🗓️ March 14, 2026

🏁 Kilometers : 3064

The second last day! We have breakfast at a café in Riverton and then head to the beach, as most of today's walk is along the ocean. The sky is gray, we're expecting a few showers, and above all, the wind is incredibly strong! We have to lean to the right to compensate for the gusts whipping us from the ocean.

It's impossible to have a conversation in these conditions, so we each walk at our own pace. I decide to put on some music and sing at the top of my lungs; this vibrant nature is intoxicating, alive, and makes you want to dance !

It's funny to note that this final stretch of our adventure is unfolding in the opposite direction to where we started. We began with a long beach and then a muddy forest, and here, at the end of the Te Araroa, the muddy forest is followed by a long beach. I'm reliving all the memories accumulated since we left; it seems like an eternity has passed. I think back to my first steps on Ninety Mile Beach, wondering if I'd ever reach the end, if I'd be spared injuries, bad luck, or simply the boredom of walking? Deep down, I've always known I have a guardian angel watching over me. How could it be otherwise, knowing how lucky I am to be standing here, at the very tip of New Zealand!

After roughly 25 kilometers of beach, I reach a road which I follow for eight kilometers to reach the city of Invercargill, the last major city in the country, with a population of 50,000. We spend the night in a very noisy hostel, share a Mexican dinner, and try to rest up for this final day of walking!

🗓️ March 15, 2026

🏁 Kilometers : 3100

The last day! I have about 35 kilometers to cover. I set off around 8:30 am in windy weather, with a few showers likely to follow. For the first 25 kilometers, I walk along a bike path, first through a nature reserve and then along a road. In itself, it's nothing particularly special for THE last day, but I'm feeling both excited and nostalgic. I replay in my mind the different stages we've covered, the different people we've met, and I reflect on all the generosity we've received from the New Zealanders. I promise myself to help backpackers and hitchhikers as much as possible; I realize just how many adventures a backpack can hold!

During my long hours of walking, I had many opportunities to think of you, you who are reading my blog ; I surely had a thought of each and every one of you. I thought that nearing the end would depress me, deeply sadden me… But the opposite is happening! I lived in Dubai for eight years, and I knew that my transition before returning would involve these six months in New Zealand, and then I would go back to France. And I'm ready to go home! It's come full circle, and I'm excited to see you all again, to play games, share meals, hikes, and conversations. I can't wait to rediscover Alsace, to garden, to move back into my house (where I'll have only lived for a year!), to be with my parents and my siblings who have been such essential support, and to meet my niece Léa for the very first time!

Above all, I'm looking forward to our new life with Tiago. Without his love and support, this adventure would have been impossible. The courage he had to let me go for such a long time is truly admirable. Tiago, I love you even more, if that's possible, because the freedom you give me makes me feel like I can fly and gives me all the serenity I need to grow old together.

A thought also for Steve, who left us during the journey and whom we carried in our thoughts to the very end.

Back on the track, I meet up with Natalie and Yvan, who had partially avoided walking along the road, and we finish the last eight kilometers together. Meanwhile, we are also surprised to see Nathan and Georgia (two other hikers who finished the trail a day before us) stop by the side of the road with their van and offer us something to give us energy and motivation: a cookie, a mini New Zealand pie, and hot chocolate. A thoughtful gesture that warms our hearts!

We reach the Bluff Peninsula, a hill connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. Here we rediscover the wild atmosphere we experienced at the very beginning of our journey at Cape Reinga. The wind whips the blue sea into a turbulent frenzy, white foam crashes against the black rocks, and we walk through fields of vibrant green cows; even though the sun is shy, the final colors of our adventure are invigorating.

We follow the path that skirts the peninsula for half its length before climbing to the hilltop and finally descending towards the sea. The last few kilometers fly by; it seems we can't stop. Three kilometers, two kilometers, one kilometer, 500 meters… We maintain a cheerful, lighthearted mood. Thank you Natalie and Yvan, I have spend most of my adventure with you both and it’s been an everyday pleasure to be your companion ; you are the embodiment of kindness, spontaneity, creativity and genuineness.  I have of course thoughts for all the others, Jolly, Matteo, Gregg, Ashley, Elle, and more !

There it is, the endpoint is in sight: a platform about ten meters above the ocean with a sign indicating different directions around the world. We approach together and touch the post at the same time, marking the final step of our trek. Other hikers who arrived a little earlier applauded us and offered us a beer. I thought I'd be overcome with emotion, but instead I feel a great joy at being here, having reached the end with my adventure buddies. We take some photos, do a little impromptu dance, and take the time to enjoy this place we had imagined so many times.

We will stay together for a few more days, will meet up with our other companions who are still on the trail a few days behind us, will hike in the fjords, and then will take our separate ways.

With these words, the blog ends. Thank you for your precious words of encouragement throughout the trip, and also for your support before the adventure; you were all convinced I would make it.

I'll end this story with my favorite quote from Paulo Coelho: "If you think adventure is dangerous, then try routine; it's lethal."

But rest assured, my friends, in your company, routine doesn't exist!