Baptiste Ollivier and Lucie Gager stand on a high point in the rugged Richmond Range. Photo / Supplied
Baptiste Ollivier and Lucie Gager stand on a high point in the rugged Richmond Range. Photo / Supplied
A thunderstorm on the Whanganui River and a frozen night on a South Island saddle are no problem to young French trail walkers Baptiste Ollivier and Lucie Gager.
They're just two of many Te Araroa trail workers making their way through Whanganui this summer.
The two started the trail inBluff on January 19 last year, intending to walk all the way to Cape Reinga in one go. But they had to stop halfway - just after the Richmond Range in Nelson - for the lockdown.
The range is very steep, they had to carry enough food for eight to 10 days and walking 12km could take eight hours. But by that time on the trail their bodies were ready for the challenge.
"We needed to sleep and eat a lot, so it was a good time [to stop]," Gager said.
They spent level 4 in a backpackers in Havelock, then did level 3 with Working Weekends on Organic Farms hosts in Nelson. By that time it was nearly winter.
They paused, wondering whether to go back to France. The South Island had been a great, great experience, they said. They had just loved the landscapes.
"There's not a day in the South Island where you wake up and you don't want to go."
They got two months' work in Nelson and resumed the trek north in August, on the Queen Charlotte Track. At that time of year they had it to themselves.
They started a southbound trek at Cape Reinga on November 6, and Gager was one of the 60 per cent of people who got blisters while walking the beach - but she was undeterred.
"We liked it because it was back on the trail, from what we knew of the South Island and what we love," she said.
The Northland forests were not as muddy as they had been told. They expected the Whanganui River to be a highlight, and found it very beautiful. They paddled the whole 245km.
There were a lot of others on the water between Whakahoro and Pipiriki, but it was so peaceful they could still feel alone.
What the North Island lacked in scenery it made up for in fresh food and hospitality. The two have been hosted on 10 of their 60 nights so far - without planning ahead.
"When you are walking in the streets, people will ask 'Do you want a beer?' We said 'No' at first. After that we just took and people would invite us [to stay with them]. It happens to us all the time," Gager said.
In Whanganui the two stayed with trail angels Rob Firmin and George Mills. They stocked up and will resume their walk south to finish in Wellington in two weeks.
Te Araroa trail walkers Baptiste Ollivier and Lucie Gager loved the mountains and lakes of the South Island. Photo / Supplied
Firmin and Mills have had fewer Te Araroa guests this season - about 40 so far, compared to 60 by this time last season. They are expecting a group of 12 soon.
They've noticed there are more New Zealanders and fewer overseas people this year, and they are also getting some "break walkers".
"They're Kiwis who are on the trail who have to go home for a dental appointment or a doctor's appointment or Christmas, and they come back and carry on," Firmin said.
Te Araroa chief executive Mark Weatherall bears this out. This year 750 people have registered to do the whole trail, compared to about 1500 last year. More than 80 per cent are Kiwis, whereas 80 per cent used to be from overseas.
The difference could be Kiwis are unable to travel overseas and are looking for new pursuits, and some may enjoy a less crowded experience, he said.
There are still lots of people aged 18 to 25, and middle-aged Kiwi couples.
"It's awesome that a lot more Kiwis are getting out there. It's a neat adventure for people that way inclined," he said.
He's only heard favourable comments about the new route south from Whanganui through Fordell, Whangaehu Beach and reaching Koitiata by crossing the Turakina River. But he is still looking at alternatives.
"We are continuing to look at how we can reduce the road walking between Whanganui and Palmerston North."
