How Much Did It Cost Me to Hike Te Araroa - How To Plan A Long Distance Hike

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT** I will be hosting a LIVE Q&A here on this channel on Friday 29 May 2020 at 7:00PM (my video on that day will be going live a little earlier so you can all watch beforehand). To make sure you don't miss it, make sure you're subscribed to this channel and have clicked the notification bell, and follow me on Instagram (where I'll post a story with all the details for how to connect before the Q&A starts). Hope to see you all there!!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks for the Q&A everyone, see you on the next one!

[@theyetti8811]

I have a map on the wall and i move a pin along the trail to match my savings. The pin is currently at Whananaki. Guessed $ 5 per km then doubled it to eliminate any stress.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

the yetti That’s a great idea! Yeah it’ll be interesting to see what my per km figure is once I’ve completed the whole trail!

[@toughgirlchallenges]

Fantastic idea!

[@antoniabaker7770]

Having a buffer is always smart

[@journofay]

What a downer man to learn Trail Walking in Aotearoa is a luxury activity instead of it being accessible to all budgets. I definitely have no plans to spend 5 grand exploring my own backyard!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

This is exactly why I wanted to post this video. Even I didn't realise exactly how much it was costing me to be out on the trail while I was out there, and was really surprised at the final figure. Having said that though, it is hands down the BEST way (in my opinion) of experiencing our own country as kiwis, and comes pretty close to being worth every cent.

[@xspireddreams]

I actually like the idea of a mandatory fee for long distance trails. They recommend 250 per island because they know only 18-25% of hikers pay, I imagine if those percentages went up closer to 75-80%, then the fee amount would end up being quite reasonable - and everyone would know that they've contributed to maintenance, improvements, and renovations on the trail for future hikers that will come after them.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Yeah me too. Personally I don't even mind the fee as it currently stands, but it would be nicer if it was a bit less (and would probably encourage a lot more people to pay). I think as the trail grows in popularity, and really does start to become the 'fourth' leg of the American Triple Crown we may have to seriously consider a permit system. There could be many adverse impacts of having unsustainable numbers of hikers on the trail if we're not careful.

[@Kcignatius]

A pay as you go option might be better too. If you could pay maybe $30 pw that might make it easier to swallow.

[@geoffreystewart2620]

My old man's hiking te araroa atm, halfway through the north island, I'm about to start mine next month, hopefully have it done by the end of this year between work periods, thank you for the level of detail you went into with this

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

You're welcome. Hope my comment about your upcoming section hike helps!

[@catherinebooth4302]

Thank you so much for this detailed breakdown Michelle!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Catherine Booth You’re welcome, hope it helps!

[@GypsyGirl317]

I have come back to watch this for the second time, having significantly amped up my training, and set my time goal since the first time. Great breakdown of all your expenses for the NI section of the TA, and it's interesting to note specific areas. 😊 I agree with you regarding having the integrity to pay the kohas wherever they are the norm, it's respectful and shows genuine gratitude for the incredible opportunity that is available for us. ❤️ I am currently collecting gear and increasing my trail fitness, and I'm planning on going as a through hike in the summer season of 22-23, when I turn 65 and get the pension! I have plenty of time to save, plus the guaranteed (hopefully! 😜) income will be helpful. Plus I will have all my gear together by then. 😊 Thanks again Michelle for your excellent presentation. ❤️

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

That's awesome, and thank you for keeping me in the loop with your plans! I wish you all the best for your future preparations, and look forward to hearing all about it when you begin your adventure!

[@harrietheron7039]

This is my second time round watching this video too. It's so informative 👏 (thanks Michelle!) I'm also planning to do the TA in the summer of 22-23, but for my 25th birthday - see you out there!

[@GypsyGirl317]

@@harrietheron7039 awesome! If you are in the Te Araroa FB group, look out for me as Wendy Belworthy. ❤️ 👐🏿 😊

[@ClMiD]

Good video thanks. Looking to hit the trail Sept/October next year but wish it was this year!!!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

You're welcome :). That's exciting, good luck for the rest of your preparation!

