Te Araroa – Day 66

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Birchwood Hut to Bluff Campground

21.1 miles

Mile 1862.0

From Birchwood Shelter I hitched to Ingercarvill, skipping about 80 miles of trail. RIP. I missed a small forest section, followed by some road and beach walks…I can live with that.

From Invercargill rejoined the trail, following an estuary pathway out of town south towards Bluff.

Eventually the pathway ended at a road that I walked into the town of Bluff. I swung by the campground in town to setup shop, before hiking up the Bluff summit and down the other side to Stirling Point.

I passed a couple neat historic WW2 defenses on the way.

And that’s a wrap. From Cape Reinga to Bluff, I’ve walked the length of New Zealand, with a bit of hitching and boat rides thrown in. It’s been a hell of an adventure!

Cheers!

P.s. After a long day of travel I’m back in the northern hemisphere, home! It’s been an incredible year of travel, but it’s about time I go back to work. I’m squeezing in a quick thru hike of the Arizona Trail as I apply for jobs…wish me luck!

P.p.s. When I reached the Southern Terminus I was rewarded with the best toilet ever. The spaceship shitter.

18 thoughts on “Te Araroa – Day 66”

  1. Congratulations, Austin! I enjoyed your travel through NZ (especially Lake Pukaki).

    Best to you in your job search. I hope the title of your blog holds true at your new job.

    Be well.

    • Thanks Roger! I sure enjoyed sharing the adventure. All the lakes were neat, so awesome places to swim.

  3. Austin,

    So you did it, another country, well done.
    I like the ending, a long way to go, but not a bad place to pee.
    Very spacey in there, scary if the power goes out – to be stuck at the end of the world.
    Thanks for sharing, I was getting a little apprehensive as the video progressed, not too share how much you were going to share.

    And welcome back to the USA – weather has been brutal, pretty much everywhere, while you were away.
    The whole of North America is waiting for a beautiful spring.
    I am sure you will find a suitable hiking spot, the land awaits your return.

    Take care

    • Thanks John! Ha I didn’t think about the ramifications of power loss…that would be bad…

      It’s honestly great to be back. It’s fun to be abroad, but there’s no place like America.

  4. So proud of you and see you soon in San Diego for the big party. Have used that model toilet in Germany and had so much fun did it again with your grandfather but we chose to stay in and got soaked cause we couldn’t get out till it was done. It was just the best joke on us🙃

  5. Austin,
    Wow! Dropped you & your dad off last December and after a 2,000ish mile hike I’m so thankful you’re back! Thank you for taking us with you through the stunning photography …I have def added New Zealand to the bucket list. What a clean, scenic country and incredible hut system along the trail! Loved the the spaceship toilet & it’s scenic view … not a bad place to be. Glad you’re home & excited to join you on the AZ Trail (in Pine area? Or somewhere ) for maybe a couple of miles! 🥰🎉. How many miles is the AZ trail? 750?
    Congrats!
    Mom

    • Thanks mom! You’d love NZ…make dad take you there! And yup, the AZT is about 800 miles…can’t wait to spend the night at the cabin in Pine!

  6. Thanks again Austin for the nice blog and the beautiful pictures!
    I hope you adapt to normal life quick.

  7. Great trip and love your pictures. Yeah, that toilet was something else. Thanks for sharing! Good luck with your job search! You can travel more when you retire! I know, that’s what I’ve done for years.

    • Thanks Beverly! And yeah…that toilet was pretty great. The goal is to find something that keeps me outdoors!

  8. Thanks so much for the blog✋🥞🍺… It has been a blast keeping up with all of your travels. I wish you the best of luck on your new employment, but I have to say…. I really hope to keep following your adventures. You are really good at this, and don’t give up on it. Who knows, Maybe a Travel Channel show is in order? GREAT JOB! , and many thanks for all your posts (and rib jabs. I have added a few items to the list)

    • Thanks Chris! I’ve got one more adventure to share before I go back to work. Starting the AZT today!

  9. Congrats on another great hike. Thanks for sharing such beautiful photos and a wonderful blog this last year. It was always a joy when messages came in for your next posting.

    Blessings your way for a awesome job and getting settled back into the daily grind working. Will miss your post.

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