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Blissful Hiker discovers hope because repair happens simultaneously with her trailside breakdown.

In this episode:

1. Blissful continues her journey of the Te Araroa, crossing the gigantic braided Rangitata River in New Zealand's Southern Alps. 
2. Before crossing, she joins her young Czech friend Tom on a side-trip to Mount Sunday known as Elorus in The Lord of the Rings, a magnificent bump surrounded by snow-capped mountains. 
3. The river bed is six miles wide of rocks, fast-moving rivers, thorns and quicksand. 
4. Then it's up the Two Thumb Track into a wonderland  of pointy mountains in tussock, and rushing streams. 
5. At Crooked Spur Hut, two Kiwis act resentful that Te  Araroa hikers share their space and seem to delight in disturbing sleep and talking about bad weather coming. 
6. Blissful breaks down in tears but a beautiful waterfall covered in yellow flowers lifts her spirits as well as another hiker offering treats and laughs. 

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker learns that worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.

In this episode:

1. Blissful continues her journey of the Te Araroa, walking south in the South Island of New Zealand between the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers, both "Hazard Zones." 
2. From the A-frame Hut, Blissful heads up this "Lord of the Rings" landscape with a trail-as-river to Clent Hills Saddle and down to the Lake Heron Basin, where mysterious clouds look like parade balloons touching the ground like fingers. 
3. After the Manuka Hut, it's road walk past the Hakatere Conservation Park and hooting birds, then the Castleridge Station where the rancher offers her a pile of food so she make it to Lake Tekapo, six days away. 
4. The landscape is glorious snow-capped mountains to the majestic braided river. 
5. She worries about food, about Tom, about going home and about her long lost flute career and finds it does no good, keeping her energy from being in the present moment. 

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker is astonished  when she lets the day take care of itself, miracles occur.

In this episode:

1. Blissful continues her journey of the Te Araroa, walking south in the South Island of New Zealand. 
2. After Hamilton "Hilton" Hut it's rocky and tussock-covered terraces as well as numerous crossings in the knee-high rapids of the Harper River on a hot day.
3. At the campsite  she breaks down in tears not able to set her tent, the Alicoop in the hard ground.
4. The next day is all on road to a "Hazard Zone:" the impassable Rakaia River, where she meets two Kiwis who offer to drive her the 30 miles around it. 
5. It's uphill through cicada-filled meadows and at the saddle, she meets Tomaš and they plan to tackle the next "Hazard Zone" of the Rangitata River together. 

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker's friend from Day 1 falls and dislocates her shoulder and another tramper needs rescuing, and she decides to take things slow so as not to fall – and to not rush to the end.

In this episode:

1. Blissful leaves Goat Pass for Arthur's Pass on the Te Araroa with Alessio and Tomaš in rain, with more on the way. 
2. Alessio tells her he didn't "sign up" to guide a middle-aged tramper, but she realizes what other people think of her is none of her business. 
3.  A friend-of-a-friend loans her "bach" or cabin to the trio for a zero day before heading onto the Harper River Track.
4. It's lovely walking with views of the Southern Alps along tundra rich with alpine plants. 
5. The mountains are eroded and dangerous, a landslip the cause of at least two accidents. 
6. Several hikers stay at the Hamilton "Hilton" Hut, where a Frenchwoman needs rescuing by helicopter. 

MUSIC: Milonga sin Palabras by Astor Piazzolla  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker learns a new skill crossing rivers in cold and dangerous rapids and falls in the South Island of New Zealand. 

In this episode:

1. Blissful is on day 89 of the Te Araroa, New Zealand's "long pathway" developing a new skill of crossing dangerous rivers, but with a little help from friends, Alessio and Tomaš. 
2.  Her first challenge out of Hurunui Hut No. 3 is to cross the small side stream called Cameron on a 3-wire bridge, not offering any room for error. 
3. Up an over Harper Pass, the trail crosses over the divide in the Southern Alps and descends on an eroded landslip or flash flood tailings.
4. This is followed by a cross in the deep rushing Upper Taramakau to Kiwi Hut. 
5. It's a long day walking on uneven river bed with numerous crossings, then an awful "flood route" sidling of the river through bush in typical New Zealand style of steep ups and downs without any switchbacks. 
6. The day ends with a wild walk straight up the Deception River on the Mingha-Deception Track to Goat Pass in rapids, waterfalls and awkward crossings, some of the most exhilarating tramping of the entire trail.  

