Walking Te Araroa to help troubled youth

Sam Allen’s grand plan to walk Te Araroa Trail to raise money for Christchurch’s Youth Hub hit a snag almost immediately.

A few days in, Allen injured his foot on Ninety Mile Beach and was forced to recuperate in a family place in the Coromandel for a month.

He’s back on the trail now and achieved the Tongariro Crossing recently. He’s scheduled to be canoeing the Whanganui River about now.

The best part of the continuous 3000km walk between Cape Reinga and Bluff was the hiking community, Allen said.

The 26-year-old electrician from Christchurch had walked with a retired American lawyer, 18-year-olds from Germany and numerous others.

“We all make quick friends with each other because we're all doing this thing that we have in common,” he said.

Allen has already raised more than $2800 – his goal is $10,000 – that will benefit Dame Sue Bagshaw’s Youth Hub Te Hurihanga ō Rangatahi.

As a youth Allen had his own troubles, as did some friends. He believed “strongly in supporting our younger generation during these fundamental and important years”.

The Youth Hub, under construction at 109 Salisbury St, will be a safe haven for people aged between 10 and 25 who need support.

Stage one will include a supported housing wing with 23 bedrooms and a wraparound services block for a dozen youth providers. Construction is on track for a late 2024 opening, but money is urgently needed for the fit out.

The trust wanted the décor to reflect the cultures of the people who would use it, Bagshaw said.

It’s urgently fund raising for stage two, which will include five apartments, each with three to four bedrooms, and a community centre with spaces for recreation, training and creativity.

The whole project will cost about $40 million.

Fundraising by the likes of Allen was “really important ... because every penny we can get is helpful”, Bagshaw said.

Allen said it was “awesome” that the hub would help people older than 18. Many youth services ended at that age, but “even when you're in your early 20s, sometimes you can still struggle”, he said.

Allen disliked tramping in high school, but came to realise how good it was for him. “It just sparked something inside that made me want to ... explore and be in nature.”

He’s since become a hunter and explored many huts in the Southern Alps.

He quit his job to complete this walk, and hoped to meet Bagshaw when he got close to Christchurch.

Allen’s Givealittle page pays directly to the Youth Hub’s Givealittle page.

He also has a video diary going on Instagram under @samgoesfar

After recuperating, Allen restarted his walk in Hamilton rather than in the Far North. He planned to walk the northernmost portion later.