[@nathalie9329]

Thanks for the video and being honest about running out of money. I personally had saved up a bit of money and planned to do a thru hike on a long distance trail in England last year and ran out of money half way through which is a bit of a shame... but I will finish it some day

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Natha Lie you’re welcome, I always try to be honest, but sometimes it’s difficult to put that stuff out there! I’m sorry you had the same problem, but good for you for keeping it in your sights. Small steps in the right directions will get you there eventually!!

[@darrenwilson7205]

Hi Michelle This has been a huge undertaking and i have huge respect for you as most people are going to do this one day but never do .So Give your self a huge pat on the back. Just getting to cape reanga is a huge undertaking and a huge steep as all you have is you pack on your back and what ever the future holds. That first steep into the unknown must have been terrifying and a re-leaf at the same time. I am looking at it as its not what it costs me but what is the value of the new start and the best adventure money can not buy. Your journey gave me the push i needed to make it happen and i now have got the PCT on my list as well. All i have had is just do it in bits from family, and at work it was you are going to do what ???? So i handed in my leave form with the i,m going with or without leave from work . So a huge thank you for all you great work and shearing you Joinery with us all .

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Darren Wilson You’re doing awesome Darren, you’ll be on trail sooner than you know it! Thanks again for the lovely comments

[@Vin-og2dj]

Wow!! This was so thorough and brilliant

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

You're welcome, glad you have found it helpful. Are you planning on hiking the TA?

[@Vin-og2dj]

@@LongWhiteGypsy I wanted to but watching your show REALLY opened my eyes as to how much I’d underestimated all the costs, food and fitness prepping I’d need. I found it interesting how you went through your back pack and began whittling down every minute piece of un-required bulk that would slow you and weigh you down (ie eye mask, a tiny pack of cornflour), things I didn’t even think about! I am convinced I’m going to have to join a professional walking group to get a full idea of what is actually required when doing a walk of your own. I’m in Australia though... I might have to do one for winter! 😂

[@camp.fish.repeat]

Awesome video, thank you, I'm just in training for this hike 😀

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

That's great! When are you planning on starting? This year, next year?

[@camp.fish.repeat]

Hopefully this year if all that's going on is under control , loving your series on the hike

[@bighgt]

I have been watching all your other videos the last few days and was going to ask what it cost you. I was going to do the PCT next year but with things changing I am not doing TA instead. Thanks for the video.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Big H Great to hear! Good luck for Te Araroa! Might see you on trail somewhere!

[@antoniabaker7770]

Me too. Had to delay my PCT hike so TA has moved up the list.

[@scorpiodesign6990]

Thanks a lot for the very helpful breakdown!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

ScorpioDesign glad you found it helpful! Sorry it’s a bit long 😊

[@stephanberg7335]

I hiked it in the 18/19 season, but had to stop once to work a for a while as I couldn't access my bank account at that time. So I had a major break of nearly 1 1/2 month after finishing the north island, where I worked. It was a very spontaneous idea to hike it (didn't intend, nor had I ever of Te Araroa before, when I came to New Zealand. So, regarding my spendings along the way. I was on a working holiday visa and for that I came to NZ with roughly 4000EUR/8000NZD. I had to pick nearly all my gear in Hamilton before heading up north and I only spent around 1000NZD for the biggest part of my gear (My tent weighted about 2.5 kilos and my overall base weight was around 15 kilos when I started). Due to that initial lack of money I lived pretty much on a strict budget and always bought those 5 Dollar/10 portion Ramen Noodles at Pack'n Save. Those were actually about 5 rather satisfying dinners. So I basically just bought quite cheat and light stuff and had a burger when I was in Town. With the Backcountry Huts pass, the mandatory fees you mentioned, the gear, the food supplies and spendings on accommodation, I spent about 4000-5000 NZD Dollars for (nearly) the entire trail. So it definitely was on the cheaper side, but it came with a lot of struggles, especially regarding the food and the overall weight I carried. The most expensive part were the flights from and back to Germany which combined costed around 3000 NZD in total.

[@jandal8905]

Cost me NZ $6000 to do a full through-hike of Te Araroa in 2015-16. I was travelling with my girlfriend. We ate well and enjoyed quite a few zero days.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Awesome info, thanks for sharing! Did this include your gear purchases or just your everyday expenses? What were your accommodation expenses like?

