The birth of Hansel's Hikoi ...
The idea of hiking the Te Araroa trail developed after hearing of a dear friend's hike across Spain.
Keen to explore more of our beautiful country, we started to talk about whether any such through hike existed locally.
After a quick Google search one evening, we stumbled across 'Te Araroa' - a 3000km trail the length of New Zealand.
We skimmed through the information and just let it soak in. We can't remember ever asking one another whether we should give it a go, instead, while we read, it seemed to just happen. A silent decision between two equally crazy people.
... the journey had begun.
Welcome
Kia Ora koutou, we are Hannah and Selwyn. Welcome to our big adventure. We both bring something quite different to the Hansel team. Hannah is in charge of cooking, entertainment, and outlandish ideas. Selwyn is in charge of setting up the tent, navigation and general common sense. Three things we are most looking forward to: taking time out from what has been a busy few years, learning to live in a more simple fashion, and just being out there and enjoying God's beautiful creation. |
Te Reo Turei
As part of our hike through New Zealand, we have commited to speaking Te Reo Maori (no English) every Tuesday. We have been learning Maori through Te Wananga O Aotearoa for two years. As New Zealander's, we both see a responsibility to care for the Maori langauge and are thankful we have had the opportunity to learn from skilled teachers and wonderful classmates. We are definitely still learning, but learning is all about giving it a go, so keep an eye on our blog every Tuesday to check our progress. |