Whangārei’s Talisha Buckingham walks Te Araroa Trail for Crohn’s and colitis

Whangārei’s Talisha Buckingham (centre) caught up with friends, from left Faith Puharich, Hadi Abdul Hairy and Dasha Inonova, when she got back. Photo / Mike Dinsdale

After 182 days and over 3000km walking the Te Araroa Trail to raise money and awareness for a cause close to your heart, what is the first thing you do when you get home?

For Whangārei woman Talisha Buckingham it wasn’t sleep for a week to recover but catch up with some of her best mates for coffee and kai.

Buckingham arrived back in town earlier this month after completing her marathon walk to raise money and awareness for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, collectively known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

One of the first things she did the was meet up with friends Faith Puharich, Hadi Abdul Hairy and Dasha Inonova who she has worked alongside in Whangārei’s cafe scene.

“I just really wanted to catch up with some of my best friends, have a good coffee and some nice food, which meant I didn’t have to eat dehydrated food again,” she said.

Buckingham set off from Cape Rēinga on October 25 with fellow Northlander Dougie Haynes, and they finished at Bluff on April 24.

She is delighted her marathon effort paid off, initially hoping to raise $5000 through her Givealittle page for Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand, but at last count it was at more than $9500.

Buckingham has just finished a gruelling 3000km hike to raise money and awareness for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, after suffering from it herself.

She suffers from colitis , which left her hospitalised for two weeksin 2024, losing more than 8kg and worrying about her long-term future.

Haynes, originally from Oxford in England, did the walk to raise money for Kids Can and Mind (a UK mental health charity).

Haynes carried two golf bags, complete with clubs , while Buckingham had a pack weighing about 15kg.

Haynes is a fulltime caddie, plying his trade at Tara Iti and Te Arai Links golf clubs in Mangawhai.

Moving there in 2019 he said the inspiration to attempt Te Araroa trail was from seeing other hikers pass through his town.

Mangawhai’s Dougie Haynes has just walked the Te Araroa Trail’s 3000km carrying two golf bags.

“I’ve known in my heart that it’s something I want to complete,” Haynes said.

Buckingham said it was a “crazy” journey, with some of the most spectacular and sometimes dangerous countryside, from flat beaches to rain forests and mountain passes..

Buckingham, a teacher, said the cause was important to her and she wanted to show others that they could still achieve in life.

Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand hold an annual camp for people living with IBD, which she attended for the first time in 2025, she said.

They pay for the costs of many kids so they can make it there. .

“It was at camp that I realised I wasn’t alone with this and others were going through it too. It was so empowering. It can cost up to $50,000 to run so I wanted to do something to help get them to camp,” she said.

Buckingham on her epic 3000km walk from Cape Reinga to Bluff to raise money and awareness for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

She wasn’t sure that she would make it at first, but “once you start, you get stronger as you go.

“I just wanted to make the most of life and of being healthy. I’d read about the Te Araroa Trail and thought that would be a good challenge,” she said.

And challenge it was, often going through four seasons in one morning as she battled fatigue, the wild environment and the weather. In the process, she learned a lot about herself and the country.

Talisha Buckingham set off from Cape Rēinga in October.

“I don’t think anything can really prepare you for this walk, it’s such a contrast along the way with so many different terrains, some that can be pretty dangerous at times. It’s a crazy thing to do but it was amazing.”