zoleolifeeurope #ChallengeWithZoleo

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