Days 95-102: The Richmond Alpine Track

Well, we made it. The Richmond Alpine Track was billed as the hardest section of the TA, and, having completed it, I believe the claims. I also really hope it's true, because if something harder is waiting down the road, I want to know about it now.

More than being tough though, it was beautiful. Easily the most beautiful section of the trail so far, so it was definitely worth the hard work, long days, bruises, and maybe just a few tears.

Days 90-94: Wait, There's a Whole Other Island?

On to the South Island! After mailing a month's worth of food ahead to ourselves, we said goodbye to the Angela, Nik, and the North Island, and hopped on the ferry to Picton.

Days 84-89: Wellington and South Island Planning

Hooray, we've finished half of the islands! We arrived in Wellington, and have spent the last few days planning for the south island.

Days 78-83: The Tararuas

We made it through the much anticipated Tararuas! They were tough, dangerous for the unprepared, and amazing.

Days 72-77: Back To Walking

We're finally back to what we came here to do: walking. We spent about a week walking from Whanganui to Levin, the last resupply point before the Tararuas. Most people are not very excited about this stretch of trail - there's a lot of road, and much of it is not particularly scenic. However, the entire stretch stays pretty close to civilization, and the terrain is not very challenging, so it was a great section to use to get back in shape and go easy on Liz's foot.

Days 64-71: Whanganui River Journey

Finally back on the trail! The river journey was a perfect place to pick back up on the trail - we spent 5 days paddling about 160 kms down the Whanganui River, ending in Whanganui city. We went with a group of 8 people - 6 TA walkers, and 2 people crazy enough to hang out with 6 TA walkers for a few days - so it was like a big party most of the way.

Days 56-63: Christmas In Wellington

We took a detour to spend Christmas in Wellington, the capitol city of New Zealand. There's quite a bit to do there, and we welcomed all the distractions around the holidays.

I'm waaay behind on blog posts, so I'll try to keep this one short and sweet.