Mariya Meththa (left) and Asanka (right) and their three children Alexander, Victoria and baby Aaron relished the challenges of the Te Araroa Trail.
Mariya Meththa (left) and Asanka (right) and their three children Alexander, Victoria and baby Aaron relished the challenges of the Te Araroa Trail.
A Kerikeri couple who hiked most of the Te Araroa Trail with their young children and baby have been blown away by the kindness of strangers.
Asanka Meththa and his wife Mariya and their children Alexander, 10, Victoria, 7, and 3-month-old Aaron, are back at home after finishing the SouthIsland leg of New Zealand's longest trail and part of the North Island.
The Meththas were so impressed by the people they met along the way, they want to help anyone tackling the Kerikeri section of the track.
"It wasn't just the geography but the people made a big difference on the hike," Asanka said.
"We met some amazing people; it gives you a different perspective on life when you see how helpful they are.
"We'd like to pay it forward to other hikers; the trail goes through Kerikeri so we would like to help others coming through."
The Meththa family successfully finished the South Island leg of the Te Araroa trail and part of the North Island track.
The Meththa family moved to New Zealand from Canada two years ago.
The idea of walking the Te Araroa Trail came about as Asanka had "always wanted to do something adventurous for the longest time".
"The original intention was to do it myself, but my wife suggested we do it as family and see how it goes."
Unsure whether their children could cope with the 3000km route stretching from Cape Reinga to Bluff, they did a test run from Cape Reinga to Paihia – about 200km - in December.
Reassured, the family flew south to Invercargill in January to walk the trail from Bluff.
Carrying all their gear, including a tent, clothing and food, they walked back north to Ship Cove in Marlborough Region – the end of the South Island trail – which took them until April 18.
There they abandoned the walk and got a ride home due to colder weather setting in and the "kids were missing home".
They plan to tackle the remaining North Island section another time.
Overall the children coped well, Asanka said, even Aaron who is now 7-months-old.
"Aaron was carried in front so he was close to either Mum or Dad and was surrounded by family 24/7 so he enjoyed getting the attention."
Highlights included the Blue Lakes in Nelson Lakes National Park "the most beautiful things we've ever seen", and stunning mountains near Motatapu in the Wānaka region. The Waiau pass, an alpine crossing suitable for experienced trampers, was particularly tricky, he said.
The Meththas were so impressed by the people they met along the way they want to help anyone tackling the track through Kerikeri.
Other challenges were multiple river crossings, some of which were "deep and fast flowing".
"For my daughter, the deepest part was one time near her waistline and was getting a bit dangerous, so that was a bit of a challenge.
"Because the kids are tiny, they couldn't keep up with Mum and Dad so we had to slow down and maintain a steady pace that everyone could cope with."
River crossings aside, it was a great learning experience for the youngsters; they had daily chores to do such as helping set up the tent, organising the sleeping bags, cooking and cleaning up.
"It's the best way to see the country," Asanka said.
"They said they know the South Island even more than they did before.
"Geographically they're very familiar and confident ...they started learning about reading maps.
"That was a good advantage for them. They learned teamwork is important, and sharing the workload."
