Add 40 mins to the Bridge To Nowhere. Raetea Forest Track: 18 km, 9.5 hrs (maps 9, 8, 7) Mercer Motel – 2 Roose Rd, Mercer, 09 233 6555. The fare is about $90 for this. Your best alternative at present is to walk north on Takehue Rd and just before the 4th bridge turn left into Ruaroa Rd and then hitch or arrange a lift the 6 km on SH1 to Kaitaia (the road is too dangerous for walking). A track also goes off at left to Ocean Beach Rd (the one you would come up if you followed the November 2018 map), but keep straight ahead. Real Far North Tours (Johanna Maaka) – 09 409 8152; 020 415 2878; farnorthtours@gmail.com Pickup from Kaitaia iSite, can include a shopping stop and/or guided tour on way to Cape Reinga. spikebowler@hotmail.com 0212 544 919 or 09 402 7717. i-SITE Visitor Information Centres – The Wharf, Marsden Rd, Paihia, 09 402 7345 or 0800 363 463. Best to sleep on the wooden shelter floor (it would sleep about 5 or 6 people). It becomes a 4WD track down the other side to the end of Blackbridge Rd (a 4WD road). Takahue to Kaitaia (17 km) and Ahipara (another 18km) (maps 7, 6). Then you turn left onto the Whakapapaiti track. Mangakaretu is sealed for the first km, Puketōtara for only a few hundred metres. Walk along Waiotoi Rd for about 2.8 km. Always check the Trail Status pages of the official Te Araroa website for recent changes or alerts on the trail. As there is additional mileage involved and a driver has to do a pickup, the cost is more than a usual day trip. Look out for orange marker on Ocean Beach south of Kauri Mountain. 06 342 8178, kohu.cottage@xtra.co.nz. Pass the small settlement of Mokau after 4km, and keep left on Russell Rd at the Oakura turn-off another 1.5 km further on. So it could be an idea to get a group together. Note that you cannot download and use a KML/.kmz file on a phone version. There are a couple of cafés, takeaway shops and a Four Square grocery store on Ngunguru Rd. Whananaki Coastal Track: 7.5 km, 2.5 hrs (map 16). They continued on from there to the Napier–Taupo road, west of Taupo, which is further north than you want to go if you wish to catch up with the TA again at Ruapehu. Note: If the sea conditions are good, an alternative is to sea kayak from Ngunguru to Pataua North with. Continue following the orange markers through pleasant tōtara groves for 3 km to SH10 where there is a picnic area and stile. You could walk the 3 km east to Matapōuri . Pataua has a camping ground but Taiharuru is closer to the start of the track. At the end of town turn left into Waiotoi Rd. After the Bream Head/Te Whara summit the track turns north on the Te Whara Track to Ocean Beach. Speaking of kauri, this might be a good place to repeat a paragraph from the Auckland pages in case you haven’t read it, as you will be encountering kauri a number of times in this region: Kauri die-back disease has been recently been spreading amongst kauri trees in the Auckland and Northland regions. Then turn left at Makene Rd, 12km from Omahuta. At the junction of Oio with Upper Retaruke Rd there is a war memorial with a water tap on the fence behind it. And after 4 km or so turn right into Ngunguru Rd and continue to the settlement. 09 408 8851,  bullandchicken@xtra.co.nz (Alan and Hayley Tubbs). It joins SH1 at Waihou Valley. 2 Line, west of Fordell, and then walk west to Whanganui. Te Araroa (pronounced tee-are-a-rho-a –and don’t worry, it took us months to get the pronunciation correct) is a continuous trail that traverses more than 3,000 kilometers (nearly 2,000 miles) through the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Te Araroa is a long thin red line on a map of New Zealand. Watch for the road sloping uphill back in the direction you’ve been walking. You will see a dotted line on the underlying NZ Topo map marking the old trail across farmland between Mangakaretu Rd and Waiare Rd. In the slow and often solitary world of walking, it’s becoming a bit of a highway. You begin on SH4, which is a fairly busy road, though begins with parkland on the river side of the road. You will pass the remains of a powerhouse built as part of a hydro-electric scheme that operated from 1930 to 1967, and past the 27m high Rainbow Falls that tumble over basalt lava fields which flowed into the river valley during long past volcanic eruptions. Te Araroa Gear *Updated Nov 2017 with post-trail thoughts on the gear I took* PACK: Osprey Exos 58L (1.08kg) – a lightweight pack with a decent frame that keeps the weight off your lower back, unlike my previous Osprey Kyte 66. You can detour up a moderate slope to the top of Mt Tongariro here. But it didn’t happen. There are toilets at the southern end of Paihia Beach. They drive you to the river, set you off, and come down to pick up the canoe in Whanganui, so you could get a ride back up with them after you have finished paddling. Otherwise, turn left over a bridge onto McAuslin Rd. Air New Zealand Link – from Auckland airport – P: 0800 737 000 or 09 357 3000 –. My knee ached. