[12] Te Araroa stretches roughly 3,000 km (1,864 mi), varying in distance when sections are upgraded or otherwise changed.

In these sections, trip planning, river crossing and navigation skills are recommended, as well as a good level of fitness and heavy boots.

There have been reports that some landowners have grown frustrated with the number of walkers, while many see it as a chance "be good neighbours and to bridge that rural-urban divide".

[13] With the exception of a short section of the Queen Charlotte Track at the trail's northern terminus in the South Island,[15] neither permit nor fee is required to walk Te Araroa.

However, Te Araroa Trust requests a donation of $750 per person tramping the full trail, $400 for those walking one island only, and smaller amounts for section hikers.

Walkers often receive support from "Trail Angels" – volunteers living near the track who can provide places to sleep, showers, and food.

[18] The unofficial claimed record time for completing Te Araroa is just under fifty days, by pilot George Henderson from Wellington in 2019/2020.