Text: Andreea Lotak; Photos: Justin & Andreea Lotak ·  8 min read

Te Araroa, meaning “the long trail” in Mãori, is quickly growing in popularity, bringing people from all over the world to witness the wild beauty of New Zealand along a 3,000 km journey from the tip of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island.

At the beginning of 2018 we began our 1.5 month backpacking journey along sections of the Te Araroa on the South Island, looking to document its landscapes, wildlife and the stories of some of the thru-hikers. As long distance trails are captivating the imagination of more and more people and are starting to appear in remote places around the world, we were interested in learning how these initiatives connect different conservation lands, ecosystems and communities, allowing hikers to experience a deeper immersion within the living landscapes that they cross at the pace of their walking. With backpacks strapped to our backs and an itinerary that we try to cover day by day, it’s easy to turn long distance hiking into a race to cover as much ground as possible, as fast as possible. The record for completing the 3,000 km of the Te Araroa belongs to Jez Bragg, famous ultra-marathoner, and was done in 53 days of running with support from a crew. This year there were several people on the trail trying to beat different records, while others were pushing to finish as fast as possible, carrying only minimal equipment. The athletic component of long distance trails is, though, just one aspect. At the other end there are the people who are taking their time to reflect and absorb the experience fully. We were interested in the idea of the connection with the natural world and to a simpler lifestyle. This lifestyle is often rewarded by the serendipitous human interactions with the community of hikers and trail angels. The stories we collected from interviewing hikers will be the subject of an upcoming project. For now we want to share a selection of photographs that strive to capture the natural beauty of New Zealand’s South Island along the Te Araroa. The idea is to encourage all thru-hikers, future and past, to reflect upon the opportunity given by a long distance trail to learn more about the importance of the ecosystems experienced when spending so many days in the outdoors. The more we learn about them, the more we pay attention to protect these places and appreciate their complex beauty. New Zealand is home to impressive endemic species, and often on the trail we can encounter unique birds and plants of New Zealand which we wouldn’t see anywhere else on Earth. It’s worth giving them a piece of our time. Through some of the photographs collected on the trail, we invite you to immerse yourself for a few minutes in the magical natural world of the Te Araroa.

PS: Te Araroa has its own slang, like most long distance trails. The trail is often referred to as the TA. In New Zealand a hiker is called a tramper, hiking is tramping, and a trail is a track. Those starting their journey northbound are known as NOBOs. For the south-bounders, the term is SOBO. The Department of Conservation managing most conservation lands and huts along the Te Araroa is simply known as DOC (pronounced as “doc”).