Walking Te Araroa | für Rudi | 138 walking days | 2 Oct 2023 - 5 Mar 2024

This video is dedicated to my dad. It has been almost 20 years since we watched The Lord of the Rings together for the first time, and I told my dad back then that I would like to visit New Zealand one day to visit the filming locations, and he always supported this dream. We both became fans of the Lord of the Rings movies and once did a LOTR 'marathon' at the cinema together.

My dream of visiting New Zealand turned into Te Araroa over the years, and my dad was just as excited about the trip as I was. Not long before I left, he said how much he hoped to live to see me go on that journey. He created maps on deine-Berge.de and followed my Garmin InReach updates. My camera broke quite early on in the hike, and I would have never asked my dad for this, but he helped me buy a new camera. My dad loved watching my hiking videos and he always gave me lots of feedback about each video. Unfortunately, he did not see all of the videos, and this made me feel quite sad during the editing process. However, I am glad that my dad got to follow my trip. After I finished Te Araroa, he said several times how much joy that had brought him.

For this video, I sang the end-credit song of the last LOTR movie ('Into the West' by Annie Lennox) and the end-credit song of the first movie ('May it be' by Enya). Into the West is about the end of a journey, saying goodbye, and the song makes reference to the movie scene in which Gandalf tells Pippin what he thinks happens at the end of life ('and all will turn to silver glass'). Therefore, I felt this would be a fitting song to sing as part of this Te Araroa video.

I have added one video for each walking day on Te Araroa, sometimes two.

This is my last video for now, Te Araroa had been my big dream and I have not found a new dream yet. Even if I discovered a new dream, I am not sure if I would record it on video again.

Cape Reinga to Te Paki stream along SH 1
to Maunganui Bluff
to Hukatere Lodge
to Ahipara
to Kaitaia
to Takahue
to Mangamuka Bridge (bypass)
to Blackbridge
to Puketi Forest HQ
to Kerikeri
to Paihia
to The Farm
to Helena Bay
to Whananaki
to Ngunguru
to Ocean Beach
to Whangarei Heads/Reotahi
to Ruakaka
to Waipu Cove
to Mangawhai
to Pakiri
to the Dome Forest
to Totara Bend
to Wenderholm
to Stillwater
to Takapuna
to Royal Oak
to Manurewa
to Ramarama
to Pioneer Rd
to Rangiriri
to Huntly
to Ngaruawahia
to Hamilton
to Whatawhata
to Kaniwhaniwha
to Jo's Funny Farm
to Waitomo
to Te Kuiti
to Mangaokewa campsite
to Pureora Forest
to Bog Inn Hut
to Camp Epic
to Bennett Road End
to Taumarunui
to Owhango
to Mangatepopo Stream
to Tongariro holiday park
to Mangatepopo Hut
to Whakapapa
to National Park
to Coupers Crossing
to Whakahoro
to John Coull campsite
to Ngaporo
to the Flying Fox
to Hipango
to Whanganui
to Koitiata
to Bulls
to Palmerston North
to Kahuterawa
to Ian and Frank's Hut
to Makahika
Ohau Entrance to Waiopehu Hut
to Te Matawai Hut
to Nichols Hut
to Parawai Lodge
to Mangaone Rd
Makahika to Otaki
to Paekakariki
to Camp Elsdon
to Ngaio
to Wellington
to Picton
to Ship Cove and Camp Bay camp
to Cowshed Bay
to Linkwater holiday park
to Havelock
to Pelorus Bridge
to Rocks Hut
to Hacket Junction and Nelson
to Hacket Hut
to Slaty Hut
to Old Man Hut
to Tarn Hut
to Top Wairoa
to Porters Creek Hut
to St Arnaud
to John Tait Hut
to West Sabine Hut
to Blue Lake Hut
to Waiau River
to Anne Hut
to Boyle
to Windy Point car park
to Hope Kiwi Lodge
to Hurunui No 3
to Kiwi Hut
to Goat Pass Hut
to Arthur's Pass
to Bealey Hut
to Hamilton Hut
to Harper campsite
to Lake Coleridge Lodge

Glenrock to Comyns Hut
to Manuka Hut
to Mt Potts Lodge

Bush Stream to Stone Hut
to Camp Stream Hut
to Lake Tekapo
to TA campsite
to Twizel
to Lake Ohau
to Ahuriri River
to Top Timaru Hut
to Stodys Hut
to Lake Hawea
to Wanaka
to Fern Burn Hut
to Roses Hut
to Arrowtown
to Queenstown
to Ithilien

Greenstone to Taipo Hut
to Careys Hut
to Kiwi Burn Hut
to Princhester Rd
Princhester Rd towards Aparima Hut
to Lower Wairaki Hut
to Telford Campsite
to Birchwood Station
to Merriview Hut
to Martin's Hut
to Colac Bay
to Riverton
to Invercargill
to Bluff