31 October 2026 Russell to The Farm ~14.7 mi/23.8km It’s October 31st! Back home, the leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter, and pumpkins are being prepared for Halloween night. Here, it’s springtime. Flowers blooming, lambs and calves in the fields, tropical-feeling forests bright green. I’ve been away from home for Halloween before, but …
30 October 2026 Kerikeri to Russell ~13 mi, plus 2 mile ferry/~21 km plus 3.2km ferry It’s always slow leaving town for me. I’m ready to get moving again but at the same time, inertia is a powerful thing. But I heave my newly heavy pack on and we get moving. A little while down …
29 October 2026 0 km/0 mi Sweet, blessed zero day. I make it my personal mission not to move more than is absolutely necessary. The morning is spent writing (and eating yogurt). Unsurprisingly, I’m behind on drafting my posts. And also unsurprisingly, I do not write in a focused manner. I scroll. I text our …
28 October 2026 Puketī Hut to Kerikeri 15 mi/24.3 km As far as I can tell, I’m the first one up. I fell asleep before 9, which makes this 5:30 wake up a nice thick 9 hours of sleep. Not that I was asleep the entire time, because I’m never that lucky backpacking, but still, …
26 October 2026 Blackbridge Road Campsite to Puketī Forest Hut 13.5 mi/21.9km Possums in North America are very cool. Possums in New Zealand are not. They are introduced, loud, vicious, and incredibly destructive to the environment. They’re also mean little thieves. For example: Ben left a granola bar tucked under the tent so that he …
26 October 2026 Makene Road Campsite to Blackbridge Road Campsite 14.1 mi/22.6 km When the alarm goes off, I sit up immediately, pop out of the tent, and take my legs for a test drive. I can definitely still feel the sore spot, but it seems less intense than yesterday. I make the call to …
25 October 2026 Krishna Sanctuary to Makene Road Campsite 13.7 mi/22.1km Did you know that they make backpacking frying pans? Well, they do, and we have one. We got it in Auckland and have been carrying it since the start but just got a chance to use it today. More specifically, Mash uses it to …
24 October 2026 Kaitaia to Krishna Sanctuary 0 km/0mi walked I wake up when the rustling starts. I do not want to get out of bed! Nooooo! Curl up into a ball and face the wall again. Soon Mash appears, asking if I want breakfast. I mumble some variation of “yes please” and immediately go …
23 October 2026 Hukatere Lodge to Kaitaia 45km/28.5 mi Up early again and one of the last to leave. It’s worth it for the cozy kitchen vibes. Coffee in a French press, sitting at the table, watching as the world grows light. It sounds like most of us are going all the way to Ahipara …
22 October 2026 Maunganui Bluff Campsite to Hukatere Lodge Campground 18.7 mi/31km We’re some of the first to wake up and some of the last to leave. Ain’t that just the way. It’s not super cold this morning, and I’m not as sore as I expected, but I’m still just moving so slowly. Mash makes …
