Several days on the trail, sleeping in huts or a tent, then home again. A section walk is the honest middle of Te Araroa, long enough to feel like a journey and short enough to fit a holiday.
What to expect
Multi-day sections vary from two days to a fortnight. You carry what you need between resupply points, sleep in backcountry huts or camp, and cross country where help is not close at hand. Most walkers build up to the harder alpine sections rather than starting on them.
Read the walker safety essentials before you choose one. River crossings, weather and navigation are what turn a good section into a hard one. Trail logistics covers huts, passes and how the trail notes work.
Sections, north to south
Every multi-day section of Te Araroa, in walking order. Distances and times are a guide for a reasonably fit walker. Bypass routes are not listed here; they appear on the full trail and on the map.
32 of 32 sections
Northland 5
Waikato 4
Whanganui 4
Manawatū 1
Wellington 1
Marlborough 3
Tasman 2
Canterbury 6
Otago 3
Southland 3
Going further
Linking sections together is how most people end up walking one island, and then the whole trail. If you have a day rather than a week, start with a day walk.