Australia – Royal National Park

March 17, 2023
by Jens Hevike
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Arrived in Sydney I stayed for one night in a hostel. Somehow the whole hustle and bustle of the city and the high prices surprised me so much that I had to escape it right away. My friends, Ruth and Giancarlo, whom I met on the TA, happened to be on their way south past Sydney. So it happened that they picked me up at the train station for a little adventure into Royal National Park, south of Sydney. It was nice to be able to spend a little more time with them here. Somehow, it’s always more about the people you meet than the place you’re in.

The end of Te Araroa – Equipment I really needed

March 16, 2023
by Jens Hevike
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More than 3000 kilometers have shown which equipment is really essential. I still wouldn’t call myself a complete purist, but every step has shown me that every kilo counts and what I really “need”. Except for my emergency kit, I used every item I had with me on a daily basis.

The last 42 km – marathon to the finish

March 6, 2023
by Jens Hevike
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It’s been a few days now since I finished the trail along with a few others. Arriving was a real relief. It was downhill and I was just able to “run” the last few meters to Sterlig Point, the final point of Te Araroa. My legs did not allow another step. I had already set my mind in Te Kuiti, on the North Island, to implement my plan to run a marathon as the last leg of the trail. Suddenly it was not just an idea, but within reach.

the last 200 kilometers

March 3, 2023
by Jens Hevike
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The last stage of my New Zealand trip has begun. There are only 220 km left to Bluff. I have planned to arrive by the end of February. It’s a bit of a challenge, but it should still be doable.

Free fall

February 21, 2023
by Jens Hevike
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It didn’t cost me any overcoming to jump in tandem from 4000 m height, not even my heartbeat was noticeably increased. I actually wonder what it takes to get me excited. How do you guys feel about it? Are you like me in that hardly anything can get you excited? For me, the only time my heart really starts racing is when I’m thinking too hard about a difficult situation. Spontaneity and quick action is the key to not getting all dithered in the first place. I wonder if I’ve somehow trained myself not to get shakey or if it’s just part of my nature.

Queenstown – 10 % von 3000 km übrig

February 16, 2023
by Jens Hevike
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Wir hatten uns drei Tage Pause bei Logan’s Eltern, Sue und Andrew, in Wanaka gegönnt. Die beiden wohnen in einem wie mit Händen aus Lehm geformten Haus mitten in einem Weinberg. Die Bäume, die das Anwesen umringen, geben ihm den Anschein, auf dem Land, entfernt vom touristischen Trubel der jährlich wachsenden Stadt Wanaka, zu sein. 

Wanaka

February 12, 2023
by Jens Hevike
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From our perspective it is so much more, it is the effort of climbing the mountains that is rewarded with the views, it is the fun we feel trying to cross the rippling streams and rivers without getting our feet wet, the feeling on our feet of walking over a soft forest floor instead of hard rock.

At the peak of Te Araroa

February 5, 2023
by Jens Hevike
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I’ve spent my whole life dismissing successes that others would celebrate in a big way as not that remarkable to me. This has been the case with all of my school graduations, where I’ve always done well without really having to do much to get there, at work I’ve always gotten good evaluations or even been praised without putting in any effort, and here on the trail I’m averaging over 20k a day, which already doesn’t feel like a particularly outstanding accomplishment. When I tell my friends and family what I’m doing here, they usually can’t believe it.

Ledge of memories

January 26, 2023
by Jens Hevike
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Another way has to be found. I dare myself more and more each time; further away and higher up. Catlike I stick to vertical rocks. I pull myself up with the last of my strength, only to be immediately on the lookout for my next victim. The goal is not to get wet feet, to stay on top and to arrive at the top of the saddle without using the trail.

Arthur’s Pass – Little motivation in the tank

January 22, 2023
by Jens Hevike
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Somehow I seemed to be too spoiled. The many beautiful stages seem to have dulled me. I’m still hiking through some of the most beautiful scenery I can imagine, and yet my baseline seems to have been raised to the point where I haven’t really been able to enjoy the last few days, and so I’ve been more or less dragging my feet. I’m apparently not the only one feeling this way. I have meanwhile talked to some other hikers who have fallen into the same hole.