Two long buses and a private shuttle take me up from Auckland to the Northern most point of land in New Zealand: Cape Reinga. This is where my hike begins. I arrive at the Cape with two fellow hikers, who are equally excited to start. We're all smiling ear to ear as we walk the small distance from the car park to the iconic lighthouse with its even more iconic signpost.

After taking the obligatory starting photos together, I decide to set off alone. This turns out to be the right decision, as I soon see my friends disappear in the distance: they're clearly fast walkers. I take my time to slowly realise that I am actually walking Te Araroa now and I'm trying to find my rhythm. Meanwhile, the views are great and it's impossible to stop taking photos.

Every new turn is exciting, every trail marker makes me smile. When I spot the first orange triangle, that marks many of the trails that TA consists of, I finally believe that this is happening: I'm going to be walking for the next 5 months.

Having hiked slow for the first 3 kilometers, I realise it's time to increase my pace when I come across a sign that says I've got another 9.5 km to go to reach the campsite - while sunset is only 2 hours away. I cease the continuous photography and get into a good rhytm. I make it to Twilight Beach, pitch my tent surprisingly fast and run into the sea for a sunset skinny dip. A glorious way to refresh my body after the long walk!

Dinner consists of noodles with tuna and capsicum, that I quickly devour before crawling into my sleeping bag at 9 pm. The wind is strong and the loud flapping of my tent keeps me awake, but it's all good, I am happy.

 guiltAlthough rain was forecasted, I woke up to a clear sky just before sunrise. It's only 5:30 am, but time to get up; it's low tide right now and that makes the walk on the beach significantly easier.

Packing my tent and bag takes a slow, long hour, as I'm not in the camping routine yet. A little before 7 I'm the first of the group to set off. The first kilometers are gently going up and down, through beautiful dunes with pine shrubs. The morning sun shines warm and bright and casts a gentle golden light on the long dune grasses.

After a little while I reach a set of stairs that lead down to the dreaded 90 mile beach. This will be my scenery for the rest of the day and the next three. The beach is beautiful at first sight, but quickly becomes monotonous. At least the flat surface allows for quick and mindless walking. Now that I've learned to use my poles properly, the kilometers fly by. To beat the boredom, I listen to an audiobook.

Just as my feet start to hurt and my legs grow tired, I arrive at the Maunganui bluff campsite, my home for the night. Although I initially struggle to peg down my tent in the wind, soon my shelter is standing and I'm free to enjoy an afternoon in the sun. I take a dip in the sea and read my book while munching guilt-free on my chocolate supply. Life is good. 

After a night of rain, I woke up at 5.15 am to discover that I had missed my alarm. I was supposed to wake up at 4.45 instead. Yes, very early, because a lot of rain was predicted for the afternoon ahead. If I'd start walking early, I would hopefully miss most of it.

I was lucky to start dry, but soon after my first kilometer the sky opened and dumped its contents on top of my head. Over the next 3 hours, I got soaked to the bone. As today was a full day of hiking on the beach, there was nowhere to hide, no place of shelter. Only one option: carry on.

This may sound like a disaster, but I actually really enjoyed it. Being the only one around, I could sing along with London Grammar at the top of my lungs, laugh out loud when something funny was said in my audiobook, and talk to myself or inanimate objects without anyone thinking I'd lost my mind. It was fun to find many pretty shells, fish bones, corals or weird stuff on the beach along the way. Sadly I couldn't take any of it with me, so I took some photos of my treasures instead.

Okay, the last few kms were a bit of a drag, this 90 mile beach DOES get a little boring at some point.

Arriving at the campsite was great, it's a proper place with a small kitchen and communal area and, more importantly, a hot shower 😍

While waiting for the owner to arrive, our group of hikers enjoyed some lunch and tea together. Later, one of the hikers told me how to find tua tua under the ocean sand (they're clams, and taste a bit like mussels) and I caught a few. Two others collected a whole bag of them so we had a big communal pot of tua tua clams for dinner. And as usual, as soon as the sun went down: time for bed. 

I promised me to be easy on myself, but it just seems to be in my nature to come up with ideas and challenges that make my life harder. This time, I suddenly thought it would be fun to try and camp as many days in a row as possible.

The first few days on trail I had no other choice than to pitch my tent, but today most people are walking to Kaitaia to indulge in the luxury of a hostel bed. There is no campsite in Kaitaia, so I had to find another solution if I was going to stick to my camp-it-all plan.

Luckily, there are the so-called Trail Angels, people along the trail that help hikers out in all sorts of ways. Through Facebook I inquired whether there was somewhere to camp around Kaitaia and yes! Angel Andrew kindly replied that I was welcome to pitch my tent in his garden.

When I arrived at his place after the gloriously short distance of 7 kilometers, Andrew was gone for the day but had left the key for me. Wow!

