Award-winning journalist Naomi Arnold spent nearly nine months solo walking the length of New Zealand on Te Araroa, fulfilling a 20-year dream. She traversed mountains, rivers, cities and plains from summer to spring, walking on through days of thick mud, blazing sun and lightning storms, and into cold, starlit nights. Along the way, she penned Northbound: Four seasons of solitude on Te Araroa, her brilliant new book that recounts her fascinating adventure.

Join Naomi to hear about the colourful locals and travellers she met who inspired her, and how she turned 1000 voice notes into a dazzling book. Naomi will also share some of the beautiful (and sometimes hilarious) photos and videos she took to document her journey from the southern bluff of Motupōhue to the northern cape of Te Rerenga Wairua.

Northbound is an upbeat, fascinating and inspiring memoir of solitude, love and friendship, and the joys and pains to be found in the wilderness. The book will be available for sale, with book signing after the event, thanks to Unity Books. Ticket price includes light refreshments.

Presented in partnership with HarperCollins NZ.

About the author:

Naomi Arnold is an award-winning journalist and natural history writer. She has contributed to most national publications including RNZ, North & South, and New Zealand Geographic, as well as international outlets including The Washington Post and The Guardian. Her acclaimed story of New Zealand astronomy, Southern Nights, was published by HarperCollins in 2019.