Thru-Hiking in New Zealand - a summary
New Zealand’s Te Araroa Thru-Hike offers a spectacle of beautiful scenery, caring people, a variety of birds and other wildlife, and a challenging trail. Here’s an overview for a successful start to the 3000 km hike.
Applying for the right visa for Te Araroa
For most countries, except the UK, the maximum length of stay without a visa is 3 months for New Zealand (UK 6 months). Since the average duration of the full trail is between 4-6 months, a permit should be applied for. The process is delightfully simple. On the clear website of the New Zealand government, the different visa options can be examined. I had applied for and received a Visitor Visa for 8 months (can be applied for up to 9 months). So I was covered for minor injuries and a few…
Avoid high costs in case of an accident
This point is very country specific. In Switzerland, for example, the general rule is that insurance will pay a maximum of twice the theoretical amount of treatment in Switzerland. However, New Zealand (and many other countries) have a much more expensive health care system, which means that without additional travel insurance you could get into debt in the worst case. Therefore, it is advisable to take out additional travel insurance for the duration of the trip. The exact insurance criteria…
Start with enough money and minimize worries
Most TA hikers agreed. The cost of the thru-hike was underestimated (sometimes significantly). The recommendation of the official Te Araroa trust of 7000-10000 NZD (approx. 4000-6000 Euro) is rather low. Some hikers had to stop in the middle of the hike because they ran out of money. Many other thru-hikers and I spent about 7000 euros and that doesn’t include the equipment at the start. The reason for the high cost is that most of the time accommodation or camping has to be booked and paid…
