Home About Journalism Books Events Workshops Contact

Northbound

Four seasons of solitude on Te Araroa

HarperCollins, 2025

Walking from Bluff, at the bottom of the South Island, to Cape Reinga, at the top of the North Island, award-winning journalist Naomi Arnold spends nearly nine months following Te Araroa, fulfilling a 20-year dream. Alone, she traverses mountains, rivers, cities and plains from summer to spring, walking on through days of thick mud, blazing sun, lightning storms, and cold, starlit nights. Along the way she encounters colourful locals and travellers who delight and inspire her. An upbeat, fascinating, and inspiring memoir of the joys and pains found in the wilderness, solitude, friendship, and love.

An instant bestseller, Northbound spent several months in Nielsen's Top 10 New Zealand non-fiction list. It is an Amazon Kindle bestseller over several categories, was longlisted for the  2025 Ockham NZ Book Awards and Highly Commended at the 2025 New Zealand Mountain Film & Book Festival. Readers voted it one of their favourite books of 2025 for Whitcoulls' annual Top 100, and it was a Best Book of the Year at The Listener, Newsroom, the NZ Herald, The Spinoff, and Auckland Libraries. Spotify also chose Northbound as one of its Best Audiobooks of 2025.

BUY NORTHBOUND

EVENTS
Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park, Canterbury

REVIEWS
Lake Ohau, Canterbury

PRESS
Pākiri Beach, Northland

Audiobook available now!

Named in Spotify's Best of 2025

Press

Nik Dirga •

My 10 favourite books of 2025

In this AI-generated world we’re morphing into, you’ll have to pry my actual human-written books out of my cold, dead hands. Or at the very least send the Terminators to do the job. Anyway, reading remains a key joy in my life despite all our collective struggles, and I clocked up 109 books on my Good Reads accounts for the year (prose only – graphic novels and the like I don’t usually log there.) 

This year I really made an effort to read a lot of New Zealand books, as I try to embrace my se...
Newsroom •

Xmas gifts: best nonfiction of 2025

One of four books which are contenders to be named Best Book of Nonfiction of the Year in ReadingRoom next week. Arnold is such a graceful writer and she always, always engages with her subject; in Northbound, the subject is herself, as she puts one foot in front of another to not just walk the Te Araroa trail but feel it. There was only one person in New Zealand who I thought of to commission a review. Geoff Chapple, the great white father of Te Araroa, duly wrote a review so epic that it was as nearly as long as the book. Short version: he fucking loved it. From his review : “Her hike goes on up and over the Alps, into the grasslands of the St James Walkway, over Waiau Pass and into the beech forests of Nelson Lakes National Park. Onward through the Red Hills, and the Richmond Range – a tough hike she’s prepared to undertake alone … This is the best book yet within a growing Te Araroa oeuvre – honest, sensitive, funny and brave. It’s the hard-case Te Araroa, the ruinous one, the one that holds its head high.”
The Spinoff •

An A to Z of The Spinoff’s best books of 2025

I’m a sucker for a book about thru-hiking, and Northbound doesn’t disappoint. A physical and emotional journey of walking Te Araroa from bottom to top, through the mud and the loneliness and the rain and the astounding glory, this is narrative non-fiction at its finest. Arnold’s writing is compelling and spark-bright. I have recommended her book to everyone I know – this is one of those special books that all ages and genders and reading proclivities can enjoy. / Josie Shapiro
focus magazine •

Don’t stop: Naomi Arnold on walking across New Zealand and discovering resilience (interview)

After reading Northbound, I was left in awe – not just from Naomi Arnold’s descriptions of wind-whipped ridgelines, muddy riverbeds and blistered feet, but by the quiet strength and honesty that hums through every page. . It was a privilege to ask Naomi questions about the nine-month, 3,000-kilometre journey she undertook on foot, walking solo from Bluff to Cape Reinga along the Te Araroa trail.
Lonely Planet •

20 books in our travel bags this summer

One might think that working at a guidebook company would exhaust our staff from reading when we’re off the clock, but au contraire. We’re constantly reaching for our next great reads, both on and off the road, not only to get lost in fascinating stories but also to visit incredible places with no plane ticket required.Here are the books our staff are reading on the road this summer, and the travel-worthy destinations they're set in.
03 Magazine •

Trails & Tribulations (Extract and Q&A)

Tell us a few of the highlights and lowlights from the South Island part of your journey.

