Courtney Williams said it was hard to put the experience into words.
“There is a sense of disbelief that we actually walked the entirety of New Zealand. I’m so proud of the kids and of us as a family, for working together and getting through all that,” she said.
“We’re sad that it’s over because it was such a simple way of living and we now have to go back to work and everyday life.”
Courtney and Andrew were working as fulltime dairy farmers before they set out on the trail, craving the incredible views posted by other Te Araroa walkers on social media for themselves.
The family had done the odd trail run, day walks and climbs before but nothing comparable to Te Araroa trail, Courtney said.
“We knew we had kids that were physically fit, but we hadn’t done overnight hikes or anything like that before we decided to do it,” she said.
The journey ended up a little more expensive than planned, because the family typically ate more expensive but light-to-carry dehydrated meals, and often had to pay extra for the children to stay at holiday parks.
There were the odd “trail angels” who offered them beds along the way, but the Williams family spent most nights either in Department of Conservation hut or tents carried all the way.
On a typical day, the family would average about 20km of walking, with the occasional day off.
At most, they would walk up to 32km a day, or for about 12 hours.
Courtney said the children, who were normally home-schooled, would have learned more from walking the trail than from a textbook.
“We just made time, like an hour or so at the beginning or end of the day of actual book work. Everything else was learnt along the way. The classroom became the most beautiful environment,” she said.
She said they documented the trip on their Instagram page, Gumboots and Sneakers.
“It’s something to hold you accountable but also refer back to as memories for the kids,” she said.
“We’ve had people message us and say ‘I’ve taken my kids on my first overnight hike thanks to you’, so you know, that’s really exciting.”
Elliot – aged just 6 – enjoyed plenty of things on the trail, including a trip to a salmon farm in Twizel.
“Seeing all the birds, climbing the mountain, seeing all the nature and all that stuff, the views, and also catching my salmon,” he said.
Skye said the walk not only helped her overcome her fear of heights, but left her feeling stronger.
“I got more resilient. I learnt resilience and overcoming my fears,” she said.
Summer said she loved meeting people, seeing different birds and climbing mountains to see beautiful views.
“Most of the days I was really happy. I loved hiking to see all the birds and all of that. I loved it, every day,” she said.
Oliver said every part of the trail was special, but the hike was difficult at times.
“The Richmond Ranges were very difficult and going to Wellington, that was very hard mentally because there was walking on the roads and nothing to see. That disappeared when we went to the south,” he said.
Te Araroa chief executive Matt Claridge said the family’s walk was a remarkable achievement.
“Families getting out on the Te Araroa are certainly the minority. For a family of six, that is incredibly rare and a wonderful experience and feat they’ve been through for the past eight months,” he said.
“Some will think that is a heck of a long time, but actually, what a great time. I think there are plenty of New Zealanders who will look at that and be inspired to consider Te Araroa too now.”
Claridge believed Elliot would be one of the youngest to have completed the trail.
