One wild idea turned into a family occasion when Asanka told his wife Mariya, he wanted to walk Te Araroa. To his surprise, Mariya replied, "let’s do it as a family". And so Asanka, Mariya, Alexander (10), Victoria (7) and Erin (5 months) set out to walk the length of Aotearoa.

The family started with the Cape Reinga to Paihia leg "to see if the kids could do it." When it went well, the family hopped on a plane to Invercargill to start the trail northbound.

So far, "it’s been a challenging trail but it’s really awesome to see our son (Erin) grow. He really likes waterfalls," says Mariya.

"It’s been a good experience to walk with the family together," says Asanka. "Some parts have been challenging but it’s really working. It already feels like such a big achievement and it’s great family time!"

The family have already walked close to 900km of Te Araroa. There are no thoughts of stopping.

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