One of the lowlights was definitely the physical toll the trail took early on. Because nearly everyone starts in the north and walks southbound, they have the entire North Island to warm up before hitting the big ranges in the south. Northbounders have to tackle 1000m + peaks quite early and in some cases several of those over a few days. I was absolutely exhausted, beyond anything I’d ever experienced, very quickly, and spent most nights trying to sleep with what felt like aching bones and feet, and the electrical-feeling shocks of overuse. But my body gradually adapted to where I sometimes felt so good I jogged along the trail. The greatest gift that Te Araroa gave me was knowledge of how fit I could get and how wonderful it felt. Seven months on it’s hard to remember how strong and fleet I felt in the last half of the trail especially, but it is nice to know that level of fitness is achievable.
The Press •

Trail walker and award-winning writer to visit Timaru (Interview)

It was almost nine months of walking through mud, tramping mostly solo and a frightening experience with a lightning storm.

But Naomi Arnold is not ruling out doing the Te Araroa track again, this time in the opposite direction. She said it was her long-held dream to walk the track, which covers the length of New Zealand.

At the end of 2023, she finally set off from Bluff on her way to covering more than 3000km. The adventure is now vividly covered in her book released earlier this month, Northbound: Four Seasons of Solitude on Te Araroa, and she plans to visit Timaru in June to talk about it.
Newsroom •

Naomi walks the earth

The big news of the week in New Zealand literature was the publication, instant success, and laudatory review of the book I declare is the best book of 2025 so far – Northbound by Nelson writer Naomi Arnold. It's whizzed into number 5 on the Nielsen BookScan nonfiction chart in its first week in the shops and I hope it stays somewhere or other on the bestseller chart for weeks or months to come. The author tells her tale of hiking the Te Araroa trail from south to north. It's an epic trek. It gets hard, it gets dangerous; and it also gets intimate. God only knows what the walk itself takes out of you but I'm just as fascinated in the challenge it takes to write about. All the usual questions of memoir – how to make it interesting to others, how much to reveal, how much to conceal – were at stake for the author as she sat down to write Northbound. Naomi has risen to the occasion.

I am scarcely surprised. She has always had a remarkable talent. I first met her at an unlikely place: Scott Base. We were both there on assignment. Naomi was just starting her career in journalism as a student at Canterbury. She was lively, funny, observant, inquisitive; she also had a certain poise to her. That was in 2009. Not too long after that she joined the Nelson Mail, and quickly emerged as the most interesting new writer in New Zealand journalism, alongside the newspaper's other new recruit, Charlie Anderson. Both wrote features; both wrote personal columns; both were class acts.
The Press •

Taking the long path north (Q&A)

A Q&A with award-winning Nelson nature and science writer, and former Nelson Mail journalist Naomi Arnold.

Naomi's new book Northbound takes readers on the length-of-New Zealand Te Araroa trail, complete with out-of-body experiences, quirky companions, joy, despair and reflections on solitude.

Could you expand a bit more on "the trail was haunting me" motivation?

