Geoff Chapple - Te Araroa The New Zealand Trail: One Man Walks His Dream

Bob Ussher, then president of the Alpine Sports Club, deserves credit for first proposing a long scenic trail in 1967, and more recently two people influenced the reincarnation of that. My good friend William Ball triggered the idea in my mind. Denis McLeans 1986 book TheLongPathwayTeAraroa, about an 800-km East Coast walk, almost certainly sat in memory and afforded the name for the longer trail when the time came. The people of Te Araroa, the East Coast settlement, have been generous since in allowing wider use of the name.

Many whove helped are mentioned in the text, and I wont repeat my gratitude here. The 100-odd regional, district and city council planners, Department of Conservation staff and others who helped with the original trail design are thanked in my two trail route publications of 1997 and 2001. Allan Turner from Waikato District Council and Warren Stace of Environment Waikato both encouraged me to use the Waikato stopbanks for a river trail. Rob Holmes, and Malcom and Ngaire Entwisle, allowed this same river trail to cross private land, and 12 other farmers generously agreed.

Ken Beatson, designer of the New Zealand walkway symbol, gave us a standout logo, and the late R. G. S. Beatson helped my first North Island walk. Two former trampers gave the first $25 after my internet appeal for money to keep walking their letter ruefully noted their own hip replacements and shot knees, and urged me on. Thanks also, in the context of helping my walk, to Jenny Wheeler, Barry Fell, the Willi Fels Trust and Wilderness Walks, to John and Robyn Rule for homebaked bread, and freshly gathered mussels and paua. Also Liz and Pete Watkinson for use of their bach.

Glenda Bostwick took a close planning interest at North Shore City and later at Whangarei District Council. Mark Thompson supervised Te Araroas trail through the Herekino Forest. Sonia Frimmel was in charge of the recent extension of our Waikato trail to Huntly. Dave Thompson, Mike Grace, Tahi Ngakete and Jaqi Brown all helped with Maori liaison. Graeme Campbell gave advice on the memorandum of understanding with DoC, and John Tizard and Bob Stevens gave legal advice. John Ringer and Peter Crowe from Paradigm designed a distinctive trust booklet, architect Nigel Cook a smart and cheap tramping shelter. Ian Rodger stood in for me on trail matters while I was walking in the south.

Thanks to the Fairburn estate for permission to quote from the poem To a Friend in the Wilderness and to the Topp Twins for lines from the song Turangawaewae.

The various organisations that have given free goods, services or grants include PriceWaterhousecoopers, Vodafone, the Giltrap Motor Group, Grant Alexander at Studio Alexander, BellGullys David McGregor and Linda OReilly, Saatchi & Saatchis Howard Greive, also the Lottery Grants Board, the Tindall Foundation, the Hillary Commission, the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, the WEL Energy Trust, Gallagher Group, Trust Waikato, and the Community Employment Group.

Polly, Irene and Amos Chapple have all at separate times said theyll walk this trail or did I imagine that? At any rate, they urged me on. Miriam has been my great support throughout. Any reading of this book will find her work both in and between the lines.