Finishing our last section of the Te Araroa was bittersweet. We'd spent enough time with the trail to feel like we'd really gotten to know it, and it had begun to feel like home. We had a few days to kill before our flight back to Washington and decided to rent a car and head to Fiordland on the southwest coast of the South Island. New Zealand had already stolen our hearts, but it wasn't done blowing our minds. Fiordland is known for Milford Sound, a spot that has been close

These were our final sections on the Te Araroa. We decided to pick up bikes for the section from Tekapo to Lake Ohau to give our legs a rest. I was still nursing sore ankles/tendonitis, and spending a couple days pedaling a bike rather than walking on uneven trail was a relief. The bike ride followed impossibly blue glacial water along a canal that fed into lakes surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Planning our next move at the Holiday Park KT tape saved the day We ended our bik

We made it back on trail after a humbling last section and a few rest days in Christchurch. A lack of calories caught up to me and had me struggling to hike more than a few hours a day even on the easy sections. My camera stayed in my pack for the entire section before this because carrying it on my shoulder strap is less comfortable than carrying it in the pack - I was struggling hard and trying every little thing I could think of to make each step easier. Jamie is still goi

We just completed our fourth track of the Te Araroa. 115.5 km (72 miles) of trail through some of the most stunning landscapes I’ve ever seen. We started our morning in St. Arnaud as we headed up to our first hut. We had two options for which route to take to our first hut. One was more exposed and had the potential to be challenging in poor visibility conditions, but promised incredible views on a clear day. The other option was gentler and easier to follow but would have ke