Te Araroa Sections: North Island


Te Araroa Trail section breakdown: North Island
This is my personalised section breakdown, comprising walks from 3 to 30 days.
The majority of these sections will be completed individually, while I intend to tramp the section from Cape Reinga to Auckland in a longer "thru hike" style. 

Section which I have completed are marked in RED, there will also be a Blog post about that section.

Section 1 – Tapotupoto to Ahipara (5 Days)
Cape Reinga, Te Paki Coastal Track, Ninety Mile Beach
 
Day 1: Tapotupotu Bay Campsite-Te Paki Stream, 25.0 kms,  8 hrs
Day 2: Te Paki Stream-the Bluff campsite, 19.0 kms, 6 hrs
Day 3: The Bluff to Hukatere, 26.0 kms, 9 hrs
Day 4: Hukatere toWaipapakauri Beach, 18.0 kms, 6 hrs
Day 5: Waipapakauri Beach to Ahipara, 17.0 kms, 6 hrs
Day 6:                    Rest Day in Ahipara
Section 2 – Ahipara to Helena Bay (7 Days)
Herekino Forest, Raetea Forest, Omahuta Forest, Kerikeri Track, Waitangi Track, Paihia-Opua Coastal Track & Russell Forest Track

Day 7: Ahipara to Herekino Saddle, 15.0 kms, 5 hrs
Day 8: Herekino Saddle to Takahue Saddle, 18.5 kms,  7.5 hrs
Day 9: From Takahue Saddle to Mangamuka,  26.0 kms, 9-10hrs
Day 10: Mangamuka to Apple Dam, 15.0 kms, 6 hrs                 
Day 11: Apple Dam to Puketi Forest HQ, 26.0 kms, 9 hrs
Day 12: Kerikeri to Opua, 20.0 kms,  7 hrs
Day 14: Opua to Helena Bay25.0  kms, 8 hrs
Day 15:                 Rest day in Helena Bay 

Section 3 – Helena Bay to Whangerei Heads (5 Days)

Morepork Track, OnekaingaTrack, Whananaki Coastal Walk, Matapori bush track, Ngunuru connection, Macerel forest Track, Taiharuru Estuary, Kauri Mountain Track & Bream head track

Day 16: Helena Bay to Whananaki , 22.0 kms, 7 hrs
Day 17: Whananaki to Ngunguru Road, 17.5 kms,  6 hrs     
Day 18: Ngunguru to Patua, 22.0 kms, 7 hrs     
Day 19: Patua to Whangarei Heads, 29.5 kms, 6 hrs
Day 20:                 Rest Day


Section 4 – Marsden Point – Devonport (8 Days)
Bream Bay Walk, Brynderwyn Track, Manawhai Coastal Walk, Te Arai Beach Walk, Te Hikoi O Te Kiri, Dome Forest Track, Moirs Hill Track, Dunns Track, Puhoi Track, Hibiscous Coast Walk & Akarana Trail
The section between Sheepworld and Puhoi needs to be finessed a bit.

Day 19: Marsden Point to Waipu Cove, 23.0 kms, 8 hrs
Day 20: Waipu Cove to Mangawhai, 27.0 kms,8 hrs
Day 20: Mangawhai to Pakiri Campsite, 23.0 kms, 7 hrs   
Day 21: Te Hikoi O Te Kiri to Sheepworld caravan park (near Warkworth), 25.5 kms, 8 hrs
Day 22: Sheepworld to Puhoi (?)45.5 kms, 13 hrs
Day 23: Puhoi to Waiwera via Puhoi River, 7.0 kms, 2 hrs
Day 24: Waiwera to Okura Estuary, 23.0 kms, 7 hrs
Day 25: Okura Estuary to Devonport, 23.0 kms, 7 hrs
Day 26:            Rest Day

Section 5 – Devonport to Hamilton (7 Days)
Akarana Trail, Hunuas Track, Mangatawhiri Track, Waikato River Track, Hakarimata Track, Te Awa & Hamilton City Traverse

Day 1: Devonport to Onehunga Bay, 16.0 kms, 5 hrs
Day 2: Onehunga to Puhunui Reserve, 25.0 kms, 6-7 hrs
Day 3: Puhinui Reserve to Waikere Rd Totora Park, 9.5 kms, 3 hrs
Day 4: Waikere Rd, Totara Park to Clevedon, 26.0 kms, 7-8 hrs
Day 5:              Rest Day in Clevedon
Day 6: Clevedon to Upper Mangatawhiri Campsite, 16.0 kms, 6 hrs
Day 7: Upper Managatawhiri Campsite Mangatawhiri,  12.0 kms, 5 hrs
Day 8: Mangatawhiri to Merce, 17.0 kms, 6 hrs
Day 9: Mercer to Rangiiri, 26.0 kms, 7 hrs
Day 10: Rangiriri to Huntly, 22. kms, 6 hrs
Day 11: Huntly to Hamilton, 27.0 kms, 10 hrs

Section 6: Hamilton to Taumarunui
City to Mountain Trail, Hihikiwi Track, Pehitawa track, Mangaokewa Reserve Track + Mangaokewa River Track, Hauhungaroa Track
The walk between Mangaokewa and Pureora HQ needs to be finessed a bit.

