A thru-hike of New Zealand's Te Araroa officially kicks off at the Cape Reinga lighthouse, where the Pacific Ocean collides with the Tasman Sea in a swirl of currents. One hiker's first day on the trail is a good window into what the opening stretch actually looks like — and it starts with a surprise dolphin show.

The day begins before dawn at a Kaitaia backpackers, with a 7.30am shuttle north to the Cape Reinga car park. The driver, a local character who reportedly ran up to six trips a day to the Cape in peak season, hands out practical wisdom: pack sunscreen, take your time, and expect to share 90 Mile Beach — a legal road, and apparently where Far North kids learn to drive. She also warns that the shaka hand sign, innocent elsewhere, carries gang connotations locally. Another colourful cautionary tale involves a German hiker who found a wild pig in her tent near the top of the South Island.

After photos at the lighthouse, the walking starts — but only 12km of it. Camping isn't allowed on the beach, dunes or the forest behind them, so campsites dictate the rhythm here: a short first day, then two long ones of roughly 28km and 30km. That leaves plenty of daylight to linger, which pays off when a pod of dolphins appears below the cliffs, leaping clean out of the water in the clear blue. The hikers see them again later from Te Werahi Beach.

The route itself is varied: clifftop views, a 3km beach walk, a river crossing that's easy at low tide but reportedly trickier when the water's up, and a hot climb through dunes that feel almost desert-like. By 2pm the group reaches Twilight Beach campsite, shaded by pohutukawa trees, where three identical Durston X-Mid tents end up pitched in a row and evening card games replace the sunset the clouds spoilt. Practical notes worth stealing: the tank at Twilight Campsite can run dry in hot weather, so carry water for two days — though 3 litres proved more than enough for day one.

For anyone dreaming of Te Araroa, this opening section sets the tone for the whole 3,000km walk: distances dictated by campsites, tide-timed crossings, and the occasional reminder to slow down. The hiker's takeaway sums it up nicely — the first day is short on purpose, so stop and watch the dolphins. With no job to rush back to and a visa valid until 2028, there's no hurry at all.

Story via The Trek.