Northbound
About this audiobook
Alone in the wilderness
Shortlisted for the General Nonfiction Award at the 2026 Ockham Book Awards
Award-winning journalist Naomi Arnold spends nearly nine months walking the length of New Zealand on Te Araroa, fulfilling a 20-year dream. On her own, she traverses 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 encounters colourful locals and travellers who delight and inspire her.
An upbeat, fascinating and inspiring memoir of solitude, love and friendship, and the joys and pains to be found in the wilderness.
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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. She lives in Nelson.
