ON TOUR! Latest GPS timestamp: 2025-02-06 23:33:16
  • From the mountains to the sea
    • 25/01/2025
Paddling the Whanganui

After a beautiful but tiring trek around Tongoriro National Park, a rest for the legs - but a relentless workout for the arms.
  • Another point on the map
    • 19/12/2024
I guess I should post something just so that the map recentres if nothing else!
Have written copious notes over the last month / first month of the trail, but too lazy to collect them into coherent paragraphs. Can do retrospectively.

So right now, the morning sun is beginning to warm the earth, and I'm surveying the terrain ahead - after many days trudging through the city suburbs and industrial parks, had a windy camp on a panoramic hilltop last night. Worth it for the views, though had to be up early before the local joggers got here.

Feet are toughening up at the same rate as boots are inevitably wearing out, so planning in future replacements.
Have leaned on my mate Matt in Wellington again and sent off a parcel to lighten my pack and replace a few items with more sun appropriate ones.

Don't want to repeat myself here for all the earlier bits I haven't written yet, but in summary the scenery has been beautiful, the locals have been super friendly, and every shop sells hot pies. Onwards!
  • New Zeal and Ramble Preamble
    • 18/11/2024
I first heard about the Te Araroa trail ten years ago, when I has just finished Lands End - John o Groats and was full of enthusiasm for what to do next - the Appalachian trail? The GR5 grand traverse des alpes? In the end I've chickened out / worked / been distracted by other stuff, and in the meantime Te Araroa has been developed from just a concept to an established and popular route, with circa 2000 people per year flocking to it's 3000km.
It has some lovely symmetry to LEJOG, in terms of distance, and location on the globe. That's all I really needed to know to be enticed to do it.
I have previously covered the north island while backpacking, but the south is all fresh, and obviously has a big reputation. I've tried to avoid looking at too many photos so as to preserve the sense of surprise, but have had to do some research in terms of logistics, as the route doesn't pass by many supermarkets, but does cross plenty of rivers.
  • Lakes and forests, forests and lakes
    • 11/10/2022
Disembarking late in the afternoon into the charming town centre of Ystad, I set off east along the coast, dodging a heavy rain shower to be rewarded with rainbows spanning the glowing fields of crops, and startling a badger at the side of the road, the first time I can recall seeing one in the wild
Aimed for and arrived at a "lägerplats" hikers shelter to camp, adjacent to the beach which stretches for miles in a plenty of room for all kind of way. Sweden has "Allemansrätten", the right to roam and camp anywhere (within reason), but also, in common with Denmark, provides designated free campgrounds not accessible to vehicles, usually with a roofed but open sided shelter and a drop toilet. This one was already populated by a German couple from the ferry, a french chi [...read the rest]
  • Szczecin to Sweden
    • 29/07/2022
After a couple of days stop to visit Marta in Szczecin, an industrial city with a fascinating and turbulent history of changing hands and occupation, fabled to be criss crossed with underground tunnels, headed north again past the dockyards and wind turbine factory and into some nice nature reserves alongside the Oder river with a first sighting of families of wild boar, (but sadly no bison) and on up to the miles upon miles of sandy beach holiday resort coastline.

Back into Germany, and a cultural stop at Peenemunde "vengeance" weapons factory at, where the first rockets were developed (the doodlebug flying bomb and V2 rocket), and the museum attempts to celebrate the technological advancement whilst regretting the motivation and methods of achieving it.
Camped in the woods [...read the rest]
  • Berlin to Szczecin
    • 29/07/2022
The weekend in Berlin was spent drinking copious amounts of beer and playing a football match, as Wandsworth Borough had flown out to play a summer friendly against a local team (THC Franziskaner) to the amusement of all.
I stayed for a couple of days extra sightseeing and bike repairing, but with sore feet from stomping round the city looking at things, it was nice to get back on the bike, especially as now has a full range of gears to choose from.
However, set off already late in the afternoon, so just a short stint to get out of the city and find somewhere to sleep - a nice little beach next to a lake, which when i subsequently read some signs turns out to be a nudist beach (FKK). No one else around though.
Next day, after an early pause to visit a decaying cold war era airfield com [...read the rest]
...more blog
Te Araroa 2024
latest trip pic
Planning to walk New Zealand's Long Pathway