[@clairepearson3811]

Awesome, thanks Michelle, believe it or not I’ve actually opened a bank account, called it TA and it currently has a grand total of $105.00 in it 😂😳 So a long way to go, my goal is $10k 😫

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Claire Pearson Good for you Claire! This is exactly what I did before I started. It got right down to $0 and is now slowly making its way back up to the $3 or $4k buffer id like to have for South Island. We can do this together!! You’ll get there, just keep at it 😊

[@matsches]

Wow... everything sounds so expensive. Especially your gear seems quite expensive in my eyes. But then I realized that the exchange rate from NZD to € is crazy different than USD to €... Now I have to watch the video again :D But still, your gear was way more expensive than mine was. I paid 1600€ (2850 NZD) for my current setup with a base weight of 7649g. Still a little heavy... Thanks for the video :)

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Expect EVERYTHING to be more expensive in New Zealand. I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist (lol) so I blame the greedy government, using excuses like "It costs more to get things here" which is a load of crap in the modern world. Basically, NZ has ALWAYS charged more for things, and they aren't going to change that any time soon. Sending boxes and packages from New Zealand can also be a massive issue - you might be able to get a box here very cheaply, but postage both within and out of New Zealand will cost you a small fortune! My gear was expensive, but I started totally from scratch and (like I said) wanted to purchase a lot of the top of the line ultralight gear which is quite expensive when you convert to NZD.

[@7orcas]

Thanks for posting this

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

No problem! Hopefully it gave you some good insights!

[@Swingkid14]

Those prices are nuts. Should be around maximum 3000nzd incl gear. I've done 7 seasons in NZ and spend on average 1000nz a month incl food, beer, doc sites and gas.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Hey Jonah! If you're willing to share, I think other viewers would love to get a better idea of what your breakdown is per month on accommodation, food, postage, transport and other mandatory expenses like the trail donation. Every hiker is different, and I know plenty of people who have hiked the TA for far cheaper than I was able to achieve, and many others who spent more. I was also surprised to see I spent so much, but from the research I've done, what I spent is roughly on par for a total cost of $10,000 to hike the full length of the trail, taking into account I opted to go for the 'full experience' wherever possible i.e. canoe & kayak trips, bike hire. Also, it's worth bearing in mind that the North Island is typically far more expensive than the South Island. I also had higher transport expenses than most thru hikers, as I spent the final three weeks on the trail hopping between various locations. Other areas where most thru hikers could save money are explained in the video and in the spreadsheet that goes with it (e.g. I couldn't opt for 'cheaper' resupply alternatives as I have some specific dietary requirements that prevent me from eating a more 'normal' trail diet of cous cous and noodles etc.)

[@graceygrumble]

Can you order food on-line to be delivered to campsites? Not in remote places, obviously. I know I can be done in the UK, from a moored boat, or on a campsite, which is a game-changer.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Good question Gracey. I'm not aware of any services that do this in New Zealand. I know, especially on the PCT, there are a couple of places you can have pizza delivered on trail. But in NZ delivery companies usually won't deliver unless to an actual registered address. If you're staying at a holiday park, you can probably arrange for them to deliver there. They will usually call you on your cellphone when they arrive and meet you at the camp office. At other places though, you may have to ring first to ask.

[@graceygrumble]

@@LongWhiteGypsy Cheers.

[@daano465]

So is it fine to pay the donation after I've done the trail? I feel like I might need every penny while there since I have to pay for expensive tickets aswell. But I'd happily pay it afterwards if that is okay.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Daan Overbekking Because it’s a donation, I guess you can pay it whenever you like. I was in the same situation though and I’ll admit I paid mine after I finished. The downside with that though is that you might end up running completely out of money (like me) and not be able to afford to pay it at all. That’s why next time I’ll be treating it more like a mandatory expense I have To pay BEFORE I start.

[@daano465]

What do you thinkof taking a rivercrossing course while on the trail? I basically have no way to do one where I live in Europe, but found some options in NZ.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Daan Overbekking I would highly recommend it! I learned so much and a lot of it stood me in good stead for the trail. Tbh you could probably get away with not doing it until you reached Auckland. Although basically all the estuary crossings are north of Auckland, they are relatively straightforward as long as you’re sensible. Have you seen my Lessons in River Safety video... check it out!