Day 1: Hamilton to Taitua Aboretum, 28.0 kms, 8 hrs
Day 2: Taitua to Whatawhata18.0 kms, 6 hrs
Day 3: Whatwhata to Pahautea Hut 30.0 kms, 9 hrs
Day 4: Pahautea Hut to Waitomo 32.0 kms, 10 hrs
Day 5:             Rest Day in Waitomo
Day 6: Waitomo to Te Kuiti, 18.0 kms, 6 hrs
Day 7: Mangaokewa Reserve to Mangaokewa North Rd (?), 20.0 kms, 6 hrs
Day 8: Mangaokewa North Rd to Pureora (?),  37.0 kms, 10 hrs
Day 9: Pureora Forest Park HQ to Bog Inn, 15.0 kms, 5 hrs
Day 10: Waihaha Hut to Hauhungaroa Hut, 13.0 kms, 6 hrs

Day 11: Hauhungaroa Hut to Taumarunui (?), 39.0 kms, 10 hrs
 
               

Section 7: Taurumanui to Tongariro Holiday Park (2-3 Days)
Taumarunui to Owhango Village, Modified 42 Traverse

There are plans afoot to re-route this section of the Te Araroa potentially cutting much of the road walking out of this section. Watch this space…

Day 1: Taumarunui to Owhango (?), 20.0 kms, 6 hrs
Day 2: Owhango to Tongariro Holiday Park (?), 40.0 kms, 12 hrs
                       
Section: Tongariro Alpine Crossing (2 Day)
Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Mangatepopo track

Day 1: Tongariro Holiday Park to Mangatepopo Hut, 18.0 kms, 6 hrs
Day 2: Mangatepopo Hut to Whakapapa Village, 9.0 kms,  4 hrs
(Section completed in 1990’s as part of the Tongariro Northern Circuit Track)

Section 8: Whakapappa to Taihape (5 Days)
Whakapapaiti Track, Whakapapaiti-Manghuia Track, road connectors to Taihape 

I have previously rafted the Whanganui River Journey in the early 1990’s. Rather than doing this again I intend to either road walk or bike from National Park to Taihape as an alternate. Taihape is a transport nexus so it should be relatively easy to get from there to Palmerston north and hence to Christchurch.  
Split times are for walking/biking depending on which option I choose. 

Day 1: Whakapapa Village to National Par, 20.0 km, 7-8 hrs
Day 2: National Park to Ohakune (Bike), 38.0 kms, 10/5 hrs
Day 3: Ohakune to Waiouru (Bike,  28.0 kms, 7/3 hrs
Day 4:              Rest Day to visit Army Museum Waiouru
Day 5: Waiouru to Taihape (Bike), 28.0 kms, 7/3 hrs
                                                           

Section: Whanganui River Journey & Mangapurua Landing to Whanganui (4 Days)
Whanganui River Journey

Day 1: Rafting from Mangapurua Landing to Pipiriki
Day 2: Rafting from Pipiriki to Jerusalem to Koroniti Pa
Day 3: Rafting from Koroniti Pa to Pungarehu                                               
Day 4: Rafting from Pungarehu to Whanganui        

Total 117 kms from Mangapurua to Whanganui
                                      
(Whanganui River Journey section completed in early 1990’s)

Section 9: Whanganui to Palmerston North (4 Days)
Ratana Track, Santoft Track, Feilding Route, Bunnythorpe Route

Day 1: Whanganui to Koitiata, 30.0kms, 8 hrs
Day 2: Koitiata to Bulls, 28.0 kms, 8 hrs
Day 3: Bulls to Fielding, 9.0 kms, 5-6 hrs
Day 4: Fielding to Palmerston North, 22.0 kms, 7 hrs

Section 10: Palmerston North to Waikanae (7 Days)
Turitea Route, Burttons Track, Mangahao-Makahika Track, various Tararua tracks, Pukeatua Track

Day 1: Fitzherbert Bridge to Gordon Kear Forest, 26.0 kms, 9 hrs
Day 2: Gordon Kear Forest to Mangahao Rd, 17.0 kms,  6 hrs
Day 3: Mangahao Rd to Poads Road, 17.0 kms,  4 hrs
Day 4: Poads Rd to Te Matawai Hut, 16.0 kms,, 8 hrs
Day 5: Te Matawai Hut to Nichols Hut, 13.0 kms,  8 hrs   
Day 6: Nichols Hut to Otaki Forks, 18.0 kms,  8 hrs
Day 7: Fenceline Carpark to Waikanae, 14.0 kms,  4 hrs

Section 11: Waikanae to Wellington (4 Days)
Kapiti Coast Track, Centennial Highway Footpath, Paekakairiki Escarpment Track, Ara Harakeke Walkway, Raiha Walk, Walk into Wellington

Day 1: Waikanae River Bridge to Paekakariki, 22.0 kms, 7hrs
Day 2: Paekakariki to Porirua, 18.5 kms, 6 hrs
Day 3: Porirua to Wellington CBD, 16.0 kms, 7 hrs
Day 4: Wellington CBD-Island Bay, 12.0 kms,  4 hrs

End of the North Island TaT Sections!