Almost the exact mirror image of Lands End to John o Groats. Roughly 3000km from the Cape Reinga in the north to Bluff in the south. Many mountains and rivers in between.
Hello! Bonjour! Guten Tag! Hola! Ciao!
shameless selfie!
Hi, I'm Stu, and this is essentially my online diary.
Check out the trip menu, photos, interactive maps, and blog archive.
Have a nice day!
Trips!
Te Araroa 2024
Planning to walk New Zealand's Long Pathway
Almost the exact mirror image of Lands End to John o Groats. Roughly 3000km from the Cape Reinga in the north to Bluff in the south. Many mountains and rivers in between.
Eurocycle 2022
Part 3 cycling in Europe, Dunkirk to Stockholm via Switzerland
Getting away for the summer, playing some football, seeing some new parts of Europe
Iceland 2020
North to South traverse hike of Iceland
A return to trekking after the last couple of trips by bike. 400 miles across volcanic desert should be gruelling enough to shed some lockdown pounds...
Eurocycle 2
Taking the summer off to explore former Austro-Hungary, Western Balkans region
I've never been to any of these countries before, except for a brief school history trip, so this should be an interesting trip, expecting a mixture of western europe and communist influences, a mixture of mountains, rivers, plains, historic cities and rural villages.Maybe some interesting wildlife? I've mapped out a load of points of interest to visit, but have tried to avoid looking at photos so that everything can be a surprise!
Africa Overland 2017
Safari tour in a big yellow dustbin lorry
Travelling from Nairobi to Victoria Falls, through game reserves and whatnot, with Oasis Overland
North Sea Cycle
cultural bike ride around northern europe
Over a couple of months, i'll be testing my legs by riding from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Bergen in Norway. Approx 3000 miles, sounds like a lot but not very much each day on average...
Caribbean 2016
3 weeks of sun, sand, and craziness
A much needed relaxing break in the Cayman Islands... was what i expected, but instead almost none stop action, sports, sightseeing and partying. And then 10 days in Cuba, a beautiful, welcoming, and bewildering place like no other. And then back to Cayman for more awesome...
Tour du Mont Blanc 2015
A 10 day hike around Europe's biggest peak
The alps in the summertime are majestic. This walk, between 1500 and 3500m took in breathtaking views, high altitude camping, wildlife, and charming locals. After completing the walk i spent a few days relaxing on the shores of, and in, Lake Geneva.
Wales Walk 2014
A three week struggle across Wales on the Cambrian Way
Having skipped Wales on last year's LEJOG, i wanted to finished the job. The Cambrian Way provides 18,000 metres of ascent, the same as Everest - and twice that of the Pennine Way or Cape Wrath Trail. So it was hard work!
LEJOG 2013
1800 mile trek from one end of Britain to the other
After being a nomadic traveller for two years, I wasn't ready to go back to real life and get a job, but i wanted to do something constructive. Whilst in other far flung parts of the world i was often embarrassed by my limited knowledge of my home country. So i bought a train ticket to Penzance. And i walked.
South Pacific 2012
Beaches and reefs, palm trees and cava
A month relaxing in the Cook Islands, another month relaxing in Fiji and Samoa, with lots of diving, snorkeling, book reading, cava drinking, sunbathing and such. Then hitting the tourist trail on New Zealand's North Island, from Cape Reinga to Wellington. Off to Australia for a couple of weeks of modern world, then flying to Singapore, numerous public transport adventures through Malaysia and Thailand to the gap yearers mecca of Bangkok before flying home.
North America 2011
Backpacking around the US and Canada
Summer camps in New Hampshire, backpacking around the East Coast, protesting at the White House, traveling across Canada to track down my namesake, couchsurfing and hitchhiking through California, bears, snowboarding, crazy cyclists, Christmas in San Diego