I first encountered Te Araroa in Geoff Chapple’s 2002 book Te Araroa: One Man Walks His Dream. Chapple, the trail's founder along with his wife Miriam Beatson, wrote about the long struggle to establish a walking route the length of New Zealand, and then about the experience of walking this rough line on a map. I decided then and there I’d walk it myself one day. Once the trail opened in 2011 I kept coming across its signs everywhere around New Zealand, as well as meeting people who were walking it. Because the trail follows established walking and tramping tracks, such as in Nelson Lakes National Park, I kept finding myself walking on it, too. It took more than 20 years but I finally managed to walk it myself in 2024.
Aotearoa Adventures •

Nine Months of Solitude: Walking Northbound on Te Araroa with Naomi Arnold (Audio)

Naomi Arnold fulfilled a 20-year dream when she walked Te Araroa northbound (NOBO), from Bluff to Cape Reinga. What she expected to be a 4-5 month trail turned into 9 months as she juggled freelance work and writing a book on the trail. Her determination meant she pushed through all the physical and mental challenges, never for a moment wanting to quit, despite how tough it got. Her absolute favourite moment was the Tongariro Crossing and experiencing the forces of nature in the volcanic area. Naomi reflects on how hard the trail and physical challenges were day in and day out, and particularly the solitude she experience on the trail without meeting anyone else for weeks on end. Get her book NORTHBOUND, available now.
Load More

Reviews

BBC Travel •

"Northbound is a beautiful, brave book: harrowing at times, yet filled with hope."

Her account brims with detailed observations, bringing the reader directly into the heart and hardship of the trail – in all its mud, pain, cold and beauty. Arnold combines these descriptions with keenly honest evocations of the challenges she overcomes – from blisters and fungal infections to loneliness and logistical missteps ... Ultimately, it's about much more than walking the length of New Zealand – it's about what Arnold found, and what she shed, along the way. And in this sense, it's about the possibilities that await all of us in life, and that we can choose to ignore, or embrace.
Golden Bay Weekly •

"Raw, humorous and deeply honest storytelling ... A must-read"

The author's voice is engaging, her humour infectious, and her vulnerability touching. It's a reminder that sometimes the most profound journeys are those undertaken physically and emotionally, with the trail pulling you along (or pushing you back) in its quiet, relentless grip. A captivating read for adventurers and armchair travellers alike; this book leaves you with a sense of awe for the trail and admiration for its walker.
Otago Daily Times •

"Top-notch, lyrical travel writing"

By my count, there areat least 17 books (and a vastly greater number of blogs) detailing the authors' experiences walking the Te Araroa trail, the increasingly popular and increasingly famous trail that runs the length of the country. I have read several and, of those, this is undoubtedly the best. Do not make the mistake of thinking this book is just for trampers and would-be Te Araroa walkers — it is top-notch, lyrical travel writing that will appeal to anyone who loves a well written story about a journey.
McLeod's Booksellers •

"A wide appeal - all genders, all ages and all levels of physical fitness. Loved it."

Wow – this true story left me “gobsmacked”! Firstly, I was so surprised that someone so absolutely allergic to strenuous exercise (me), could become so engrossed in a story dominated by someone pushing the boundaries of physical & mental endurance. Naomi Arnold’s account of her nine-month journey walking Te Araroa is both epic and awe-inspiring with some joys (the scenery, people she meets, obstacles she overcomes) and painful i.e. dressing injured feet and toes with “Savlon and cotton torn from tampons”! As Naomi was a “NOBO” (North Bound) walker she was often alone and the solitude and loneliness of that circumstance appears often in her story, sometimes, maybe allowing her to make some questionable decisions along the way. This causes the reader to question whether the author is going to even make it or will her long-suffering and devoted husband, who is waiting & watching her movement (via Satellite) at home, have to finish the story?
Her award-winning journalistic background is evident with lovely, descriptive language – “a Kereru “whomping” off a tree bough into the bush” – gorgeous!
This story will have such a wide appeal – all genders, all ages and all levels of physical fitness. Loved it!
Kete Books •

"The reading of it became a family event."

Naomi Arnold can write. She has more than proven her mettle as a journalist and natural history writer, her work featuring widely in a raft of publications. Her previous book, Southern Nights, on New Zealand astronomy, came out in 2019. More impressive, is that Naomi Arnold can write WHILE trekking from Bluff to Cape Reinga, over nine grueling months, on the incredibly challenging Te Araroa trail – or the TA, as I’ve learned. Northbound is the author’s account of the fulfillment of a 20-year ambi...
nzbooklovers •

"What makes this memoir so special is Naomi’s storytelling and her ability to capture the essence of the people and places she meets along the way."

