Te Araroa trapping!!!
We are a family that is tramping Te Araroa South Island to raise money for Pure Salt and the NZ Nature Fund.
Canterbury
We are a family that is tramping Te Araroa South Island to raise money for Pure Salt.
Pure Salt is an Adventure Charter Operator that is trying to remove predators from parts of Fiordland to let the birds and trees grow. Pure Salt aims to make Dusky sound one of the most intact eco-systems on Earth, and New Zealand's largest 'bio-bank'. It works with the New Zealand Nature fund to achieve this. (The NZ Nature Fund is the new operating name for the NZ National Parks and Conservation Foundation).
Te Araroa is a trail that goes the length of New Zealand. We are tramping (and biking the gravel road connecting bits) the South Island section of Te Araroa which starts at Queen Charlotte Sound and goes to Bluff along the Southern Alps. A total of 1200km, over roughly 2 months, 20km a day. What an adventure!
Kristina Anglem's involvement (page creator)
Pure Salt's slogan is 'Make it Happen'. Our family relates to this as we came up with the idea of tramping the South Island and re-calibrating with nature.
Use of funds
The funds raised will be used to buy traps, equipment, and to help monitor and maintain the traplines. Each trap costs $199 and a re-baiting kit costs $60.
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Latest update
Bluff 2 January 2023
So cool. So very cool to have done this.
On the eve of our first day after finishing I wondered what we had done during the day. We'd biked some fun trails and played at the lake and generally fiddled about... what we hadn't done is walk for 8 to 9 hrs. How did we even do that? I already wondered.
I flicked the switch on the kettle and had hot water. I put my rubbish in the bin instead of carry it around with me for a week. I didn't need to hurry anyone along to get ready because we had no hut we had to make by days end. ... It was these types of things that I was most aware of. Not the bed, or the fridge and food readily available, or the flushing toilet and hot shower. Mentally I didn't have to be planning the timing and logistics of our day, or keeping a clear space in my head to have the capacity to manage the mystery challenge that was bound to appear at some stage.
We'd done it.
I was asked by many "how did it feel to touch the post at Bluff?" There was excitement and amazement in their voice. But I didn't feel the buzz of adrenaline when we finished. It wasn't like crossing a race finish line where you feel like you've absolutely conquered something and have the intensity of the mission at the forefront of your mind. We had been going for 2 months, or actually longer when I include the planning phase, at a notch down from that on a long slow burn. I cried, as everyone predicted I would. I was full of emotion. Emotions like gratitude and awe and contentment and peace. The emotions that are behind a long 'arrrrhhhhhhh' which has an accompanying relaxed smile and the action of shoulders dropping.
The kids were incredible. So adaptable and capable and expressive. I marvelled numerous times at how stoked I was that they were keen and that we were here doing the T.A together. As individuals and as a family I think we'll all have a sense of ourselves pre T.A and post T.A. It's just so cool to have done this.
A heart felt thanks to all the love and support we received along the way. Every bit contributed to making this so cool.
All that's left to say is 'What the Chickens!?'
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