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The Audacious Path, Havelock (2026)

03/06/2026

I’d met an Austrian woman named Johanna back when I road the Timber Trail section.

We got along well - she was good company.

And then many weeks later, I ran into her again right before the Waiau Pass.

She was a people avoider, even more than me.

She seemed to have a deep connection with nature, and preferred to sleep alone in the middle of nowhere in her tent rather than sleep on a comfy hut mattress.

She had calm energy and perspective way past her age.

I was excited to see her and to spend the day hiking together to the next hut, which it seemed she would stay at with Owen and I.

She’s one of the two I had a snowball fight with by the way.

We set a short day for ourselves, partly due to the rain, partly due to logistics of organising which day to get into town, and partly because we’d heard the hut a bit farther onwards was not worth our while.

The only disappointment to the day was the rain.

Rain meant high rivers, and the next section started out with a big river crossing.

So in the midst of organising how far we would go, we were also trying to time the weather so we could keep moving.

Remember I’m on a deadline to get back to work.

I was given 4 months that my employer would hold my job for me.

I only had one month left to go before I needed to be back at work.

But that was later’s problem.

For now, I was excited to be dry in a hut earlier than expected.

Owen and I had gotten into a routine where we arrive, he cuts firewood (regardless of whether or not we actually burn a fire).

Then we eat.

Play Yahtzee.

Go to sleep.

By the way, the Owen cutting firewood thing comes from me impressing upon him the importance of the NZ hikers code.

Leave the hut as you found it or better.

You burn wood, you cut wood and you ensure it’s in a place safe from rain in case someone comes in desperately needing to warm up.

Owen took that seriously and every where we went, Owen and I cleaned and cut wood more than anyone else.

Every hut we went through came out better after we went through.

And anyone who was with us learned to do the same.

Imagine what the huts would look like if we all did that?

31/05/2026

Today was one of the most magical days on the trail.

For so long, we had long crazy days with heaps of challenge but not a lot of great views.

Today was the opposite - lots of great views and easy walking.

It was the first day I was able to just able to amble along and enjoy the views without fear of death or serious injury.

And so we took it easy.

Owen and I don’t normally walk together during the day (he is much much faster), but today, we chatted, laughed and took numerous naps right in the middle of the trail.

It was brilliant.

Despite of lazy walking, we were at the hut in no time.

A massive hut in a great location, we were sure we’d be fighting for a bed.

Turns out we were the only people at the hut !

So we read books, chopped firewood, and played Yahtzee before a very very early sleep.

As the sun shone through the window, my achy body quickly drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Tomorrow, with any luck, we’d be soaking at the hot springs in Hamner Springs as sleeping in a real bed.

One could hope, but destiny had a better idea for us tomorrow….

25/05/2026

In the trail notes, they described the Waiau Pass section as going up “in a direct fashion”.

They were not lying.

I thought maybe it’d zigzag a bit.

But oh no, have I not lived here long enough to know that is not the kiwi way?

It’s not the first time I have ascended a steep mountain in NZ and thought… this could have been more gradual.

To that, I always get the response, “We are not weak”.

And to that I respond, “That’s because you’re amateur trail builders.”

Just kidding. I’m gonna ruffle some feathers with that one.😅

A little more than half way up, I said screw it, I’m having lunch.

Updated my social media. Posted something to you guys.

Little did I know that Owen, and our new friend, Johanna, were at the top waiting for me.

When I finally got to the top, I am sure they were ready to go, but it wasn’t really their choice.

Because…

I hadn’t see snow in 10 years and I initiated a snow ball fight!!!

I was so damn giddy, I dropped my pack and just started chucking them.

The giddiness spread, and for a solid 10 minutes, we were running around like kids throwing snowballs at each other.

It was a BLAST!

Problem was, I mistakenly thought the hardest part was done.

It mostly was, but going down was both hard on my knees and there was one point where you’re literally scaling a vertical rock wall.

