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In Podcast "Wanderwach & Kaffee"

Naomi Arnold about hiking Te Araroa

My guest today is Naomi Arnold – a New Zealand journalist and writer who not only hiked Te Araroa, the country’s long-distance trail, but also wrote a wonderful book about her journey: Northbound.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to walk the length of Aotearoa, how her hike stretched across nine months, and what it was like to experience Te Araroa mostly on her own. Naomi shares her reflections on the trail, the challenges she faced, and the deep connection she developed with the landscape and people along the way.

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In Hiking Multi Day Hiking (<250 km) My New Zealand other Ozeanien Travelling

Aotea Great Barrier Island – November 2024

Well, another one of my favorites in the Hauraki Gulf is Aotea Great Barrier Island. Whenever things get a little much, I dream myself away to Aotea, and now and then, I make the time to head out there. I am not sure whether it is the remoteness of the last barrier before the vastness of the Pacific Ocean (hence the name), the time travel aspect of feeling to go back in time to an Aotearoa from 20 years ago, the plentiful hiking opportunities or if it is the characters you get to meet and with who I, to some extend, share the fascination of a place so out of the way. 

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In Day Hikes Hiking My New Zealand Ozeanien Travelling

Overnighter on Tiritiri Matangi (September 2024)

The last time I was on Tiritiri Matangi, the bird sanctuary in the Hauraki Gulf off Auckland, I noticed a bunk house. This facility is run by the DOC (Department of Conservation), so you can stay on the island. Staying in the bunkhouse is in high demand as it is popular among volunteers staying on the island, but it is also for bird-watchers as nocturnal birds cannot be seen during a day trip.

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In My New Zealand Ozeanien Te Araroa 2023/24

Towards Stirling Point, the end of Te Araroa

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.

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In Day Hikes Hiking My New Zealand Ozeanien Travelling

Rangitoto and Motutapu Island 

Rangitoto is rugged, raw, dense vegetation covering most, but not all of the sharp edges of the dark lava rock. The very moment you step on Motutapu, the feel is very different: Motutapu is a 15 sqm mass of rolling hills, farmland that is still (better: again) cultivated by the local iwi (Māori tribe), some windswept trees and some fine beaches and bays to go for a swim or to sit and enjoy being away from the world.

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In Hiking Multi Day Hiking (<250 km) My New Zealand other

Hiking on Great Barrier Island: The Aotea Track

When I took a closer look at the map, a relatively big island caught my eye: it does not only work as a barrier between the Gulf and the open Pacific, but it is also, appropriately, called Great Barrier Island. And apparently, there is also a hiking trail. The Aotea Track is a 25 km long trail that loops around the island’s rugged interior and climbs up to the island’s highest peak, Mount Hobson/Hirakimata (627 m). After doing some further research on the island, I learned that it lies about 100 km northeast of Auckland, is about the same size as Auckland, but only has a bit more than 1000 inhabitants (Auckland, on the contrary, has over 1.6 Mio inhabitants). Life on the island is often described as being „life in New Zealand many decades back „.

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