Grateful for his trust and kindness, I entered the house and found the next surprises: a big, fresh, fluffy towel to dry myself after a hot shower, and I was welcome to drink the deliciously cold contents of the fridge. On top of that, his house was just incredibly beautiful, with huge windows overlooking a rural landscape. From my tent in the garden I would also be waking up to that stunning view.

I spent most of the day doing laundry, preparing my next stretch of the trail, catching up with the world, hanging around, enjoying the sun, and updating Instagram.

And then at 17:08 I received a message from Andrew: whether I would like to join for dinner - he will make chicken pie?

Ohhhh yes, I am so lucky! 😍

Together with the lovely friends that Andrew had over for a few days, we spent the evening drinking wine and chatting, watching Andrew cook and then eating a scrumptious chicken pie. It was all such a nice and heart-warming experience, I couldn't be happier with my decision to choose camping over a hostel for today! 

On TA there are many 'firsts': the first time camping all alone, the first serious river crossing, the first solo nude swim. Today I had to endure a first of a different order: the first time shitting in the rain. It was... mildly unpleasant, to understate the situation. The only possible advantage I could think of was that dry toilet paper will magically turn into wet wipes, if you're into that kind of thing. I am not.

Anyway, after this beautiful morning experience, the rain continued and I had to start walking. The path I followed was a Plan B route around Raetea forest, one of the notorious TA sections that unfortunately is closed at the moment due to storm damage.

The first part of the diversion was a fun 4x4 road that led through a wet forest with many slippery descents and muddy puddles. The second part was a dreadful 20 kilometers roadwalk towards Mangamuka. There's not much to say about the road, other than that it was long and boring.

Upon arriving at the improvised temporary campsite in Mangamuka, I saw some familiar faces from a few days before. It was nice to catch up, vent about the roadwalk and exchange trail 'gossip' ("Did you know that Konrad went into the Raetea forest? And somebody found Kevin's bananas? And Bill got off the trail at the beach to recuperate somewhere else?")

Other than that, I managed to burn my couscous and subsequently ate most of my chocolate. I read my book, fixed a tear in my underwear and then, of course, went to bed early. 

Yes! Days like these are why I'm walking Te Araroa. And why I love New Zealand. Finally it's time for some real bush walking, with narrow trails, slippery mud and the realistic possibility of getting lost.

The day starts with mud, a LOT of mud. The kind that sucks your feet in and swallows them whole, the kind that is more slippery than a wet bar of soap. And to make it even more challenging, the trail goes downhill, steeply at times. It's fun.

When I get to a small river (the Mangapukahukahu stream to be exact), this becomes the trail for the next few kilometers. The water is cold and soaks my shoes and socks while I wade from one pebbly river bank to the next. All around me I hear a variety of birds and I marvel at all the tropical plants and trees while I continue wading.

I run into some of my fellow hikers and we continue together for a bit. A good decision it turns out a little later, because they prevent me from going the wrong way. But when these lovely men start explaining how I should conquer the mud, offer me hands and give other unrequested instructions, it's time to walk alone again 😁

The trail goes back on land and follows the river along a very muddy path. It's good fun, but requires great concentration, so I need to take regular brain breaks. When the mud is finally over and the path starts leading upwards, I have my lunch (wraps with cheese and cucumber) in an idyllic place, overlooking the forest.

Just as I was thinking about how I always lose my things and the amount of effort it costs me not to leave anything behind, I realise that I am walking without my poles... Hmmm. They must still be at my beautiful lunch spot. Yes. Typical.

The afternoon at the campsite follows the by now regular routine: tent pitching, cold shower, hot food from the camping stove (couscous mixed with pumpkin soup and some nuts and seeds), chatting with the other hikers, preparing breakfast for tomorrow, brushing teeth and into the sleeping bag. Writing this story and then: goodnight! 

Today I ate an entire brie for lunch. On 10 crackers, with spinach and cucumber as extra toppers. And I was still kind of hungry after. I was familiar with the term "hiker's hunger" before, but now I am starting to understand what a serious condition it really is. How much time it will cost me, being a slow eater. How heavy my pack will be, with all that extra food. And of course how expensive this lifestyle is going to be 🤣

Anyway, about the trail today: the Kerikeri river walk out of town was quite nice, but the Waitangi forest was not worthy of its name. There were trees, yes, but more of them dead than alive. And the path through this f̶o̶r̶e̶s̶t̶ graveyard was a wide gravel logging road, clearly designed to massacre the trees and transport the bodies efficiently.

The only highlight in the "forest" was a lookout that was not actually on the trail, but a 5 minute detour. I was happy to have spotted this on the map, as this Mount Bledisloe turned out to be a great lunch spot. Yes, the one where I ate the whole brie. To be clear, it was a small one, not an entire French wheel (but I'm sure that soon I'll be capable of eating one of those as a snack)

Finally walking into Paihia, the sky was an angry gray and the famous Bay of Islands did not look nearly as impressive as on the paradisiacal brochure photos. Boo, unlucky weather.