I couldn’t figure out my footing and probably felt a bit scared for the first time on the trail.

Luckily Owen and Johanna were able to help me find footings from below.

Young whipper snappers don’t know how much easier it is for them! 🤣

Only slightly disappointing part of the day was arriving at the hut to a bunch of hunters.

It’s not the hunting that bothers me… I grew up in a family of hunters.

But their stuff was spread out everywhere and they were noisy.

All good though, it’s part of the experience.

Supposedly tomorrow would be an easy going hike with beautiful views. I couldn’t wait!!!

20/05/2026

The minute I woke up, I said to Owen, let’s see if we can make it to Blue Lake Hut.

He thought I was nuts.

It could potentially be a 12 hour day if we we walked an average pace.

But so far, we’d been walking above average.

We agree to make it to West Sabine Hut and then decide from there.

Remember that ? How we agreed in advance to wait there? 🤣

I’ll forgive you for going onwards because you shared your chocolate with me. 🤣🤣

Part of the reason we decided to go on is because the guy we’d met the day prior.

Young. Charismatic. Lovely.

Grossly unprepared. A mooch. A hazard to all around him.

It all started at breakfast.

He didn’t eat much and I was concerned, but didn’t say anything.

Not my business.

Then at the first hut, he started making comments about being low on food.

He mentioned that he’d gotten food donations off people at the beginning of the trail the day prior.

Turns out they weren’t his friends. He’d only just met them.

But at the second hut it escalated.

Owen had already taken off, so I had a bad feeling when I arrived.

The guy was debating if he stayed or kept going down the trail that led out of the mountains (a different direction to where I was going).

He kept saying he was low on food.

He then asked me as I sat munching on my plentiful snacks, “Daniella, if I only have enough to eat snacks now or dinner tonight, which one would you do?”

I replied, “Neither. I would never put myself or anyone around me at risk by not having extra food, especially this close to food sources.”

Yah, I know it’s sassy, but hopefully someone here wakes da F up.

You do not walk into dangerous mountains where weather could change at any second and lock you into your shelter without spare food.

Every single one of us has chosen the exact amount of calories we need plus some emergency supplies to get us through each section.

When you ask us for food because you’re poor, badly prepared, or simply a mooch, you are taking my emergency supplies, thereby putting me at risk.

NOT COOL.

But I’m also not an a$$hole, and after gently lecturing him, I gave him a handful of peanuts.

Continued in comments.

18/05/2026

One of the guys I had walked the previous section with, Matt, left us today.

He was off to his own solo adventure.

Owen left early to head in the same direction as me, though knowing him, he might end up going further than me.

I left late so I could charge up all my devices and take advantage of the cell service to call family and assure them I wasn’t making dumb choices.

Which meant I was walking alone today.

Today was easssssy.

Other than the heavy pack stuffed to the brim with our food packages we had collected.

I stopped often, walked slowly as I chatted with my sister, and even took a short trail nap.

And yet somehow, 1km out from the last hut… who do I come upon?

None other than the good ole Owen rolling a cigarette.

How this man storms up mountains in no time while also being a smoker blows my mind.

But he was a polite smoker.

Kept it away from me.

Looks like we’d be sticking together a little bit longer.

Now of course, we had to carry on tradition and play a game of Yahtzee.

Just as we were about to sleep, a young Italian guy walked in.

He was lovely and charismatic, but something didn’t seem quite right.

Instantly he was talking about being low on food.

I’d seen him at the entrance to the section, so he’d had an opportunity to stock up.

And where were his friends he’d been with?

Hrm… wonder how this will pan out.

Anyway, it was off to sleep as tomorrow we’d be making a steep trek over our first big pass.

13/05/2026

I somehow managed to shake a very annoying hiker, find good company, and was potentially going to knock out the Richmond Ranges in just 6 days.

Things were looking good for me.

The only thing on the back of my mind was beating the weather.

Apparently the guys thought I was fully capable (which I am) because they wizzed ahead leaving me behind.