Naomi Arnold’s North Bound is a life-affirming memoir that captures the raw beauty of Aotearoa and the even rawer journey of walking it solo. Fuelled by a 20-year dream, Naomi set out to walk Te Araroa, the 3,000 kilometre trail that spans the length of New Zealand. She began her journey in Bluff on Boxing Day and finished the trail at Cape Reinga in September 2024. “As I moved north into more populated areas and spring began to arrive my fitness and confidence grew, and I encountered more people....
alysontheblog •

"Northbound is a love song to Aotearoa, to its beauty, its dangers, and its people."

At the end of the trail – as ‘2400 kilometres’ nears, Arnold ricochets between extreme experiences: boredom to intense excitement, energy to lethargy, starvation yet not bothering to eat to gorging on junk food – she is both figuratively and literally fraying at the edges. And it is in this state she again encounters tear-inducing kindnesses. Arnold at one point asks in frustration: “Where is this transcendence that is meant to happen on the trail?” – and answers it herself with this remarkable book, which generously allows others to share her journey and her insights. Highly recommended.
The Spinoff •

"It reads less like a memoir and more just like a great story. "

Arnold is a fantastic narrator to journey with up the trail, and Northbound is a great read for outdoor adventure seekers or readers who like stories set outdoors. Arnold’s account of the TA is often delightful and always honest. It’s a window into what you could expect to get out of any thru hike – munted feet, but also meaning. These moments of meaning unfurl naturally: Arnold leads them to you deftly, suggests them, and this makes Northbound a deeply satisfying read.

Upcoming Events

Past Events

Sun 2 November 2025 - Tauranga Arts Festival •

Northbound: Naomi Arnold

Award-winning journalist Naomi Arnold’s account of spending nearly nine months walking the length of New Zealand on Te Araroa is riveting, at times heart-stopping and many times joyful. In this magnificent memoir, Arnold traverses mountains, rivers, cities and plains from summer to spring; walks through days of thick mud, blazing sun and lightning storms, and into cold, starlit nights. Join Naomi Arnold as she shares her tales from Te Araroa.
Sun 2 November 2025 - Tauranga Arts Festival •

Descending Fire: Remembering Sherryl Jordan

Rocco, The Wednesday Wizard, The Juniper Game, Winter of Fire, Tanith… Tauranga resident Sherryl Jordan wrote some of Aotearoa’s most beloved novels for children and young adults. Join Jordan fans Claire Mabey, Naomi Arnold and Debbie McCauley for a conversation about Jordan’s memoir, Descending Fire, and Jordan’s novels and their impact. The session will  include images from Te Ao Mārama Tauranga City Libraries Sherryl Jordan archive, including images of Jordan’s art.
Sat 1 November 2025 - Nelson Arts Festival •

Lives Less Ordinary

When award-winning journalist and author Naomi Arnold set off to walk from Bluff to Cape Reinga she soon discovered that heading north meant she would spend long periods completely on her own.

Yachting enthusiast Rebecca Hayter – also an award-winning journalist – initially planned a seachange with her partner but found herself the ‘accidental’ sole owner of a 10-acre beachfront ‘lifestyle’ property in Golden Bay.

Hear from these two award-winning journalists and authors, who embarked on two very different journeys, united by a yearning to reconnect with the landscape of Aotearoa and themselves.
Sat 25 October 2025 - Nelson Arts Festival •

Inside the Media

Two of Aotearoa’s most highly regarded journalists, who worked together as part of Stuff’s #MeToo team, speak candidly about the shifting landscape of journalism in an age of misinformation, outrage, and fragile business models. Led by fellow journalist Naomi Arnold, this timely conversation considers the inherent structural challenges in the media, the role of advocacy in journalism, and how we can establish which media to trust.
Fri 12 September 2025 - Story Worlds New Plymouth •

