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The Blissful Hiker begins the section of the Te Araroa on the Whanganui River, a body of water precious and deeply spiritual to the Maori.


In this episode:

1. Blissful begins paddling the Whanganui with her partner Andrew as captain, a young American exactly thirty years younger, who takes charge of steering.
2. After a quick lesson, they're off mostly on placid water reflecting the clouds and cliffs dotted with waterfalls. 
3. At the John Coull Hut, she camps outside and watches rare pekapeka, short-tailed bats, the only endemic mammals to New Zealand.
4. They take a break from paddling to visit the Bridge to Nowhere, built with high hopes o bring prosperity to the region, though no roads were ever built to it. 
5. The seven-year-old daughter, Maddy, welcomes them to Tieke Kainga, as the kaikaranga or caller in a powhiri to the Maori community, then gives her a pakohe , a healping stone, which Blissful carries on every hike thereafter. 

MUSIC: Impresiones de la Puna by  Alberto Ginastera as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano

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