Te Araroa: Kia kaha (be strong)

10/29/20 • 20 min

blissful hiker ❤︎ inspiring you to hike your own hike

Two mountains bookend Blissful Hiker's walk of the Te Araroa in the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island – the Hakarimata Range and Mount Pirongia, and she discovers that a hiker is both spectator and participant.
In this episode:

Blissful walks over slippery roots and deep pools of mud to reach the Hakarimata Trig before running down hundreds of stairs.
It's an easy walk to Hamilton where Blissful meets Irene, her partner from the first days of the Te Araroa, then another easy walk to Whatawhata, where she uses up all the good weather and faces a big challenge in rain.
It's a long walk over farmland and up on the Kapamahunga Range, then on to the giant extinct volcano, Mount Pirongia.
In a storm, friends from around the world await at the Pahautea Hut on the summit, and she learns that she "actuates" her hike - and life - in every decision she makes.

MUSIC Introduccion y allegro by Carlos Guastavino as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano
available on iTunesKULA CLOTH "pee rag"! Intentionally designed for all the places you ‘go,’ the Kula Cloth is one of the most important pieces of gear a women should have attached to her pack.
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Blissful walks over slippery roots and deep pools of mud to reach the Hakarimata Trig before running down hundreds of stairs.
It's an easy walk to Hamilton where Blissful meets Irene, her partner from the first days of the Te Araroa, then another easy walk to Whatawhata, where she uses up all the good weather and faces a big challenge in rain.
It's a long walk over farmland and up on the Kapamahunga Range, then on to the giant extinct volcano, Mount Pirongia.
In a storm, friends from around the world await at the Pahautea Hut on the summit, and she learns that she "actuates" her hike - and life - in every decision she makes.

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Previous Episode

Te Araroa: Cathy's Pies

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The Blissful Hiker is back on New Zealand's Te Araroa walking through the Waikato Region in the center of the North Island. She learns to face her fear – as well as ambivalence and irritation – and muscle through the bad parts so she can be open to surprise.
In this episode:

Blissful skips a trail detour and starts her hike in muddy wetlands and electric-fenced pastureland.
She arranges for a whole group to camp at Cathy's Pies and learns that whatever answers she's looking for on the trail, is likely already inside her.
Her hiking friends share many of her same feelings about the trail and remind her this is all building "character."
Once she moves past fear and gets her rhythm, she camps alone high up in the Hakarimata Range with an incredible sunset and a morepork (owl) for company.

MUSIC: Introduccion y allegro by Carlos Guastavino as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano
available on iTunesKULA CLOTH "pee rag"! Intentionally designed for all the places you ‘go,’ the Kula Cloth is one of the most important pieces of gear a women should have attached to her pack.
read revieworder one for yourself

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Next Episode

Te Araroa: generosity

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The Blissful Hiker descends Mount Pirongia on the Te Araroa in a driving rain on an infamously muddy, root-filled trail and works her way to Waitomo, shown generous Kiwi hospitality all along the way.
In this episode:

Blissful joins eight Te Araroa hikers in a storm for the descent of Mount Pirongia, the highest point in the Waikato region of New Zealand, happy to be sharing the difficulty of deep mud, a trail-as-river and slippery roots.
Trail angels invite her to use their shower and laundry, and – after asking nicely – invite four solo women to stay inside out of the elements.
The next day is wet and muddy across sheep pastures and bush, but when she gets lost, it leads to an easy crossing of the rain-swollen Moakurarua Stream.
The Hamilton Tomo Caving Club invite her to use their group hut facilities before she takes in the famous Waitomo Caves to see glowworms like constellations on the limestone walls.
While she understands that generosity can be its own reward, that doesn't explain the tremendous kindness she's benefited from and she leaves a nice koha (or donation) for the trail angels she's met.

MUSIC Introduccion y allegro by Carlos Guastavino, Suite Argentina by Horacio Salgán and Soliloquy by Bernard Rogers as played by Alison Young, flute.
available on iTunes

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blissful hiker ❤︎ inspiring you to hike your own hike - Te Araroa: Kia kaha (be strong)

Transcript

The air feels electric today, threatening gray clouds hang just above the long blue hump of the Hakarimata Range in the distance, a range I crossed two days ago. The farmer who owns this field locked the gate with a strong padlock so I’m forced to climb over into a field of black cow and ivory sheep, complaining bleats and moos in all timbers. A lot of drama on the farm today.

There are no orange triangles showing me the way in this part of the Te Araroa, but I move quickly over short