I didn’t mind because it makes it easier to film my long form videos which involve lots of stopping (I have 7 episodes edited and ready to go by the way!).

But the result is that I was slightly nervous about crossing the stream just at the end of the track.

I reasoned that if they didn’t think it was safe for me to do alone, surely they would wait for me.

And if they didn’t, I always had my tent and plenty of emergency food supplies.

I walked FAST.

Or faster than I normally do.

And so when I walked into Red Hills Hut where we were pondering staying, I instantly thought, why don’t we go on?

There real beds and maybe even pizza and wine in St Arnaud, just another 6km

I’d even heard there was a spa at the hostel we’d crash at.

Turns out the guys were having the same thought.

So after a brief snack, we made our way.

We may have accidentally added on another few kms going the wrong way, but eventually, we were at a parking lot that led to the main road into St Arnaud.

Problem was… there were no cars, and what few there were went in the wrong direction.

We waited 45 minutes before calling the hotel to see if there was a shuttle.

$120 NZD.

No thank you. We’ll wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Then the predicted rain started pouring.

We were getting soaked.

But damn, we were getting into town one way or another.

We had several hours until dark and knew a shuttle was at least a possibility if we needed it.

And so we put on some good beats and danced in the rain until a car finally stopped for us.

It was one of those moments on the trail that’s permanently ingrained in my brain as one of the most joyful experiences I had.

We got ourselves a room, ate some delicious pizza, and I got myself a spa to relax.

What a day!!!!

Sadly, tomorrow we would be losing Matt…

12/05/2026

The HARDEST part of planning any big adventure is the lead up to it.

The part where you’re working.

And saving.

And strategising.

Getting all your ducks in line.

The adventure is still an idea, not a guarantee.

Or even if it is a guarantee, there’s the anticipation of the unexpected.

I left in September 2025 for the Te Araroa Trail (3058kms down the length of New Zealand).

I didn’t know if I’d be able to afford it until July 2025.

I only did 2-3 training solo overnights, with my first one being January 2025.

The hardest part was blocking out the, “What if it doesn’t work?” “Have you thought of a Plan B?” people.

I had to stay focused and kept my eye on the ball.

I made vision boards.

I hired a business coach.

I talked about it to everyone that would listen.

Made my goal public on social media.

Made some very vulnerable asks to borrow money (which were turned down).

And then in late August, after finally getting all my gear and managing to get ahold of my U.S. based retirement fund (partly for a down payment to buy my first home), I registered for the trail.

September 27th, I took off on the trail.

123 days of blood, sweat and tears later, I am so glad I put up with the uncertain and painful beginning to get to the glorious end.

It’s because of that beginning that I can look back on my life and say with certainty:

“I lived my life to the fullest.”

09/05/2026

We got up just before 5am and we were off.

Owen, Matt, and myself.

(Hopefully leaving the others behind so we wouldn’t be stuck in an overcrowded hut with obnoxious boy).

Our plan was to jump to three huts ahead - Hunters Hut.

But that would mean a very big day.

Matt forgot his head torch in his bag, so while it was still dark, Owen led out front and I stayed in the back so Matt could see his footing.

Somehow I managed to keep up with them.

But by time we started making our way to the third hut, I knew they were going to lose me.

I just didn’t have the muscles to continue going up at their speed.

That was fine though because slowing down means I have better chance to film.

Hehe, and it also meant that if there was a fireplace, they’d have the fire going by time I arrived.

I was the happiest I’d been in a while.

The only thing in the back of my mind was whether or not annoying boy would try to catch up.

Luckily the big group was still sleeping when we left so it was unlikely they could do such a big day.

When I got to the Hunters Hut, Owen and I picked up our old tradition when we’d been with the bigger group, and we played Yahtzee.

We were all chuffed because it was possible we’d be out of the Richmond ranges tomorrow.

And that would mean we did it very fast!

But it also meant Matt would like leave us to go do his own side adventure.

