# Te Araroa

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Hiking trail in New Zealand

For the town, see [Te Araroa (town)](/source/Te_Araroa_(town)).

Te Araroa Te Araroa sign in front of Telegraph Hut Length 3,000 km (1,864 mi) Location New Zealand Trailheads Cape Reinga Bluff Use Hiking

**Te Araroa** (The Long Pathway) is New Zealand's [long distance](/source/Long_distance_footpath) [tramping](/source/Tramping_in_New_Zealand) route, stretching circa 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) along the length of the country's two main islands from [Cape Reinga](/source/Cape_Reinga_%2F_Te_Rerenga_Wairua) to [Bluff](/source/Bluff%2C_New_Zealand). Officially opened in 2011, it is made up of a mixture of previously made tracks and walkways, new tracks, and link sections alongside roads.[1] [Tramping](/source/Tramping_in_New_Zealand) the full length of the trail generally takes three to six months.

## History

The idea of a national walkway goes back to the 1970s, when it was first advocated for by the [Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand](/source/Federated_Mountain_Clubs_of_New_Zealand). In 1975 the New Zealand Walkways Commission was established, but in 15 years made little progress.[2][3] In 1994, journalist [Geoff Chapple](/source/Geoff_Chapple_(writer)) advocated for a New Zealand-long walking track, and founded [Te Araroa Trust](/source/Te_Araroa_Trust).[2][4] Advocacy and negotiations for access continued, and by 2006 plans for the trail began being part of local government plans.[5] The Government allocated $3.8 million for development of new sections of the trail on conservation land in 2007.[6] The 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) route officially opened on 3 December 2011 after 10 years of work by hundreds of volunteers.[7]

Since opening, new tracks have been created to alter the route, particularly to avoid road walking. These include the 10 km [Escarpment Track](/source/Escarpment_Track), which opened in 2016,[8] and a sealed track from [Invercargill](/source/Invercargill) to [Bluff](/source/Bluff%2C_New_Zealand) is under construction.[9] In its 2019 Strategic Plan, Te Araroa Trust said it intended to reduce the amount of road walking to 10% of the trail by 2022 and set a long-term goal to reduce it to under 5%.[10][11] Parts have also been closed with detours set up, such as a section in the [Bay of Islands](/source/Bay_of_Islands) which was closed due to erosion in 2019.[12]

## The trail

Te Araroa stretches roughly 3,000 km (1,864 mi), varying in distance when sections are upgraded or otherwise changed. This is almost twice the straight-line distance from Cape Reinga to Bluff 1,475 km (917 mi). Tracks that cross privately owned land may be closed during [lambing](/source/Domestic_sheep_reproduction) season, while others have been closed to people to protect [kauri trees](/source/Agathis) from [kauri dieback](/source/Kauri_dieback).[13]

The trail is a mix of tracks, including wilderness tracks, paths through paddocks, beaches, roads, and highways, as well as a section which is a river and must be kayaked.[11] Many parts of the trail are challenging. In these sections, trip planning, river crossing and navigation skills are recommended, as well as a good level of fitness and heavy boots.[14] Most [through-hikers](/source/Thru-hiking) take between three and six months for a complete trip and 90% of those travel from north to south.[12][15]

The trail has approximately 300 sections ranging from walks of one to two hours through to an approximately nine-day route in the South Island where most trampers haul large amounts of food and gear. About 60% of the trail crosses conservation land managed by the [Department of Conservation](/source/Department_of_Conservation_(New_Zealand)).[11] The remainder is mostly on privately owned land. There have been reports that some landowners have grown frustrated with the number of walkers, while many see it as a chance "be good neighbours and to bridge that rural-urban divide".[13]

With the exception of a short section of the [Queen Charlotte Track](/source/Queen_Charlotte_Track) at the trail's northern terminus in the South Island,[15] neither permit nor fee is required to walk Te Araroa. However, Te Araroa Trust requests a donation of $750 per person tramping the full trail, $400 for those walking one island only, and smaller amounts for section hikers.[15] Through-hikers will also pay $118 for a six-month Department of Conservation Backcountry Hut Pass if they wish to sleep in New Zealand's extensive network of [back-country huts](/source/Wilderness_hut#New_Zealand).

## Usage

Hundreds of thousands of people walk some part of Te Araroa each year,[16] and in the 2018/19 summer the Te Araroa Trust counted 1200 through-walkers.[11] This was up from 550 people attempting a through-hike in 2016–17, and 350 the year before.[17] Sections of the track can see more traffic; for example, one section is seeing 70,000 to 80,000 people each year.[11] In that example, the section is on private land.

Walkers often receive support from "Trail Angels" – volunteers living near the track who can provide places to sleep, showers, and food.[18]

### Unofficial record completions

Map

The unofficial claimed record time for completing Te Araroa supported is 31 days, 19 hours, and 41 minutes, by ultrarunner [Karel Sabbe](/source/Karel_Sabbe) from [Belgium](/source/Belgium) in 2025.[19] Karel broke the previous claimed record by 18 days. The claimed self-supported record time by a woman was set by Paulina Zäck from Germany in 2025, at fifty-four days and ten hours.[20] The claimed youngest person to walk the trail was Jonathan Rapsey, who finished it at the age of seven with his sister Elizabeth aged nine and their parents.[21]

## Gallery

		- [Stirling Point](/source/Stirling_Point), Te Araroa's southern terminus in [Bluff](/source/Bluff%2C_New_Zealand)

		- Te Araroa Trail sign

## See also

- [Harper Pass](/source/Harper_Pass)

- [Tour Aotearoa](/source/Tour_Aotearoa) a cycling route from Cape Reinga to Bluff

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Otago_1-0)** ["Breast Hill track open for trampers"](http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/hawea/154074/breast-hill-track-open-trampers). *[Otago Daily Times](/source/Otago_Daily_Times)*. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-opening_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-opening_2-1) ["Te Araroa – The Long Pathway opening | The Governor-General of New Zealand Te Kawana Tianara o Aotearoa"](https://gg.govt.nz/content/te-araroa-long-pathway-opening). *Gg.govt.nz*. 3 December 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["New Zealand Walkways Act 1975 (1975 No 31)"](http://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/nzwa19751975n31250). *Nzlii.org*. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Te Araroa: Take a very long hike"](http://m.nzherald.co.nz/new-zealand-walks/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503290&objectid=215219). *[The New Zealand Herald](/source/The_New_Zealand_Herald)*. 6 September 2001. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["New Zealand's Trail – Overview & History"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160225032331/http://www.teararoa.org.nz/overviewhistory/). Te Araroa. 3 December 2011. Archived from [the original](http://www.teararoa.org.nz/overviewhistory/) on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Up to 150km to be added to Te Araroa Walkway"](http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0705/S00547.htm). *Scoop.co.nz*. 27 May 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["New Zealand's Trail – Home"](http://www.teararoa.org.nz/). Te Araroa. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Walker, Randall (24 March 2016). ["New leg of Te Araroa trail will be one of Wellington's finest walks"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/nz/78170486/new-leg-of-te-araroa-trail-one-of-wellingtons-finest-walks). *Stuff*. Retrieved 10 October 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Harding, Evan (1 October 2020). ["End in sight for construction of southern-most Te Araroa Trail leg"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122945690/end-in-sight-for-construction-of-southernmost-te-araroa-trail-leg). *Stuff*. Retrieved 10 October 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Te Araroa Trust Strategic Plan 2019–2022"](https://web.archive.org/web/20191218203934/https://www.teararoa.org.nz/userfiles/file/Te%20Araroa%20Trust%20Strategic%20Plan%202019-2022(2).pdf) (PDF). *Te Araroa*. 2019. Archived from [the original](https://www.teararoa.org.nz/userfiles/file/Te%20Araroa%20Trust%20Strategic%20Plan%202019-2022(2).pdf) (PDF) on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nzgeo_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nzgeo_11-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-nzgeo_11-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-nzgeo_11-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-nzgeo_11-4) ["The longest walk"](https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-longest-walk/). *New Zealand Geographic*. Retrieved 26 July 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_12-1) ["Danger of Bay of Islands walkway 'won't stop' Te Araroa trekkers"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/nz/118087211/danger-of-bay-of-islands-walkway-wont-stop-te-araroa-trekkers). *Stuff*. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_13-1) ["Concerns world-famous Te Araroa Trail cannot be sustained on locals' goodwill"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/109746289/concerns-worldfamous-te-araroa-trail-cannot-be-sustained-on-locals-good-will). *Stuff*. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Anderson, Charles (25 December 2015). ["The first man to die on the Te Araroa Trail"](http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/75401882/The-long-pathway-of-Andy-Wyatt-The-first-man-to-die-on-the-Te-Araroa-Trail). *Stuff.co.nz*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FAQ_15-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FAQ_15-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FAQ_15-2) ["New Zealand's Trail – FAQ"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160225045324/http://www.teararoa.org.nz/faq/). Te Araroa. Archived from [the original](http://www.teararoa.org.nz/faq/) on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Scoullar, Dave (27 January 2019). ["Conservation Comment: Te Araroa Trail concerns"](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=12197118). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1170-0777](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1170-0777). Retrieved 26 July 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Record numbers take to Te Araroa, New Zealand's Trail"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200617113758/https://www.teararoa.org.nz/news/fullarticle/227/). *www.teararoa.org.nz*. 15 May 2017. Archived from [the original](https://www.teararoa.org.nz/news/fullarticle/227/) on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["The mum who quit her job to heal from trauma on the Te Araroa Trail with her daughter"](https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/kiwi-traveller/300426174/the-mum-who-quit-her-job-to-heal-from-trauma-on-the-te-araroa-trail-with-her-daughter). *Stuff*. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Horanyi, Eszter (16 February 2025). ["Karel Sabbe Sets Massive FKT on New Zealand's Te Araroa Trail"](https://www.irunfar.com/karel-sabbe-te-araroa-trail-fkt-2025). *iRunFar*. Retrieved 17 February 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Te Araroa"](https://fastestknowntime.com/route/te-araroa). *[Fastest Known Time](/source/Fastest_Known_Time)*. 16 February 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["NZ's youngest Te Araroa Trail walkers reach Bluff"](https://www.wildernessmag.co.nz/nzs-youngest-te-araroa-trail-walkers-reach-bluff/). *Wilderness Magazine*. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Te Araroa](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Te_Araroa).

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for ***[Te Araroa Trail](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Te_Araroa_Trail#Q4242105)***.

- [Official website](https://www.teararoa.org.nz/)

- ["Trail Journals: Te Araroa – the New Zealand Trail"](http://www.trailjournals.com/journals/te_araroa_-_the_new_zealand_trail).

- ["Te Araroa Trail Stories"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200807012947/https://www.teararoa.org.nz/trailstories/). Archived from [the original](http://www.teararoa.org.nz/trailstories) on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2014.

- ["Te Araroa Trail Wiki"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150103065732/http://tawiki.org/wiki/Main_Page). Archived from the original on 3 January 2015.

- ["Te Araroa Trail Angels"](https://trailangel.co.nz).

- ["Tramping New Zealand – Te Araroa Trail, South Island"](http://www.tramping.net.nz/te-araroa).

- ["Te Araroa Trail Northbound Guide"](https://teararoasite.wordpress.com).

Authority control databases: National United States Israel

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Te Araroa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Araroa) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Araroa?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.