Te Araroa

With the tenacity and determination that are hallmarks of the Kiwi character, photographer Mark Watson set out to walk the length of Te Araroa, New Zealand's long distance trail. Carrying the usual tramper's food and equipment for the journey as well as camera, lenses and tripod to photograph the landscape along the way, he would require nearly six months to complete the 3,000 kilometres from Cape Reinga to Bluff, in a continuous walk.

Watson began this long undertaking in mid summer, allowing three seasons of photography in his schedule. The vagaries of New Zealand's weather would strongly influence his walk: intense summer heat, heavy rain, flooded rivers and snowy alpine passes provided a full gamut of conditions.

Parts of New Zealand traverse the Pacific Rim of Fire, a circle of volcanic activity generated by the restless movement of tectonic plates. The varied and spectacular landforms traversed by Te Araroa underpin the walker's experience and invite the curious to learn more about the land building processes of what is—in geological terms—a relatively young country.

Te Araroa differs from most international long distance walking trails because it encounters towns, cities and rural settlements as well as large tracts of remote backcountry and forested wilderness. Many walkers choose to tackle smaller sections of the trail, which is divided into ten regions, with tramps ranging from day or overnight walks to longer trips of over a week or more.

In this book, Mark Watson presents a spectacular diversity of scenery and landscape captured during his photographic journey through the country. His images convey a distinct and special awareness: a product both of a life spent among New Zealand's ranges and of a journey undertaken alone, but mainly this selection of images identifies the essence of place that defines the New Zealand landscape.