30 Oct 2017

Four Forests in Four Days

From The Long Way Home, 2:00 pm on 30 October 2017

Bruce Hopkins wants to take the ashes of his dad and brother home to Rakiura/Stewart Island. He’s just taking the long way to get there. The long, long way. 

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A head and shoulders shot of Bruce Hopkins huddling in his rain jacket.

One day out of Kerikeri and the rain arrives for the first time. Photo: Bruce Hopkins

The gravel roads take their toll on Bruce's feet as closeup shot shows a toenail about to fall off his left little toe.

The gravel roads take their toll on Bruce's feet. Photo: Bruce Hopkins

Week two and the honeymoon is already over between Bruce Hopkins and New Zealand’s trail Te Araroa.

Having suffered the length of 90 Mile Beach, this week his big challenges are the high hills, deep mud and the “bloody gravel roads!” of the forests of Northland.

Bruce cuts inland and heads east, searching for Kerikeri and eventually, his old home town of Russell in the Bay of Islands.

Bruce Hopkins Trail Diary - Week Two 21-28 October 2017 Puketi – Helena Bay.

"Some bloody full on days now done. Cannot express how happy I am to be having a rest day tomorrow with one of the numerous hard sections of Te Araroa now done.

Already these last ten days will stay powerfully in my physical & mental memory forever.

"I am personally pushed to various limits every single day thus far, so looking forward to being blister free!"

The exterior of Mangamuka Dairy.

Mangamuka Dairy. Photo: Bruce Hopkins

"It is already shaping up to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life. To cap today off my iPhone died! "

"Only about 2500 kilometres to go..."

The Long Way Home - whenua, whakapapa, whānau.

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Produced by Bruce Hopkins and Justin Gregory. Executive Producer Tim Watkin.

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