Not certain whether this should be in the Exercise Forum or here, but I see it as mainly an Australian thing so I’m posting it here.

In case there is anyone who doesn’t know what a virtual walk is then let me explain. We form a group of around about 6 people and agree upon where we want to walk. This should be something of a challenge like say Hobart to Darwin. We each buy ourselves a suitable map and put it up somewhere where it can be easily seen. We then record our steps each day and work out our daily distance. Once a week we email our distances to the leader who adds them all up and works out where we have walked to. We then each update our maps showing where we have walked.

As we progress we can each find suitable pictures or historical facts of the towns we have walked through and email them around the group. The whole purpose is to get some group dynamics happening so that we each motivate each other.

My suggestion of including a stretch of water is to provide an additional exercise to just walking. We can cross Bass Strait either by swimming, rowing an exercise machine, paddling a canoe or whatever.

Hobart to Launceston is around 200 Kms and Melbourne to Darwin is 4045 kms so our total walking distance would be 4245 kms. If there were 6 in the group and we each walked 5 kms per day then it would take us just over 4 ½ months to make Darwin. The swim/row across Bass Strait would be a real challenge though.

Is there anyone interested in joining with me in something like this – I’ve only used Hobart to Darwin as an example, we could always start-off doing say Melbourne to Sydney.

Hamster

What I fab idea! I got banded on Monday the 30th July and walking like this would be great. I need some like minded friends. Do we need to get hold of step counter?

Cheers Jo

Hi Jcjfsm

With only 2 of us walking we probably should lower our sights somewhat. I’m open to suggestions but it should be somewhere interesting with lots of towns fairly close together. We should probably spend something like 3 months on our walk – say 100 days for a round number. In this time we ought to be able to cover around 1,000 kms do you have any suggestions on where would be a good place to walk????? Another option would be to start an around Australia walk and hope that others will join in.

You’ll probably need a pedometer – they can be bought at any sports shop or on ebay.

Probably a good idea to use this forum to communicate as it might motivate others to join but if you want to send me an email I can be contacted at barry.hamm1@googlemail.com

Hamster

I’ve started my virtual walk last Sunday, my step count so far is

Saturday 4 August – 12,454 steps – 11.8 Kms

Sunday 5 August – 6,129 steps – 5.8 Kms

Monday 6 August – 7,327 steps – 7.0 Kms

Tuesday 7 August – 10,145 steps – 9.6 Kms

So by my figuring I’ve made it from Hobart to Malbina in the Derwent Valley. The following is a link http://www.derwentvalley.com.au/ if anybody wants to know what Malbina is like.

If anyone want to join me then all you have to do is to keep track of your steps and let me know once a week of the distance you’ve travelled and I’ll add your distance to mine. In no time we’ll make Darwin.

Hi Barry I think maybe towns close together may be better. The distances to the nearest towns where live are approx 300 to 500km unless when we do the walk around Australia we do sy 1km = 100km on the map. How about we do a winery tour either in Margaret River or The Hunter Valley or the Borossa. In Margaret River we could also stop off at the chocolate factory, the brewery, maroon farm, etc. Do it like a gourmet trail. LOL

WOW. I defintely need to catch up. I want be starting mine till I am home on Saturday But WOW well done

Cheers Jo

Hi Jo,

I hope that your surgery went well and that everything is ok. Please let me know how it went for you. I have no strong views on where we walk to so I'm happy to do it as a gourmet/winery trail. I don't know of any Tasmanian wineries but there is the chocolate factory ...... Mmmmmm c h o c o l a te ........

Once we hit mainland there are plenty of wineries to 'visit' and while we're crossing Bass Strait we'll have to call in at King Island for some of the King Island cheese.

I'm bidding on a rowing machine on ebay so if I win it I'll be rowing that across Bass Strait. Last time I went for a swim the whale rescuers were called out (LOL) so swimming might be out for a little while.

With the walk my first major Goal is Macquarie Harbour - site of an infamous penal settlement.

I went to an information session last night - pretty impressive so at the moment the odds are that I'll go ahead with the banding.

Barry