MUSIC: Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino and Pastorale Calchaqui by Hector Gallac as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker finds she is like a river, following a path and forging a new way. It may be hard work, but it's in her nature

In this episode:

1. Blissful walks out of Nelson Lakes National Park on the Te Araroa stopping in Boyle Village to pick up her resupply, staying only long enough for a snack since the rain is coming and it's better to move on before the rivers rise and become impassable. 
2. Alessio and Tomaš join her as she enters Canterbury and heads to Hope Halfway Shelter right before the rain comes, along with ten wet trampers sharing the small space in a boisterous evening. 
3. The plan is to go further the next day to avoid the crowd and get in place to cross the harder rivers before the rain comes. 
4. After river walking and countless stream crossings, Blissful bathes in a hot springs then arrives at Hurunui No. 3 Hut, far ahead of the crowd where Alessio tells her, "You look like you're between 50 and 60, but you hike a 25 year old."

MUSIC: Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino and Pastorale Calchaqui by Hector Gallac as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker discovers the difference between loneliness and solitude, appreciating the camaraderie crossing a difficult mountain pass.

In this episode:

1. Blissful joins six determined friends to cross Waiua Pass in high winds and squalls on the Te Araroa. 
2. It's not so bad up and down around Lake Constance then up again on loose scree over the pass with a tricky downclimb on a crumbling cliff into a wonderland of mountains and waterfalls in Nelson Lakes National Park, the view coming in and out of swirling mist. 
3. Blissful faces her first tricky river crossings and breaks down in tears, and one friend tells her, "Remember, no one walked this for you."
4. Along Waiau River, a cowboy tells her to hide in the thorn trees until wild horses stampede by. 
5. She's surprised by another hiker's asking her if she's ok and what her plans are, the first time any hiker had asked in nearly three months. 

MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker learns what she plans to do with her one wild and precious life by heading into the mountains when weather moves in.

In this episode:

1. Blissful is told by the experts at DOC to keep moving up into the mountains since the bad weather is not a storm but more "squally showers" and very big wind.
2. She gets a late start as she heads into Nelson Lakes National Park around Lake Rotoiti thinking of poet Mary Oliver who died the day before and asked in her most famous poem, Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
3. On Travers Saddle she braves the wild gale-force wind to cross over.
4. On the descent, she wipes out on mud and tumbles down, hardly hurting herself but bending her trekking pole, but finding it's still useable. 
5. Walking over avalanche zones, waterfalls, root-filled trails and up steep climbs, she meets a ranger who calculates because of her age, she can't handle Waiau Pass the next day. 
6. But at the hut at Blue Lake/Rotomairewhenua, her friends convince her to continue to the pass the next day, if they all go together. 

MUSIC: Suite Argentina by Horacio Salgán as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker discovers that if you have the energy, the daylight and the weather is good, you should always try to get some distance while the getting’s good.

In this episode:

1. Blissful is up before dawn and has Purple Top in the Richmond Range of the  Te Araroa all to herself. 
2. Then she dives back into a deep valley to walk up the Wairoa River, sidling its steep, crumbly banks and using the water itself as a trail.
3. The next day is in a transformed environment of the Red Hills, magnesium rich desert-like landscape still filled with dozens of rushing streams to cross.
4. Her friends catch up and convince her to push hard and continue to Red Hills Hut while the weather is good and there's still time. 
5. It's good she moved forward as the weather begins to turn just as she arrives in St. Arnaud to pick up a resupply. 

MUSIC: MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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Blissful Hiker discovers that having her ego tweaked just a little by a braggart can be a good thing, because it helps her decide what matters and what doesn't. 

In this episode:

1. The day starts with a rainbow, feathery falls and then a steep climb into the stunning Richmond Range on New Zealand's long walk, the Te Araroa. 
2. At Slaty Hut, she meets a young thru-hiker who brags about his speed, his distance and his light gear much to her annoyance. 
3. She "interviews" him and discovers he's actually a nice guy, hiking his own hike. 
4. It's steep up Little Rintoul, though she realizes it's only the first climb of the day as the real, and higher Rintoul is an eroding, scree-field of a trail.
5. Rather than take John's bragging as "fighting words" she continues to hike her hike, taking the time to enjoy the view, air and sunshine from the summits. 

MUSIC: MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala and Suite Argentina by Horacio Salgan as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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