"Mum and Dad have each walked 100km of the trek with me which is amazing because they are not experienced trampers.
"My mother undertook the 90 Mile beach part of the walk with me and it was arduous - you see ocean and sand hills and the only things that break up the scenery are jelly fish and the occasional puffer fish so I'm really grateful to Mum for doing that part of the journey with me."
The former Whangarei resident now lives in Auckland. There have been other fellow travellers along the way including a French couple met at Kerikeri, and American Shane Von Schlemp. Ms Cox left Wanganui on her own yesterday but says she is likely to meet up with some of her companions again and hopefully meet some new ones. She is following the Te Araroa Trail, taking in 3000km of tracks and roads starting at Cape Reinga and ending in Bluff where Ms Cox plans to be "drinking celebratory bubbles by April."
"I am making sure I take every step of the trail. Some people hitch rides along the way and count it as part of the journey but I won't be doing that."
To see her updates or make a donation visit oxfam.org.nz and enter Trekking Today, Training Tomorrow or send an email to rbcoxy@gmail.com