What is the Te Araroa Trail - South Island?

Welcome back to the Off Trail Podcast!

We are bringing in Season 3 with a (2) part series as our co-hosts, Constantine and Magpie, break down all things The Te Araroa Trail.

The Te Araroa Trail is a 1880~ (official) mile hike in New Zealand. With the alternates and connecting footsteps of this hike, in total 1909.4 miles were hiked and 108.6 canoed, totaling 2016.2 miles of human powered movement. As of 2022/2023 season, if you hike it in the "purist" form this will be the mileage that you find is actually on the ground. It connects the top of the North Island at Cape Reinga to the bottom of the South Island at Bluff traversing the entire length of the country.

In this second part of our 2 part series we focus on the South Island. Don't be fooled, even though they are all one country, these two islands are drastically different for the thru-hiker.

We begin the show with a long rant on energy drinks as you demand. Magpie breaks the time wall, we chat good ol' boys of New Zealand, and we discuss how cookies are a part of our figure. We have an exclusive as we try not one, but two, energy drinks! First, we begin with the classic "V" drink that is available in every corner store in NZ. Then we focus on the one and the only "Mother Energy" which fully captured our heart with its marketing copy.

"Live life your way." "Mother is calling, pursue your dreams." "Rip into some Mother." All very strange and alarming quotes from their poem... well, nothing to do but drink their off brand Red Bull.

Okay, enough enery drink talk, lets talk the South Island of NZ. We begin by realizing that rocks can't tell Magpie what to do and then focus on the Queen Charlotte Track. A wonderful piece of trail that begins every Southbounders adventures on the South Island. Excellent grading, epic views, and great camping. Don't get used to the graded track though, soon it will change!

We then discuss the Richmond Ranges... oh the Richmond Ranges. We chat sending food to the SI, confusion on the Bealey Hotel, and the ranges being the most technically challenging part of the TA. We chat predicting pace and the lack thereof, 2mph becoming a blistering speed, and orange posts. We chat flooding, being stuck at a hut, and wether or not mountains are ladies.

We chat Nelson Lakes one of the most gorgeous places along the TA, hiking hut to hut, and the varities of huts. We chat the freedom of wild camping again and the joy in walking until tired, backcountry hut passes, and the DOC putting so much time, work, and energy into creating huts. We chat routes, paths, and tracks and briefly touch on their designations.

We chat "Middle South Island Stuff" and the change of flavor the trail becomes as it transitions into river beds, passes, mixed track, and the ability to average and estimate out one's pace for the day. We chat expansive views, reminders of the Great Divide Trail, and three giant water hazard zones known as the Raikia, Rangitata, and Queenstown. The first almost always unfordable with a 30+ mile alternate, the second fordable (use own judgment!), and the third many options around.

We chat Lake Tekapo being another "changing point", waypoints called Tussocks, concious cruelty, and of course some looney tunes living!

We chat wind, sand flies vs. mosquitoes, and lotions and potions. We give massive shout outs to people who do this as their first hike and think going forward they will have many skills for any trail. We chat Longwood Forest, Linton Mt, and life being a circle.

We end with a Ramen Rating Review of both islands, and well we were quite surprised with Magpie's results!

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