Food glorious food!
Firstly let me start by saying this is not a diet I recommend to anyone!
This is simply what Jack and I usually end up eating on multi day tramps around Aoteroa. It’s also what we ate a lot of when on Te Araroa although it did included a lot more chocolate and biscuits 🙂 I’ts simple, quick and easy food and what we needed when we couldn’t spare a whole lot of time or energy on food preparation. Importantly it was also food that was light!
Two important things that don’t appear in this video are:
1 – Macaroons – which also make a damn fine second breakfast
2 – Bumper bars – morning and avo tea of champions
We would often sub out wraps when we got sick of them with English muffins with cheese and when I felt like a break from all the tuna – salami and fresh cherry tomatoes, which held well in a plastic punnet, were a real treat. One thing that I did love that we did not discover until back in Wellington was this:
Yup! it was real good on crackers and as a sub to cheese. Also awesome for resupply box shelf life and vegan folk.
Resupply boxes on Te Araroa
Jack and I probably sent a few more resupply boxes than most people as we didn’t want to rely on Four Squares and smaller town stores – particularly in the South Island where food is limited and expensive.
Heres our list of where we sent our resupply boxes:
North Island
Ahipara YHA – we were new and naive and could have easily hitched back to Kaitaia for resupply.
National Park YHA – I’m quite glad we did this as I knew that the Four Square in National Park was spendy and we didn’t want to hitch all the way back to Taumauranui for resupply.
Whanganui river journey canoe company – This was really a topper box as we had some idea that we would be around here for either Christmas or new year so opening this box which contained mini pinot noir bottles and a surplus of chocolate on Christmas Eve was a real treat.
South Island
St Arnaud Nelson Lakes Motel – I understand they no longer hold boxes for TA walkers 😦
Boyle Village outdoor education centre – DO NOT DO THIS! This is expensive and there is discourteous tone that emulates from the staff at the centre. I don’t believe this is unfounded they do have a very stressful job in managing youth groups at the centre and the TA walkers but seesh! Anyway….You’ve worked hard on the last two sections so take yourself off to Hammer Springs for a day off and top up your stash at a very well stocked and surprisingly reasonable four square in the middle of town.
Arthurs Pass YHA – A resupply box here is important as there are limited resupply options in the town. But many walkers choose to hitch to Christchurch for sight seeing as well as resupply.
Lake Coleridge lodge – Most TA walkers do not stay here and will make a beeline straight for Methven but we had other plans including meeting friends here as it was birthday 🙂 This supply got us through to Tekapo where we stockpiled generously to get us through to Wanaka.
michelle campbell NZ 