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. Note that the Tongariro Northern Circuit takes in the Tama Lakes and part of it is on the TA route (but you will need to repeat the section of the TA because it is a circuit that brings you back to Whakapapa). It crosses open tussock country. After 4.5 km turn right into Mangakaretu Rd. I’m not sure why the trail has changed, but there is little distance difference. The rewards of thru-hiking are many, but the trail presents equal … Mangapurua Landing to Mosley’s Campsite: 27.5 km, 7 hrs 15. Mangapurua Campsite, at the beginning, is on the opposite bank from the landing, so of no use to you. The roots can be very close to the surface and spread a very long way from the tree. You can try Blair Jones (listed above) or try the marina already mentioned. Not much river access. Adjacent to the Mercer Motel is a tavern called Podge’s Place with meals and refreshments. January is possible if you're a swift traveller. The TA map shows this veering right after 1.3 km and your route left onto the beach, but the point is easy to miss. Te Araroa (pronounced tee-are-a-rho-a –and don’t worry, it took us months to get the pronunciation correct) is a continuous trail that traverses more than 3,000 kilometers (nearly 2,000 miles) through the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Te Araroa Hiker App New in 2016 was the Te Araroa Hiker App, which was hugely popular. You could always take the Coastal Commuter bus one direction or the other perhaps. Jaggers camp – Camp for koha/donation. How are northbound hikers to tackle what is by definition a southbound experience: paddling down the Whanganui River? It is not really an option to walk north on the beach from Pataua because it is private land between the beach and the road. May 27, 2020 - What to take on the Te Araroa Trail and how to save weight. With only ONE walk left in my Northbound Te Araroa tramp, I am prepared to carry ALL the fresh fruit and vegetables! Includes kayak hire, pack transport, kayak pickup, dry bags, maps, full safety equipment. Mountain Shuttle – (door to door shuttle from Tūrangi, Tokaanu, Whakapapa & Ketetahi), 0800 11 76 86 freephone. Maybe you could sleep on the table in an emergency. There is no track and it will take you longer than you think to walk over boulders and river shoals. Walk 1 km west from the end of the Morepork-Onekainga Track on Kaiikanui Rd to the start of the Helena Ridge Track. If you have the time and energy you could climb the active volcano Mt Ngāuruhoe (Mt Doom from the Lord of the Rings movies) but, as noted earlier, hapū Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro are asking people to respect the mountain and not climb to its summit. After going up the hill on SH3 after Whangaehu settlement (and passing a pleasant picnic spot half-way up the hill) turn right on Warrengate Rd to No. Turn right off this on Matuku St and from here a track goes to a driveway on Norfolk Rd. Stay on Webb Rd heading north into Te Mimiha Bay and turn right into Russell Rd. This challenging trip begins at 1120m. Closed due to kauri die-back disease. TA hikers have camped at this spot without any complaints, though it would be respectful not to put up your tent right next to or in front of the memorial. There don’t seem to be any scheduled bus services between Marsden Point and Whangārei (36 km), nor between Whangārei and Whangārei Heads on the other side (27 km), which is a pity as Whangārei offers full-scale supermarkets for resupply. Landmarks you’ll pass are Waipapakauri (14 km), where there is a holiday park, Hukatere (31 km from Ahipara), which also has a camping ground and lodge, The Bluff on Wakatehaua Island (61 km), again with a camping ground, and Te Paki Stream (aka Kauaeparaoa