What resources can I use to plan my hike?

Important planning resources

Laura Waddell

Laura Waddell

Te Araroa Trail, New Zealand

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What resources can I use to plan my hike?

This trail guide:

In the 'things to do' section of this guide I have pinned all of the towns and resupply points I used along the trail as well as inlet and river crossings, transport companies and their information, points of interest, sightseeing and additional side trips I took as well as a number of the huts and campgrounds along TA.

Youtube:

For those like me who like to visually see a trail to help prepare (and get excited) for it, I have shared YouTube videos documenting my whole TA experience which you can view here:

  1. Cape Reinga to Auckland

  2. Auckland to Wellington

  3. Wellington to Christchurch

  4. Christchurch to Bluff

Te Araroa Trust:

To register to walk Te Araroa, get updates and find official information about TA head to the Te Araroa Trust website.

Trail App:

For maps and hut/camping information along the trail download the TA app (officially 'Te Araroa - The Trail App' on the App Store).

FarOut:

For additional digital maps I also brought the Te Araroa map bundle on FarOut. Sometimes this was helpful, sometimes it felt a bit unnecessary but didn't hurt to have as a back up.

Note: I didn't feel I needed to refer to or use FarOut anywhere near as much as other recent trails like the AAWT but did appreciate the comments/notes left by other hikers here as compared to the lack of ability to add comments on the official TA app.

Facebook:

Facebook groups are a great place to get updates and connect with others involved in the trail. A few to join include:

  • Te Araroa

  • Te Araroa Trail Angels

  • Te Araroa 2025-26 (or whatever season you plan to walk)

Itineraries:

In the itineraries section of this guide I have include the distances I walked and where I stayed for the following sections.

  • Cape Reinga - Kaitaia

  • Ngunguru River - Puhoi

  • The Timber Trail

  • Whanganui River

  • Tararua Range

  • Pelorus River Track and Richmond Alpine Track

  • Merriview Hut (Longwood Forest) - Bluff

Everyone has their own pace which they may prefer to follow but this should give you a good reference point to start planning!

Looking for things to do?

Go check out my guide for the best free things to do as well as itineraries and travel tips to make your trip unforgettable.

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