Steve off on his Great Walk

Just back from Arrowtown catching up with a mate from Farlie for the weekend. We all go to the Gibbston valley concert
Steve's a real keen hunter and tramper so when he announced on Friday night that he was going to walk from Bluff to Cape Reinga I wasn't really surprised
Steve's no spring chicken he turns 60 in a couple of months, His wife is dropping him off at Bluff this morning
Anyway, good luck Steve hope it all goes well and if any off you guy come across him stop and have a yarn, he's a real good bugger. See you when you get back

Life is for living.

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Originally Posted by Harryg

Just back from Arrowtown catching up with a mate from Farlie for the weekend. We all go to the Gibbston valley concert
Steve's a real keen hunter and tramper so when he announced on Friday night that he was going to walk from Bluff to Cape Reinga I wasn't really surprised
Steve's no spring chicken he turns 60 in a couple of months, His wife is dropping him off at Bluff this morning
Anyway, good luck Steve hope it all goes well and if any off you guy come across him stop and have a yarn, he's a real good bugger. See you when you get back

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We are working right on the route (at Otatara school) - we'll give him a hurrah as he passes, or at least a kind thought! Wot colour is his pack?

No Idea but he will have his trusty companion dog with him

Harry is Steve doing this just because he can or is there some loftier purpose in mind?

He will have plenty of company. We have a constant stream of TA walkers going through the village at this time of year. Mostly SOBOs (south bound) as opposed to NOBOs (north bound).

Bugger that, it’s all up hill going that way. Good on him, Keith Elliott did it the other way, in the 70s, wearing army boots!

Good on him, would be a great way to see the country. A dream of mine to do it one day. Just got to get off my arse and make it happen

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Originally Posted by Rushy

Harry is Steve doing this just because he can or is there some loftier purpose in mind?

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Just because he can.he done a walk in Nepal a couple of years ago buggers half mad

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Originally Posted by Harryg

Just because he can.

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Impressive. Maybe one day when I get older!

We bumped into TA walkers in all sorts of isolated spots over the last two weeks. From looks and voices it was minimum 60-ish% overseas people doing it. Almost all were wearing running shoe like boots. Hardly saw anyone wearing what I would call a high country leather boot:wtfsmilie:

Numbers are now trending upwards of 2000 a year doing it in one hit.

Haha, my Son leaves Bluff tomorrow to do the same :)

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Originally Posted by Rushy

Impressive. Maybe one day when I get older!

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You’ve just been refreshed, you’d be all go.

Been tempted to do it myself a few times, just the SI though.

This article highlights some problems we have up here Link

As @Shearer alluded to its constant at the moment. When I went for a day walk into the Hackett a couple of weeks ago I counted 16 bodies had stayed at that 6 bunk hut the night before.

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Originally Posted by StrikerNZ

Been tempted to do it myself a few times, just the SI though.

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Yes, something on my bucket list if I ever have the time and money to do it.

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Originally Posted by Happy Jack

This article highlights some problems we have up here Link

As @Shearer alluded to its constant at the moment. When I went for a day walk into the Hackett a couple of weeks ago I counted 16 bodies had stayed at that 6 bunk hut the night before.

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That article highlights an issue that could easily get out of hand fast. Numbers are only going to get bigger. There are German facebook sites where young German back packers share their secrets for touring NZ for almost zero $$. Including shoplifting advice, and eating food left in back country huts for emergency use etc. The vast majority of the TA walkers we came across over the last 2 weeks were Germanic looking. Next was Asian. Only a couple of Kiwi looking dudes.

Yep I had a good chat with a German lass at the hut where I had lunch. Went to a different hut last week not on the TA and there were a couple of German climbers that had been there a week yet the hut has a 3 night stay limit.

These guys are running it at the moment. Live tracker on them below.

https://live.adventuretracking.be/te-araroa

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Originally Posted by Billbob

These guys are running it at the moment. Live tracker on them below.

https://live.adventuretracking.be/te-araroa

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An unlucky brush with wild Dogs probably wasn't what they expected though.

Walk 10-15 km on the Trail north of Waitomo most days, haven't seen walkers in the last couple of weeks. So far very few heading North this year, maybe a bit early yet. Not the numbers on the Trail the last couple of years, after Covid huge numbers.

Thought I'd up date you on Steve's progress
We got a message from his partner that he has made it to Arrowtown and really enjoying it

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Originally Posted by Harryg

Thought I'd up date you on Steve's progress
We got a message from his partner that he has made it to Arrowtown and really enjoying it

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Bloody good on him mate.

There is an Englishman coming over to run it, the same guy who ran the length of Africa.

This guy

Here a few photo's of Steve's travels. He's now in the North Island. and loving it

Attachment 272078Attachment 272079Attachment 272080Attachment 272081

Excellent. What a way to see the country