On that note: it will rain cats and dogs tomorrow and I'm allergic to both so I've decided to deviate from my every day camping plan. I'll be staying in a dorm with a few other Dutch hikers. Waiting out the rain during a well-deserved rest day.

One word: Rrrrroadwalking! For the full 18 kilometers of this day's walking. I haven't got much to say about it. There were a few nice views in the first kilometer, after which the sky turned as grey as the endlessly continuing road.

To think more positively about days like this, I focus mostly on the walking being good training, even when the views aren't always nice or when I see more cars than trees. I'm still getting my muscles strong for the wilder and more mountainous sections to come. Headphones on and keep walking. That being said, today was a bit of a drag. 😬

But, things improved quickly!

When I arrived at Helena Bay (beautiful place!), I was picked up by trail angel Dave, who's been hosting hikers at his cosy off-grid house for an impressive 5 years now. This evening there will be 6 of us, but that's no problem for Dave and his partner Alex.

They take amazing care of us, providing snacks and drinks, a hot shower and delicious barbecued dinner. This heart-warming generosity of locals is what people rightfully call 'trail magic'. We spend the evening exchanging stories and have wine in actual wine glasses - so fancy!

Even more luxurious is that I don't have to pitch my tent tonight, because I'm allowed to sleep in Dave and Alex's converted van. Which means sleeping in a double bed with 360 degrees nature views 🤩 Aside from the views, the van is also a lot more wind- and waterproof than my AliExpress tent. A great thing, because there is A LOT of rain and STRONG winds predicted for tonight.

(And indeed, a massive downpour starts as soon as I'm in bed and doesn't end until 12 hours later...)

This day on the trail started with a crossing of the longest footbridge on the Southern Hemisphere, a nicely built wooden bridge with a length of 396 meters. (💡 FYI the longest footbridge in the world is a 721 meters long suspension bridge in Czech Republic)

The bridge was followed by a bit of walking over an estuary during low tide, which was fun. And then there was the Whananaki Coastal Walkway, a lovely meandering footpath going through hilly farmland along the coast. With lots of great views on the turquoise sea, golden beaches and green micro islands.

Of course there was some roadwalking as well. But that wasn't too bad this time, because the views were still nice and the road went through a few villages. And the good thing about villages is that they have cold drinks, ice cream, and - if you're very lucky - fresh fruits. I scored a nearly dead banana and it made me extremely happy 🤩

When I arrived in Ngunguru I ran into the rest of the hiker group, who were discussing what to do next. Most of them decided to have a rest day tomorrow and a few others wanted to carry on. My legs were feeling great today so I wanted to continue, but it was a shame to be separated from this lovely group so soon again.

To reach the campsite I needed a 5-minute boat ride across the estuary, and the camp owner was so kind to pick us up. Together with the Swiss Ladina and Alina we had the absolutely stunning Nikau Bay Beach Camp to ourselves for the night and we thoroughly enjoyed its wooden decor and jungle vibes. And its ultimate hammock! We even got some fresh greens to pimp our dinners, including an edible flower, which instantly made my hiker's meal seem like a Michelin star worthy dish ;) 

The morning started joyful because: my tent was dry! This is very uncommon in humid NZ: usually there's enough condensation on my tent to fill a bathtub. But not today! I quickly pack up, eat, and start hiking.

The Bream Head track begins with a steep but pleasant hike up to the ridgeline. When I turn around halfway the grassy trail to look back at the view, I see a stormy sea and long-stretched coastline under a dark grey sky. And then, suddenly, (Warning ⚠️ this is going to sound incredibly cheesy and cringey) I am SO happy, filled with joy, so in love with life, I feel like I could cry. Being out in nature at the crack of dawn every morning is fantastic, it fulfills me, and I'm just super grateful that I'm able to do this hike. (That's it, end of warning - you can continue reading without gagging now).

Climbing higher on the ridgeline, the peaks got covered in clouds and the views disappeared. It became a misty forest hike, which is enchanting in its own way, and I enjoyed walking up and down, up and down, along the ridge through diverse tropical flora.

After many flights of stairs I finally emerged on the other side, ducking under the clouds again to find a beautiful lookout. Here I ran into my Swiss friends and we had a windy lunch, then continued hiking together. One coffee detour later, we hopped into the speedy water taxi to get across the Mangapai river.

From there, it was another 9 kilometers along the beach to Ruakaka. Always on the lookout for beach treasures, I found it interesting to discover there are many shells on the east coast that I had not seen on the west coast yet. We also saw a small injured penguin 🐧 and I felt a weird mix of excitement (seeing a penguin) and sadness (not being able to help it).

Finally arriving in Ruakaka I was completely depleted, but still needed to go to the supermarket before setting up camp. Well. Everybody knows it's unwise to enter a supermarket hungry... Try to imagine entering one with exhausted hiker's hunger... It was an outright disaster. Guess I'll be carrying some extra kilos of weight the next few days.