After a long period of upgrades, the  Aotea Track  was freshly opened at the end of 2019. Sam and I were visiting Aotea (Great Barrier Island) with some friends, so we decided that before kicking back on the beach and celebrating New Year's Eve, we should have a crack at the outer loop. The Aotea Track is recommended as a 2-3 day tramp, but we thought we'd try it as a trail run.



Turns out there's a reason most people walk it: the hills, especially the steps up to (Mt Hobson), are a hard slog! But if you take it super easy and allow for leisurely breaks, it's doable in a single day.



The stunning views over the whole island make the uphill bits absolutely worthwhile. We also planned our route so that we finished up at the . After being on our feet for almost 7 hours, it was a lovely treat for sore muscles.