Walking the Te Araroa Trail – A Documentary Photography Project
In 2025, My partner and I walked part of one of the world’s most extraordinary long-distance journeys — the Te Araroa Trail, a 3,000 km walking route stretching the entire length of New Zealand, from Cape Reinga in the north to Bluff in the south. My partner and I walked the South Island Section of the trail. This project is a blend of my passions: documentary photography, slow travel, and capturing wild, untouched landscapes.
As a travel and documentary photographer, I aimed to create an in-depth visual record of what it means to walk the Te Araroa Trail: the people you meet, the places you pass through, the challenges, the rhythm of long days on foot, and the quiet, powerful moments that define the journey.
About the Project
This body of work explored:
The diverse landscapes of the Te Araroa Trail — beaches, forests, mountains, towns, and remote wilderness
The culture and communities that support the trail
Stories from fellow hikers, locals, and tangata whenua
The physical and emotional experience of thru-hiking
The connection between humans and the land in Aotearoa, New Zealand
My goal was to create a documentary collection that is honest, immersive, and true to the spirit of the trail.
A poem written by Daniel Wight on the final day of walking the Te Araroa Trail.
Finishing as a group. We called ourselves Petr Poppins & Crew.
Here’s yin fir Petr Poppins and Crew
We walked on by, many Bonnie a view
Along the beach, 50k we flew
To a journeys end, we always knew
A good pace we kept steady
For the end, oor weary legs are ready
Here at Stirling point, it is the end
Many memories we made and time well spent.
