TE ARAROA
Nelson/Marlborough
Nelson/
Marlborough
After the Cook Strait, the trail is easy through Queen Charlotte, then challenges increase with the Richmond Range and Nelson Lakes with huge, exposed climbs.
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TA Day 71, Ship Cove to Madsen Camp, 17 km
After a very early ferry to Picton, the trail picks up on the glorious – and easy – Queen Charlotte Track.
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TA Day 72, Camp Madsen to Onahau lookout, 37 km
It’s an easy super-highway above turquoise inlets. Blissful stumbles on a stealth campsite at a lookout.
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TA Day 73, Onahua Lookout to Kaiuma Bay Road – 44 km
After Iwituaroa Reserve and road walk to Havelock for mussels, Blissful stays with trail angels.
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TA Day 74, Kaiuma Bay Road to Captain Creek Hut, 32 km
It’s easy road walk to the emerald pools of the Pelorus River and sandfly hell.
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TA Day 75, Captain Creek Hut to Hacket Track car park, 29 km
It’s a steep ascent to the Totara Saddle through a magical “Hobbit Haunt” of beech forest.
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TA Day 76, zero day, Nelson
A brilliant day in Nelson with new friends from Minnesota who found me on MPR.
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TA Day 77, Side trip! Abel Tasman National Park
Huge forested hills seem to grow out of turquoise water in a series of golden sand inlets and bays.
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TA Day 78, Hacket Track car park to Slaty Hut, 18 km
Blissful heads steeply up to the ridge with a mountain carpet for miles and magical beech forests.
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TA Day 79, Slaty Hut to Rintoul Hut, 13 km
Enjoying the view after a steep climb, there is yet another mountain to climb on eroded scree.
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TA Day 80, Rintoul Hut to Top Wairoa Hut, 22 km
It’s steep up to Purple Top then steep back down to the Wairoa River with sidling and crossings.
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TA Day 81, Top Wairoa Hut to Red Hills Hut, 29 km
The landscape changes abruptly in the dry Red Hills, with rocks in bright green and red.
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TA Day 82, Red Hills Hut to St. Arnaud, 21 km
The Maitland track passes through an otherworldly beech forest, up and over to St. Arnaud for pizza.