The flight into Christchurch from New Plymouth was uneventful. After landing, I made a beeline towards the exit and took a taxi through the cold and dreary city to the Intercity bus terminal in the city center. As the bus was a little late, I enjoyed a coffee at a coffee shop opposite the bus stop. I expected to experience some of Canterbury’s and Otago’s scenery along the coast. However, after boarding the bus, the ride went through endless fruit plantations, flat farmland, and rather dull countryside towards the south. In Omaru, I saw a „Trump 2024“ flag dangling off a window and couldn’t help but ask myself why someone in NZ could support this person.
Eventually, I arrived in Dunedin, a vibrant student city in Otago. The Scottish heritage was clearly visible: architecture and even the somewhat grayish colors resembled a lot with how you’d imagine Scotland. Also, the weather was way harsher, cooler, and dryer than in subtropical Auckland. Suddenly, I was back in autumn; the leaves already turned red and golden. The morning air was crisp on my way to a meetup with ‚Holy Sheep Neuseeland‘ to record a podcast. After hours of enthusiastic talking, I eventually met up with Raven and Goodie, with whom John and I hiked quite a bit on the North Island earlier this year. what a blast!
The following day, I was on my way to Invercargill to eventually meet up with John to join him for his last stretch to Bluff to finish his trail. The bus ride was surprisingly enjoyable because the route takes you through hilly countryside dotted with towns like Mosgiel, Balclutha, and Gore. All places in the middle of nowhere, with nicknames such as „The Pearl of the Plain“ (Mosgiel), or proudly presenting itself as the „Capitol of country music“ (Gore). Stopping with the bus to grab a coffee at one of the roadside cafes felt like this was what was waited for the whole day.
In Invercargill, happily reunited with my tired hiker, I soon realized there is not much worth mentioning about this place other than it’s the southernmost and westernmost city in Aotearoa and is somewhat the gateway to the even more remote Stewart Island.
Johns’s last day on the trail was a long one: 34 km brought as all the way along the coast, a highway, and a few kilometers over farmland to the southern terminus of Te Araroa in Bluff/or at the Bluff. The town of Bluff once lived off the fishing industry; nowadays, its port is not just used by commercial catamarans over to Stewart Island but also for cargo ships.
The day felt like a trip back down memory lane but in reverse. I started my TA hike in Bluff on January 7, back in 2018. Back then, I hitched most of the first day on the trail as there wasn’t a cycling path next to the curvy highway that now is shared with TA. I did not thru-hike Te Araroa in 2018 as I had enough of this beast of a trail after completing the South Island. I wouldn’t have thought to return and complete the trail.
Now, hiking this last day together towards the terminus feels like a perfect summary of Te Araroa: coastal walk, road walk, walking over farmland, wet feet (of course), panoramic views over the endless ocean, sunshine, and rain all at once. It was fantastic to join my partner on his last steps on TA and be there with him when he touched the signpost at the southern terminus at Stirling Point. But also, my journey on Te Araroa eventually came to an end, and I couldn’t hold back when thick tears rolled down my cheeks. I vividly remember when I only had a few kilometers left to hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, how miserable I was, and I didn’t want the trail to end. Now, seven years later, I know that when one thing comes to an end, another one is going to start. Standing here at the end of the world, with a signpost directing to significant cities in the world with the distance towards them as the crow flies, I was more assured about this than ever.
Check out Raven and Goodies website! These two are AMAZING world travellers with many stories and kilometers under their belt! https://ufbrechopf.ch
If you are curious on a day-by-day journal about Te Araroa? check out John’s website: https://longstride.net