Kōrero Matua: Te Tā i te Ara: Te Ahu Whakateraki i te taha o Naomi Arnold

Step into the wild with Naomi Arnold, critically acclaimed author and award-winning journalist, as she shares stories from her latest book, Northbound—a lyrical and honest account of walking Te Araroa, New Zealand’s longest trail, from Bluff to Cape Reinga. Over nine months on foot, Naomi traverses both physical landscapes and emotional terrain, weaving reflections on nature, science, solitude, and the art of storytelling....
Sat 30 August 2025 - WORD Christchurch •

Epic Adventures

Award-winning journalists Kate Evans and Naomi Arnold share how one big passion can unlock a world of adventure. Evans delves into the global history and cultural meaning of the love-it-or-hate-it feijoa in her hit book Feijoa. Arnold details her epic nine-month journey of self-discovery walking Aotearoa’s Te Araroa trail in Northbound. Hear how intense focus leads to profound connections, in this conversation between the two friends who are now working together on a travel book.
Thu 28 August 2025 - Te Ara Ātea, Rolleston •

Northbound

What does it take to walk from one end of New Zealand to the other, alone? Award winning journalist Naomi Arnold did exactly this, traversing mountains, rivers, cities, and plains from summer to spring, walking on through days of thick mud, blazing sun, lightning storms and cold, starlit nights. Join us as Naomi shares tales and inspiration from her journey and her latest book ‘Northbound: Four seasons of solitude on Te Araroa’. Hear tales of the colourful locals and travellers who delighted her and of the joys and pains found in the wilderness, solitude, friendship and love.
Sun 22 June 2025 - Wānaka Mountain Book & Film Festival •

Words & Wine

Experience the grit and vulnerability of nine months alone on the trail as Naomi Arnold walks the length of Aotearoa in Northbound, navigating both Te Araroa’s challenges and the landscapes of grief and resilience. Confront the disorienting reality of being adrift at sea with musician and voyager Andrew Fagan in Swirly World: Lost at Sea, a raw and reflective account of unexpected isolation and surprising self-discovery. Witness the inspiring story of world-class climber Beth Rodden in A Light Through the Cracks, confronting trauma and finding solace and strength in the mountains. Journey back in time to grasp the formidable obstacles – both societal and environmental – faced by the audacious team to make the first all-women’s ascent of Denali in Thirty Below with Cassidy Randall (beaming in from USA!). Finally, immerse yourself in the wild beauty and ecological significance of a unique wilderness with Dave Hansford’s Kahurangi, an exploration of its diverse landscapes, rich history, and vital conservation efforts – with a special toast in memory of fellow outdoor author-photographer Shaun Barnett’s (A) Wild Life.
Fri 18 May 2025 - Auckland Writers Festival •

[SOLD OUT] Masterclass: Writing the World

Journalist and author Naomi Arnold’s first-ever published magazine story was a Listener travel piece on Thailand and she has made writing about people and place her career ever since. Join the award-winning freelance travel, science and nature writer for a masterclass in crafting compelling travel narratives. Learn tips on research and capturing and conveying place, character and experience to bring your adventures to life, whether for publication, family or personal reflection. There will also be a discussion about the freelance publishing landscape today – bring along your burning questions.
Fri 16 May 2025 - Auckland Writers Festival •

Notes From a Small Island

From Bluff at the bottom of the South Island, to Cape Reinga at the North Island’s very top,award-winning journalist Naomi Arnold (Northbound) spent nearly nine months walking the motu-spanning Te Araroa. NZ Columnist of the Year Joe Bennett’s early 2000s hitchhiking adventures became the funny and internationally best-selling A Land of Two Halves: An Accidental Tour of New Zealand, a journey he recently opted to revisit – now as “a pensioner with an iffy prostate” – to see how the country has changed. They join Liv Sisson to recount the twists and turns of their respective adventures, and reflect on what insights the journeys gave them to Aotearoa New Zealand today.