Whidbey Island resident Brad Hankins recently completed an 1800-mile trek on the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand in 135 days. Hankins, who is the son of Langley residents Fran Abel and Ed Anderson, hiked from the northern tip of North Island at Cape Reinga to the southern tip of South Island at Bluff.

“Te Araroa – the Long Pathway” opened Dec. 3, 2011 and goes down the coastline, through the forest, across farmland, over volcanoes and mountain passes, along river valleys and on green pathways through seven cities. It’s one of the longest walking routes in the world. Hundreds of volunteers worked for more than 10 years to create the trail.

Hankins blogged about the experience at his site dbbrad.blogspot.com/search/label/Adventure. Abel has also weighed in on her son’s journey at her blog homeonwhidbey.blogspot.com.

But Hankins’ walking days are not over yet.

“I’m going to fly to Mexico and walk 4,500 kilometres back to the Canadian border on the Pacific Crest Trail,” Hankins said.

Hankins has been a resident  of  Whidbey Island for the past four years where he ran a business called Design Build Brad.