[@daano465]

@@LongWhiteGypsy Thanks, I'll check it out. I

[@pomadom]

I’m walking the Te Araroa starting 28th regards Bill Izard

[@nzmarty]

The only thing I would say - if the trail takes 6 months, and you can park your daily living costs - rent/power/car use/etc - does it actually cost you any more than living your off-trail life??

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

No, I think that it still probably works out cheaper to live on trail. I mean, usually it was only about $25 on average to stay somewhere every night (equates to $175/wk). Even if you were living off dehy meals the whole time that's still only about $210/wk. You're still quids in at the end of the day.

[@Morphytravels]

Do you maybe know if you allowed to travel on Whanganui river on your own boat? I was planing on packrafting it

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Hi Rod! This is a great question, and I'm not actually sure. I did a quick look around online and I can't find anything that specifically says you can't packraft the river. I see packrafters have attempted the upper reaches, seemingly without issue. I would suggest you maybe contact the local DoC office (Whakapapa iSite may be able to help you) to confirm that though.

[@Morphytravels]

@@LongWhiteGypsy Ok, will do that, thanks for the tipp :)

[@camp.fish.repeat]

How many kms were you doing a day ?

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

It really varied quite a lot depending on the particular section or terrain. Some days 12 km (although still 8-10 hours of hiking), other days 40+. My longest day was 42km. More often than not, though, I hovered around 25-30km per day. A lot of this is dictated by location of campsites, so some days you can't walk much further than this (unless you're super speedy).

[@CarlosWilkie]

Intercity buses have good passes avaliable :)

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

And they cover most major routes, which is great for hikers without transport!

[@beyondhorizons9758]

Looks like you need to hire an accountant to do the TA :)

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Hahah, at least a budget manager!

[@neutronshiva2498]

So it's not state trail, but some private "trust" thingy??? Ewww

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Well, it is a private trust, but it's operated for the public good... if that makes sense. The upshot of it is that there is often less funding to help maintain the trail and route it through wilderness areas. This is improving on a yearly basis as the current CEO works hard to improve the trail, but it will be something that takes decades to achieve, and probably will never resemble a true wilderness corridor.

[@Michael-lg4wz]

It wouldnt exist as a whole otherwise.

[@nonanon666]

Hiking and camping; the art of spending money like a stockbroker with a cocaine habit, to live like a homeless person.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Haha yes.... seems an awful lot of money to spend to be smelly, dirty, hungry and exhausted for 3 months! But welcome to NZ! Where everything is priced like it's coated in solid gold :)

[@nonanon666]

@@LongWhiteGypsy , yeah I'm in Mid Canterbury, where every outdoor adventure includes driving through two hours of flat intensive dairy farming before you even get to the trail/lake/river, and two hours home, so I have diesel and RUCs on top of MacPac/Kathmandu/Canon prices.

[@faroplague4004]

Donation means donation. They need to change the name of it to "fee" The freedom camper hate is ridiculously hypocritical. We claim clean green NZ but hardly keep our own country clean. The moment a foreigner freedom camps and leaves some rubbish (it was bugger all people that did this) our country goes into an uproar and punishes the rest of us. Btw kiwi born and bred. Freedom camped most of my life across my own country and hate how stick up the arse we've become about it.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Some good points here Valdis. I very much agree there should be some sort of paid permit system for the TA rather than relying on donations. As for freedom camping, I agree with you about the 'clean green 100% pure' farce. I could go into a diatribe about freedom camping, but I won't because that's not what this channel is for. I respect your opinion, however and I don't have the privilege of experience to know who might or might not be leaving the rubbish and raw faeces (as has been the case here in Taupo). I am sure you are right, and it is not the 'foreigners' as you say, but the New Zealanders who are travelling through the country. Personally I wouldn't have an issue paying to camp at a freedom campsite if I was in the same position (which I hope to be in the future). I'd rather have facilities that are upkept and probably a flushing toilet or nice clean long drop or two and pay for it. I suspect most people are the same.