Trailer: Local stories from the Te Araroa Trail

Every walker who registers for the Te Araroa Trail receives a small, hand-crafted pāua shell bracelet - a quiet talisman designed to accompany us from Cape Reinga all the way to Bluff. But few of us know the incredible journey the shell takes before it ever reaches our wrists. In this episode of Te Araroa Tales, I sit down with Ocean Shell Studio's Company Director Nina Shields to explore the story of New Zealand's iconic pāua - from it's cultural and gastronomical significance to it's globally recognised value as a unique and beautiful natural jewel, and the craft of making the Te Araroa Bracelets. We discover the journey the pāua takes before it even starts on the trail, how the shell craft industry is intrinsically connected to the pāua meat industry, what makes New Zealand pāua so unique, and how innovative ways to tackle disgarded shell waste are helping to build a community pool in the Chatham Islands.

In 2017, New Zealand’s mighty Whanganui River made global legal history by becoming the first river in the world to be granted legal personhood. In this episode of Te Araroa Tales, I sit down with Ned Tapa, a kaitiaki or guardian of the river, at his waka shed to learn more about the river's story. Ned shares what it was like growing up on the Whanganui in the 1950s, the legal battle for the river’s rights and the history of the 1993 land dispute symbolised by the iconic blue tarps of Tīeke Marae. We discuss the deep connection he has with the river, captured by the phrase “Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au” (I am the river, the river is me), the impact of early tourism and commercialisation, and what it actually means today for a river to have a seat at the negotiating table. Whether you're planning your own Te Araroa thru-hike or a paddle down the Whanganui as one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, interested in indigenous rights and environmental conservation, or simply love to hear human stories rooted in landscape and history, this conversation is for you. In this episode: The Living River: The true meaning of the Whanganui River’s historic 2017 legal personhood

In this episode, Cape Reinga shuttle driver Talz Popata opens up about her personal journey of reconnection with her Māori roots.

What makes someone dedicate decades of their life to welcoming strangers into their backyard?

"We are the kaitiaki. We're here to nurture this land because it allows us to live on it, so we need to look after it"