Crossing New-Zealand along 3000km on the TE ARARO Trail : 5-6 months of solo hiking from October 2014 - March2015 WHAT IS THE TE ARAROA ? It' is an approximately 3,000 km trail crossing New-Zealand, from Cape Reinga, North, to Bluff at the bottom of the south island. The trail was a dream of a kiwi, Geoff Chapple about 20 years ago. He did an epic end to end scouting hike in 1999 and since then has pieced the trail together to the "official opening" at the end of 2011. HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO OTHER LONG TRAIL? Te Araroa Trail is totally hikable but not a ton of information, not a ton of hikers have done it and the trail isn't really complete and the trail tread can be very tough. The biggest misconception is that this is New Zealand and NZ has awesome hiking "Great Walks". Of the 9 Great Walks that everyone who visits NZ does, the TA only touches 2 of them (and one is a canoe trip of 120 to 170 km on Whanganui River). 80% of the trail is trail that pretty much no one but TA hikers hike. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY DONE THE TA ? It's new, it's rough a and it's relatively untrodden and unfrequented. As a long trail, few people to hike the whole trail. This 2013/2014 season, I'd say there are approximately 40 people going end to end... at least starting for this Trail and referenced by the Te Araroa Trust. WHY NEW-ZEALAND ? WHY HIKING ? WHY LONG TRAIL ? WHY SOLO ? I already have hiking experiences on French GR (Great Hiking Tracks) : Crossing the Alps, the Pyrenees, or around Brittany and the « Ecrins »... NZ is an amazing country with a great variety of landscape. Crossing a whole country on foot give plenty time to enter into places (physical, mental and spiritual) that you cannot otherwise reach in a limited time and over short distances. This luxury may not be available to everyone. It is a special way to experience a country, its landscape, its nature, its fauna and flora, its people, its history, its weather... Solo require to rely on yourself and your capacity but leads you at the same time to open your mind to the surroundings, to the people you meet. On the trail one will overcome daily challenges, enjoy triumphs, cope with disappointments, and learn from mistakes. Most of all it is an opportunity to live each and every moment intensely. PROMOTING A CHARITY ASSOCIATION: I'm feel really concern by Childhood by profession and commitments. Children are on the front line facing poverty. No need to travel far for that. Even in developed countries. I would like to associate my trail project to support and promote KidsCan NZ, which provide support to 352 schools throughout New Zealand and more than 10,000 children. Would like to use my project to raise funds and promote this organization. HOW CAN YOU HELP ME? Any help, support or sponsorship will be great ! On one hand, I would like to share my project with much people as possible. My passion of kinking and tramping came from my readings, books and magazines of course, but blogs and website too, well-known adventurers movies and lots of other private videos published on Youtube and so on... That's why I want to share my previous experiences of tramping and my actual project. The Te Araroa is quite unknown abroad as much as NZ tramping possibilities. I really want to share my passion and inspire peoples. On the other hand, up to now, my project is only self-financed. As everyone my resources are limited. Because the major expense rely on flying tickets (France to NZ), Visa&insurance, Transport (to the start/back from the end, kayak location on Whanganui River, Ferry crossing between North and South Island), and inevitable food expense. I then focus in priority on security (a GPS, a Personal Locator Beacon), then on bivouac equipment and finally on clothes and confort accessories. I already invest in equipment and clothes in the past but these furniture are old-looking and mostly unsuited for a 6 month trail (less efficient and more heavy than new equipment). All these comfort furniture are, financially speaking, pushed into the background. This way, any equipment of financial support or sponsorship will be helpful. HOW CAN I PROMOTE YOUR ACTION? I have dedicated a website to share my past tramping experiences, to share the preparation of this project and in the future to publish my tramping adventure on the Te Araroa. http://throughtramp.wordpress.com/ The Blog recorded approximately 10 000 visits in 4 months, from Europe, North America, Australia and New-Zealand. I was very surprised and enthusiastic so I dedicated a FaceBook page: http://www.facebook.com/teararoasupertramp To promote your action and you help to my project, I could include links and banners on my blog/page and promote your support. I plan to take as much pictures as possible and to edit short movies about my Trail and my visits in New-Zealand. I could refer to your help on these media and audio-visual aid. I have already done amateur movie editions on my previous hiking and published on YouTube and Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/user23806785/videos Lastly, I would like to write and publish a book on my experience on the Te Araroa Trail after I return, as much as a Tramping Guide on this trail. It very few documented, nothing en French and very few people know about this young Trail. HOW CAN YOU CONTACT ME? As I work and live in France, it will be easier to exchange by e-mail. I will be pleased to share with you on my project: JAFFRO Loïc : [email protected] http://throughtramp.wordpress.com/ or on Facebook : Te Araroa Supertramp