Archive for February, 2010

Te Araroa – ever heard of it?

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

I thought I had. In fact I was sure I had been there. I checked the AA map and sure enough there it was – nestled on the East Cape – I had stopped in for a coke many years ago as I toured in that area on my bike. But Te Araroa – The Lomg Pathway – frankly, the town did not have a long street to its name yet alone  a long pathway!… and then I was enligtned

Te Araroa – The Long Pathway has had many descriptors attached to it

  • A true necklace of gems
  • New Zealands greatest citizen driven initiative
  • This country’s best kept secret
  • New Zealands National Trail

…and so they go on. None the wiser? Well have we got a surprise for you.

You see 20 odd years ago Geoff Chapple had a dream. Today that dream is all but complete – an off road walkway/ tramp that stretches 3000km from Cape Reinga in the the North to Bluff in the Deep South. It passes through 70 towns / 7 cities and some of the best scenery New Zealand has to offer. It includes some of the so-called Great Walks but for every Queen Charlotte Track and Tongariro Crossing that you can point to enroute, I can show you equally magnificent walking without the hoardes.

Geoff has written a book about it – but more importantly many thousands of people are out there walking it right now – people like John and Corrine (who are hiking the lot!!) or my next door neighbour – who is taking a stroll up the beach – and a coffee at either end.

You see that is the thing about Te Araroa. It probably passes right by your door; and you don’t have to walk the 3000 km’s to experience its magic. Find your piece of paradise and get onto it

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Hiker 2.0 meet Blogger 1.01

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Since when does walking in New Zealand come attached to Websites, Blogs, Facebook and Twitter? And what use are they to me – the adventurer; the guy who want to go out into the wilderness and find myself, have that journey of discovery and see the worlds for what it really is.

And then I met Pat McFie from Made From New Zealand and he showed me that I can tramp around the country, get into the back blocks but still stay connected to the world (and my mates) through the use of technology that only a few short years ago was the stuff of the Jetsons… and then I started thinking…

Walking in the country needs advocates. I read of obesity, the plethora of indoor games and gaming consoles and the reluctance of generation X and Y to get outside unless it is by way of a 4×4 – walking really needs a voice. What’s more this country is made for walking.

If Queenstown is the adventure capital of Aotearoa, then New Zealand surely must crown itself the walking capital of the globe. This is my stake in the ground – one step at a time.

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