Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui woman Kate Emery uses Te Araroa trail to sort out life's challenges

Laurel Stowell
By Laurel Stowell
Reporter·Whanganui Chronicle·
13 Dec, 2019 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Kate Emery carries tent, stove, sleeping bag, food and water in a 16kg pack on the Te Araroa trail. Photo / Bevan Conley

Kate Emery carries tent, stove, sleeping bag, food and water in a 16kg pack on the Te Araroa trail. Photo / Bevan Conley

A young Whanganui woman thought walking the 3000km Te Araroa trail would give her "alone time in the bush" - but she's finding it a very social experience.

Kate Emery set out from Cape Reinga on October 23, in 90km/h winds. She hopes to be in Bluff by the end of March, then walk a 10-day Rakiura circuit on Stewart Island.

She's from Maxwell and the Ngā Rauru iwi and last year her life revolved around getting onto the trail. She had graduated and then worked to save the recommended $7000 to $10,000, sometimes doing two jobs.

She wanted to see New Zealand before travelling overseas, to grow in herself and decide what to do next.

"I don't really know what direction I want to head in. Hopefully I figure that out on the trail. If not, I have to keep walking."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She was fit when she started the walk, but it was still hard.

READ MORE:
• Constable Gary Hayes on track to walk 3000km on Te Araroa Trail
• Premium - Te Araroa trail: How these two travel the world from their own home
• Premium - Voted one of best long walks in the world: How the Te Araroa Trail is gaining popularity
• Conservation Comment: Te Araroa Trail concerns

"The first four days along 90 Mile Beach is really tough on the body, especially on the feet. I had five layers of blisters on both feet, and my shoulders were really sore getting used to my pack."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

After three weeks her feet were better, her pack was lighter and she was stronger. She's found her "sweet spot", doing 25 to 30km a day without getting too tired.

She brought a group of seven to her parents' home at Maxwell on November 11, having done 1300km. They ate, drank, slept, washed themselves and their clothes - "all the things that you want to do as soon as you get to a town".

Discover more

Move to get walking Te Araroa Trail off highway

10 Jun 10:31 PM
Travel

Voted one of best long walks in the world: How the Te Araroa Trail is gaining popularity

03 Nov 10:22 PM

'Opportunity to give back' - Te Araroa trail host

11 Nov 04:00 PM

'She was that upset': Resident says river crossing dangerous

24 Nov 04:00 PM

She'll head off soon with her dad, Mark Sutherland, to do the Tararua stretch.

Emery has only spent a few nights on her own. One was at Ocean Beach in Northland, where she woke early to a silent, misty morning and was the only person on the beach.

Another wonderful leg was the paddle across the Bay of Islands, from Paihia to Waikare, before walking through Russell Forest. The stretch from Waipu to Mangawhai was another highlight, passing through forest and farmland, on boardwalks and on sand.

Walkers on Te Araroa trail explore the Tararua Ranges.
Walkers on Te Araroa trail explore the Tararua Ranges.

The worst weather so far happened during the five-day paddle from Whakahoro to Whanganui.

"I've got some leaks in my tent now. Paddling in the thunderstorms was a bit unnerving, with lightning all around us."

Emery is in the middle of a surge of southbound Te Araroa walkers, with about 20 in Whanganui, 20 ahead and 20 behind. She's met only three other New Zealanders doing the walk.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"As soon as I find them, I attach to them."

She carries a personal locator beacon (PLB), wears trail running shoes and keeps her pack down to 16kg. She doesn't like the dehydrated meals she eats most nights, and carries a stove to make her morning coffee.

"I snack a lot, because the main meals are just so gross."

She'd like to meet more Kiwis on the trail.

"If anyone wants to do it, I think 'go for it - make it happen'."

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

'No significant changes': All calm after quake swarm at Ruapehu

Whanganui Chronicle

'Surprising' lack of property value growth in Whanganui region

Premium
OpinionKevin Page

Kevin Page: Facing fears, finding humour and relief in medical journey


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

'No significant changes': All calm after quake swarm at Ruapehu
Whanganui Chronicle

'No significant changes': All calm after quake swarm at Ruapehu

The temperature of Te Wai ā-moe remains stable at about 12°C.

14 Jul 11:23 PM
'Surprising' lack of property value growth in Whanganui region
Whanganui Chronicle

'Surprising' lack of property value growth in Whanganui region

14 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Premium
 Kevin Page: Facing fears, finding humour and relief in medical journey
Kevin Page
OpinionKevin Page

Kevin Page: Facing fears, finding humour and relief in medical journey

14 Jul 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP