Some newbie-questions concerning Te Araroa :)

Also, and especially as you're basically coming from the other side of the world and probably don't know many people here: Do you have a good trusted contact person worked out for your trip, and a good and reliable code so they have reliable info at all times about what you're carrying, where you're going, when to expect to next hear from you, when to panic, and what to do if and when they're panicking? (A PLB by itself ain't good enough.) You'll find that some parts of Te Araroa aren't far from civilisation, and help won't be too far away. In other parts you could snap an ankle, have no cellphone coverage or any way to contact the outside world, and be stuck somewhere for days, or longer, before you see anyone at all. In some areas, especially if the weather's really bad, it'd be common to not have anyone through there for weeks at a time. It's very important to have someone else who can raise an alarm, and provide useful information, in situations where you might not have been able to raise an alarm by yourself. It doesn't have to be a person in NZ, but they need to be able to assertively contact the NZ Police, ask for a Search and Rescue coordination person, and communicate reliable information that can be used to help assess how much trouble you might be in, and (if necessary) where to start looking for you. (This is *not* a suggestion because I think you're necessarily likely to get into trouble---it's good practice for *everyone*!) Have a great time, though.

a lot of nz tracks go up bit steep mountains, and the tracks don't zig zag, you can face days where all you're doing is going straight up and down steep mountains, plus all the other issues mentioned.

a personal locator beacon would be good as well, you can rent them here if you cant afford to buy one. most places in the mountains in NZ you won't get cell phone coverage. so don't expect to be able to rely on your cell phone to call for help.... if you have a beacon it's still not a replacement for what izogi has spoken about leaving your trip route and timetable with people

"Are you guys saying tramping is a much, much more than just walking a trail?" Yes :-) (And I am so glad it is!) - Sometimes the "trail" is NOT VISIBLE AT ALL. - Much of the time tramping is constant clambering on rocks, boulders, hills, mountainsides, through bush climbing over treetrunks, through scrub... ie sometimes you need to plan every foot placement (not for 10 or 20 minutes or so, but constantly for 8 or more hours of walking), or you will roll an ankle or trip. And if you are on a mountainside when you trip things could end up bad. (as an aside; I find after a few hours my pack gets uncomfortable on any track where I can "walk" eg Great Walks tracks, St james etc. But on tracks or routes where I do have to choose each foot placement, constantly balance on rocks and climb over boulders, scramble, etc it is totally comfortable all day. Though the rest of me may not be :-) Anyone else find this?) - It is assessing whether and where and how a river is crossable, and completing the crossing safely. Many people have drowned in NZ rivers. - It is navigating, knowing how to read a map, relating it to what you can see, and choosing the right route. - It is deciding when the weather conditions, snow conditions, avalanche conditions and river levels mean you need to wait it out and not try to go further for a day, or two, or five. (Many people have died in NZ from hypothermia and and falls especially if they have navigated wrong or gone out in poor weather conditions like fog and have got lost off track.) The great thing is that not all tracks in NZ need all of these skills. There are heaps of amazing places and long trips you can do where major rivers are bridged, tracks are marked, and you can just "walk a trail." But I do not think Te Araroa, if done in its entireity, is one of them.

"Those who built Te Araroa, if some part of the track was life-threatening in particular (like river-crossings etc.), how can they not mention it in their website" The default expectation when tramping in NZ is that there will be river crossings. And due to our weather and geography, sometimes the river crossings are dangerous. I don't think the target market for Te Araroa was people unfamiliar with NZ and without tramping experience. I remember discussions/media attention at various times about concerns that it would attract people thinking it was something like the PCT. Not that tourists shouldn't do it of course - just that they need to understand it first.

the TeAraroa trail is in fact a trail that is made up of 113 indibidual tramps or trails if u like that are joined together using public roads and towns to join them all together to make up the 3000 kilometres distance not all of this can be walked as u have to cross the cook straight by ferry or plane then theres parts were the track is really ariver that needs to be done by canoe or kayak like the whanganui river section and some can be done by moutainbike parts of it the track is down the river itself so if its raing theres no track theres a book on it by geoff chapple that may help u a lot as it gives everything from pictures to what u need to take and do be for u even think of doing it as one trip all the best with what u do oh one other thing i have done parts of it and what some one else said about tramping in knee deep mud is right try that for 8 hours and see how u feel at the end

mate, basically tramping in nz can mean you take your life in your own hands.. i wouldnt wish some of my experiences in the mountains on anybody, most trampers in nz have had hair raising and or life theatening experiences. you need to be alert to the terrain to negotiate it and at times navigate it and make sure you dont get too lost. you need experience to recognise the risks and skill to minimise the risks to avoid injury or even death. i cant tell you how many countless months i've spend wading through mud. clambering over tree roots and fallen trees. boulder hopping along river valleys... i cant tell you how many rivers ive had to cross. some i've had to give up on crossing, others i've barely crossed without being swept away and i have also been swept away in a river and was lucky to survive. heaven knows how many times i've lost tracks that i've been walking on...

It's also a place full of Giant INSECTS and DINOSAURS! :)

giant wets i love them have pics of them that are 9 inches long but as for dinosaurs well those are us who walk the tracks lol

theres a lot of pictures on the saving maugatautari web site that can be found on face book it has a lot on whats in the bush in nz and pictures from night walks iv done up there