Te Araroa author remembers Whananaki well. She even went to Wendy O'Shea's birthday party.

It was about this time a couple of years ago Naomi Arnold, author of the bestseller Northbound: Four Seasons of Solitude on Te Araroa, trekked through Whananaki on the last leg of a mammoth walk from Bluff to Cape Reinga. Arnold remembers Whananaki well. A night in a friend's bach included an invitation to a birthday party. And - it was there, at Wendy & Terry O'Shea's - she met some of the locals.

That night Arnold explained to us all she was writing a book about her up-country walk, which she had completed largely alone. Questions were asked. Pleasantries were exchanged. She popped by the shop the next day and bought a hat. And then the next day she was off once again and we all largely forgot the encounter.

Today, we caught up with now bestselling author Naomi Arnold once again. Shortlisted for the General Nonfiction Award at the 2026 Ockham Book Awards, her book is a fantastic collection of tales of true New Zealand. It's beauty, it's people, and how they helped a lone walker with her epic trip up the country.

Listen to the interview with Naomi Arnold below.

Naomi Arnold author of Northbound: Four Seasons of Solitude on Te AraroaWhananaki FM

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