For now though, we all enjoyed each other’s company, and by dark, we were confident we had the hut all to ourselves.

05/05/2026

We had gotten cocky, Owen, Matt and I.

The day before, I had managed to escape a very annoying fellow hiker by skipping ahead a hut. Yay!

Today, Owen, Matt and I decided we were going to go about 24kms to Tarn Hut.

Given the steep ascent and descent, it would be a big day, and we assumed we wouldn’t run into the group we left behind yesterday.

Surely they wouldn’t do a 1700 meter climb, walk the 6kms we did yesterday AND make it to the same hut as us!

RIGHT? RIGHT?!

So I spent all day in my joy of being free of annoying boys arrogance.

Joyfully climbing dangerous scree (so dangerous that a few weeks later, a hiker slipped down the scree, dislocated his jaw, and was helicoptered to the ER).

Blissfully taking in the views!

Ecstatic to see a fire already going when I arrived and plenty of beds available!

Purely by habit learned over the course of two months, I immediately claimed by bed with my sleeping bag.

And then I sat outside joyfully as ever chatting with Matt and Owen.

Joyful that is until I saw “boy” come around the corner.

And only just an hour behind me.

WTF?

As if that wasn’t enough, the entire previous hut’s occupants followed closely behind and then another two random newbies.

That made 9 of us in a 5 man hut.

Glad I saved my bed!

It wouldn’t be the first time we’d had to fit so many in a small hut, but with HIM?? Ughhhhh

The two newbies to this charade decided to move on so that brought it down to 7.

Welp, we always make space. Doesn’t matter how much you wish someone wasn’t there. You make space.

So the last two to arrive got the floor.

Mutually annoyed at the same person for our own reasons, Owen, Matt and I agreed to get a super early start tomorrow and do a long day in hopes of shaking the group.

Ahhhh, the drama of the trail.

Honestly though, the camaraderie between the three of us made it fun.

We were going on a dark hike adventure tomorrow at 5am. This could be fun!

Side note: the number of you who in response to my last post suggested pushing annoying boy off a mountain is worrying. 😅🤣

02/05/2026

This video does not show the full story…

The next morning after arriving at Slatty Hut, we all (8 of us) mutually decided to stay put because bad weather was coming through.

If we kept going, we’d only have one of two options:

Cross steep ridges in bad weather.

Or stay at Old Mans Hut which was only 5kms away but a 2km detour straight down a mountain side (requiring a straight up climb of 2kms the next day).

Being a solo female, I err on the side of caution, so opted to stay put.

Annoyed that no one was standing up for me as the boy kept up his harassment, I grabbed the book I was carrying and dove into a great story.

I wouldn’t say I was enjoying myself, but I wasn’t miserable.

At about noon, I heard some chattering outside, and someone say, “She’s inside sleeping.”

I turned over in my bunk and guess who was there?!

and a French guy named Matt!

Given that Slatty Hut was completely full, they were going on to Old Mans Hut after taking a short break.

It took me all about 2 minutes to decide I was going with them.

I jumped out of bed, changed and packed up my stuff the fastest I have ever done.

YES! Good company and leaving behind the dickwad who was harassing me. Yahooooooo!

As I was packing up, the French couple made a comment, “I hope you’re not leaving because of us.”

As I walked out the door, I replied, “No no, it is not the French. French people are growing on me. I think we all know why I’m leaving.”

And then I was off.

Overall the hike was easy and the weather wasn’t too shabby.

The hardest part was going down to the hut.

My poor knees.

That night I spend chatting away with Owen and Matt, stoked to be moving forward with someone I knew I got along with and another who seemed really lovely.

Tomorrow we’d cross the highest ridge on this section: Mount Rintoul.

🥳🥳🥳

The Audacious Path

03/06/2026

31/05/2026

25/05/2026

20/05/2026

18/05/2026

13/05/2026

12/05/2026

09/05/2026

05/05/2026

02/05/2026

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