Four Million Steps
Te Araroa is a 3,000 km walking and paddling path connecting the top of New Zealand’s North Island to the bottom of the South Island.
This was my first long distance hike. I completed most of the trail in the Summer of 2014–2015, before breaking my ankle a week before my planned finish. After surgery and six months of recovery, I returned in December 2015 to successfully complete the walk.
This walk was a transformative experience for me. The journey changed my life, my way of living, and how I look at the world around me. Four Million Steps documents the journey and my spiritual shift.
North Island
1,968 km | November 1, 2014 – January 25, 2015 (64 days)
132,546 steps | Cape Reinga to Ahipara (101 km)
290,026 steps | Ahipara to Kerikeri (120 km)
514,436 steps | Kerikeri to Reotani (172 km)
776,235 steps | Reotani to Auckland (200 km)
933,857 steps | Auckland to Mercer (120 km)
1,039,947 steps | Mercer to Hamilton (81 km)
1,118,331 steps | Hamilton to Te Kuiti (111 km)
1,372,626 steps | Te Kuiti to Taumarunui (143 km)
1,516,699 steps | Taumarunui to National Park (110 km)
1,791,749 steps | National Park to Wanganui (210 km)
2,001,310 steps | Wanganui to Paradise on a Hillside (160 km)
2,096,922 steps | Paradise on a Hillside to Waikenau (73 km)
South Island
1,032 km | January 27 – December 23, 2015 (49 days)
2,345,776 steps | Ships Cove to Pelorus Bridge (105 km)
2,525,213 steps | Pelorus Bridge to St. Arnaud (137 km)
2,677,145 steps | St. Arnaud to Boyle Village (116 km)
2,879,456 steps | Boyle Village to Bealey River (112 km)
3,129,333 steps | Bealey River to Washdyke Stream (191 km)
3,424,000 steps | Washdyke Stream to Albert Town (221 km)
3,561,333 steps | Albert Town to Queenstown (103 km)
3,688,000 steps | Queenstown to Princhester Road (95 km)
3,712,667 steps | Princhester Road to Coal Creek (18 km)