Stream and 81 km from Ahipara). All roads joining it are called Forestry Rd! It has gas cooking and a campsite ($15). Typically the Southbound walkers would begin their tramp from late September-December, and the Northbound walkers would begin November-January. You come to a boundary fence just west of Onekainga trig (227m) and then 200m through a small pine plantation with no markers and onto a farm track for 500m. Stay on SH1 going west and north-west. The Kerikeri Basin is where Māori welcomed missionaries in 1819 to establish a Church Mission Settlement. Te Araroa Trail 2020 Google Earth (Updated 25 September 2020) This file contains the entire trail route, bypasses, KM marks, hut, campsites and more! Coffee, cold drinks and plenty of local knowledge and information. Kauri Mountain Track: 3 km, 1.5 hr (map 18) If you get dropped off at McLeods Bay you can walk round to Reotahi Bay by taking Stuart Rd. The track begins over a stile on the right as an easy gravel farm track and alternates between pasture, farm track and native bush. Go downstream a little where it is much shallower. You exit past Pitokuhu Point onto Pukekawa Rd back from the next beach. You pass the DoC Uretiti Beach camping ground on the way (behind the dunes). Then you go over a hill and down a bush line to a marshy area and up a spur onto pasture land. We were lucky to start our hiking northbound (or “NOBO” in Te Araroa terminology) with excellent weather from Bluff. As you go uphill from the point where it meets the waters edge a driveway goes off at left. This is a popular spot with a cooking shelter, toilets, water and many sheltered campsites. Plateau Lodge – 17 Carroll St, National Park Village, 0800 861 861 freephone, or 07 892 2993. For this route continue on inland on the Patua North Rd. Keep left when it then joins the Walnut Track, and 300m further on stay right when the Takapau Track meets it. Surprisingly, for an estate that was gifted to the nation, the entire grounds are fenced off and you can only enter through the visitor centre for $50 or about half that price if you are a NZ resident. Ski Haus – Cnr of Carroll and Mackenzie Sts, National Park, 07 892 2854, backpackers & tent sites. You may encounter some gates with electrified wires. You could consider doing the side trip to the Taranaki Falls on the way (can be done as a loop if you take the upper track to the falls from Whakapapa). The holiday parks and hostels offer discounts and people on the street ask if you’re nearly there (southbound) or just started (northbound). Go under SH10 from the carpark and over a swing bridge across the Kerikeri River and walk south parallel to SH10 and then turn right onto Puketōtara Rd. Leave the gate at the edge of farmland as you find it. Stay on this until a ‘T’ intersection, where the Whananaki Walkway departs past a gate in more or less the direction you have been travelling. You then want to be on the Kororipo Pā Track (marked with TA signs), which takes you to Kerikeri Rd and at its end the historic Stone Store at the water’s edge. Hosts Rupert and Wendy Newbold. Another alternative to avoiding the fords of the Horahora and Ngunguru rivers is the road route and the Mackerel Forest Track (if this is still open). Whanganui to Atene (Rivertime Lodge): 7 hrs, 27 km (maps 61, 60, 59), 16. 09 432 0410. Note that water sources are highly mineralised and not fit to drink (it is ‘mineral water’ but not the sort that is good for you). Stay on Webb Rd heading north into Te Mimiha Bay and turn right into Russell Rd. Stick to the route down here. A track then continues and it divides shortly into one that goes to a gun emplacement and the other, on the left, towards Smugglers Bay. There is a track in the dunes running parallel to the beach as you near Koitiata but no obvious entry to it from the beach – you will just have to stumble onto it or stay on the beach until the twin road cones elevated on sticks that mark the main beach exit. It is a different… Across the road is a toilet. It is made up of a mixture of older tracks and walkways, new tracks, and link sections alongside roads. Hopefully you’ve read this and now understand why. Going north around it is a long hike through rugged country to exit near the Rangipo powerhouse, not far south of Tūrangi and it will involve crossing private land (for much of it contact, 13. Omahuta-Puketī Forest Track: 