2011: One of the World’s Longest Walking Trails is Opened in New Zealand

December 3, 2011

A walking trail that courses through both of New Zealand’s main islands was officially opened. This trail — better known in New Zealand as a tramping route –is named Te Araroa, a Māori phrase that means “The Long Pathway.” Te Araroa covers approximately 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) altogether between Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua on the northern tip of North Island; and the town and seaport of Bluff (widely called “The Bluff”) on the southern coast of South Island. The trail is one of the longest of its kind in the world.

The grand debut of Te Araroa took place after a decade of work on this walkway by hundreds of volunteers. The inaugural ceremony for the trail was held in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington, which is located on the southwestern end of North Island. Those participating in this ceremony included Jerry Mateparae, who had been sworn in for a five-year term as New Zealand’s governor-general in August of that year.

Hundreds of thousands of people have since walked on at least a portion of Te Araroa. Colin Stone of Sport New Zealand (“Ihi Aotearoa” in Māori), the crown agency involved in promoting and overseeing the country’s organized sports and recreational activities, highlighted the popularity of the trail in a 2017 interview.

“It has truly captured the imagination of many New Zealanders since it opened in December 2011, particularly those driven to complete the national journey,” asserted Stone. “Thousands more are enjoying individual sections, whether that’s close to home or on day trips or holidays, and over time I can see families building a relationship with Te Araroa that will inspire many more to walk the entire 3,000km [1,900mi] in years to come.”

George Henderson, a pilot and Wellington resident, holds the record for completing a hike on Te Araroa in its entirety in the shortest amount of time. The record time for a woman in this category was attained a year later by nurse and Queenstown resident Brooke Thomas, who completed her hike in 57 days and 10 hours.

Photo Credit: Daniel Walker (https://www.flickr.com/people/66373163@N08) – licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

For more information on Te Araroa (“The Long Pathway”), please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Araroa