30 km, 2 days (maps 11, 10, 9) Walk 1 km west from the end of the Morepork-Onekainga Track on Kaiikanui Rd to the start of the Helena Ridge Track. It is not really an option to walk north on the beach from Pataua because it is private land between the beach and the road. They leap off the headland to climb the roots of the 800-year-old pōhutukawa tree and descend to the underworld where they return to their traditional homeland of Hawaiki, via Te Ara Wairua, the ‘Spirits’ pathway’. Take the vehicle ferry over the Veronica Channel to Ōpua. Select options. Takahue Marae – (previously Old SChool Grounds) Takahue Rd, presumably at about grid ref 1631-3, 6104-7. Find the track that takes you to Ngunguru Ford Rd, turn left into it and then right down to Nikau Bay Camp and Cabins. If there are bulls grazing walk slowly and quietly. A2B Auckland Airport Direct Shuttle (to/from Whangārei/Matapōuri/Tutukaka), 09 459 5221; 027 273 7307. Daily guided tours, hangi and Māori cultural performances are available. So its a bit of left over that should now be re-routed. From Kaitaia it is 18 km road walking or hitch hiking to Ahipara. You will see a dotted line on the underlying NZ Topo map marking the old trail across farmland between Mangakaretu Rd and Waiare Rd. And the list goes on for shuttles around the Tongariro National Park: Tūrangi Alpine Shuttles, National Park Shuttles, Summit Shuttles, Matai Shuttles, etc, 20. (This is what the  Mangakaretu–Kerikeri detour in the Trail Alerts page as of Oct 2020 is all about, although there is no point to it when the detour IS the current route.). Te Paki is well known as a sandboarding location as the sand dunes are very high here. A trip along the entire trail usually takes four to six months. Day 1 – Ahipara to Hukatere Lodge/Utea Park (31 km) or just to Waipapakauri Holiday Park (14 km) and make a fifth day of it by walking the 17 km to Hukatere the next day. When the track branches the left takes you to the lighthouse (where you can see the tidal turbulence as the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet), the right branch to the top of the hill and the road end car park, your FINAL DESTINATION! Note, though, that a little further up the road is a monument that claims to be sited approximately where the treaty was signed (not actually in the Treaty Grounds!). You could road walk or hitch hike out to Taihape or nearby on the Napier–Taihape road, and then walk north on State Highway 1 (probably not much fun) to Waiouru and then to Ohakune, or continue along the Desert Road from Waiouru. From Kaitaia it is 18 km road walking or hitch hiking to Ahipara. The route up until 2019-20 was to keep right and a few hundred metres further on the trail go off at right up a ridge (not the one that follows a stream). Then you are on south crater. Once there head inland on Bay View Rd and then turn right into Whangārei Heads Rd. These places will have jetboats pulling in for supplies, so they could probably get you across the river to the Mangatiti Stream track more or less opposite, from where you join up with the Bridge to Nowhere track, or go direct to the Bridge to Nowhere track from the Mangapuroa landing, as above. This original route does save you a few km of beach walking, and I’d consider it in windy weather as it can be unpleasant on the beach. At first look, Whakapapa Village could be a good place to spend the night. If you do go over in a boat, make sure you are wearing a lifejacket (and for any other boat rides on the trail – too many people drown every year in NZ in boating accidents). The next bit is unclear in the official TA notes, perhaps due to changes in the trail since 2018-19, but I will give the route here as marked on the current map. Otherwise, continue on SH11 as it changes from Paihia Rd to Seaview Rd. From Reotahi Bay a track goes around to Little Munro Bay. ... Just like normal life, the Te Araroa isn’t always beautiful. This is on the riverside of the fence all the way down to Wash Creek, some 16km distant. That honour goes to the Hikura / de Surville Cliffs, about 30 km to the east. Go west along this and turn right into Te Puke Rd. Make sure you are also in the car any time the driver is at the wheel and your possessions are in the vehicle; not just when you first get in but also at petrol or toilet stops. 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