Walking Post

Greg Keaney walked the length of coastal New South Wales in Australia from Dreamstime to Eden over a two-year period.

The journey was completed in 16 one-week stages between 2023 and 2025, fitted around his work commitments. In total, he spent 80 days walking.

The route followed the eastern edge of the state, covering beaches, headlands, bush tracks, and roads. Keaney aimed to walk every beach and headland where access allowed, adjusting the route as needed based on terrain and conditions.

The total distance covered was approximately 1,000 miles. He carried his own gear, walked solo, and documented the route throughout the journey.

His latest challenge is walking every step (200 miles) of Sydney Harbour—from the Heads to the Headwaters and back again—without bridges or artificial water crossings.

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Mark Hines is a writer and endurance athlete whose books document long‑distance expeditions in demanding environments. Drawing on his background in exercise physiology, he has written on challenges ranging from desert ultramarathons to jungle treks.

In Hiking the Yukon Quest, he recounts walking the thousand‑mile trail that links Fairbanks, Alaska with Whitehorse in the Canadian territory of the Yukon. Normally the course of a sled dog race, Hines tackled it alone in winter, hauling his supplies across frozen rivers and mountain passes.

The book sets out the physical demands of the journey alongside the landscapes and solitude of the far north.

Hiking the Yukon Quest is available in print and Kindle editions through major booksellers, including Amazon.

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Founded in 2017, Danu Sports develops wearable technology designed to help athletes train smarter and reduce injuries.

The company’s flagship product is a “smart sock” system that uses embedded sensors to capture gait and movement data in real time. Coaches, physiotherapists, and athletes can use the analytics platform to monitor performance, identify risks, and support rehabilitation.

Backed by venture funding and based in Dublin, Danu Sports is part of a new wave of sports‑tech companies blending biomechanics, data science, and everyday usability to make high‑level performance insights available outside the lab.

In September 2025, the company announced a partnership with Hoka at the Ultra‑Trail du Mont Blanc, showcasing its smart sock technology with elite athletes, while also expanding into medical applications.

Our guest this week is Oisín Lennon, CEO of DANU Sports.

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This week our focus is on the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.

It’s a beautiful and green city, with a population of just over 600,000. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with amazing architecture spanning the centuries. It has two rivers, the main one, the Neris, runs right through the city, and can be walked along for pretty much the entire length through the city. If you do walk along the river, there are now boats that have been added to the local transport system. There are also views along the river, including the Stalo kalnas, a small hill that is the start of the Vilnius 100 long-distance trail. Broken up into 10 stages of varying length and difficulty, the Vilnius 100 circles the city.

It dips in and out of urban areas, but one of the joys of Vilnius is that within minutes, while you can occasionally see and hear the city, you’re in forests, walking along streams, and enjoying the serenity. The trail is also very easy to reach – there are bus stops close to many of the start and end points, and the trail is dotted with distinctive red markers to guide the way.

This week, we chatted with Anton Nikitin, chief sustainability officer at Vilnius City Municipality, about walking in the city, the Vilnius 100, and what the city is doing to ensure its green credentials stay that way.

To get in touch with the podcast with comments, guest ideas, or for advertising/sponsorship opportunities, email us at [email protected]

This week, we’re talking with US author Lea Appleton about her helpful book, published earlier this year, Walking & Wayfinding: Create Your Own Mindful Practice, One Step at a Time.

Interview time:

02:57 Walking & Wayfinding: Create Your Own Mindful Practice, One Step at a Time

Originally planning to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain, Lea was thwarted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, she instead embarked on a series of more local walks that became a source of profound self-discovery and awareness. In this book, Lea shares her personal reflections and stories, inviting you to join her in exploring the transformative power of walking.

To get in touch with the podcast with comments, guest ideas, or for advertising/sponsorship opportunities, email us at [email protected]

This week, our guest is Jude Price, founder and CEO of Walk N Talk 4 Mental Health.

Interview time:

03:42 Walk N Talk 4 Mental Health

Based in Hampshire, the charity creates supportive communities through walking and talking together.

The walks take place in most weather conditions, and last for around 45 minutes. The chosen walks are designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of fitness level or walking experience.

Each walk is led by a qualified mental health first-aider, who creates a welcoming and supportive environment.

Currently, the group leads walks in Andover, Basingstoke, Headley Down, Fleet and Romsey. Walk N Talk 4 Mental Health is always looking for more volunteers to lead walks, and hopes to expand into other areas in the future.

The combination of light exercise, fresh air, and supportive conversation has proven benefits for mental wellbeing. Many regular walkers report improved mood, reduced anxiety, and a greater sense of community connection.

To get in touch with the podcast with comments, guest ideas, or for advertising/sponsorship opportunities, email us at [email protected]

Now in its eighth year, the High Weald Walking Festival has planned new routes and experiences to help more people discover the beauty and history of the High Weald's national landscape.

Interview time:

04:43 High Weald Walking Festival

The festival is free and runs from 13th to 21st September 2025.

In 2024, the event attracted more than 600 walkers from across the High Weald, the UK and abroad. This year's programme is now live and has been expanded and designed to enable every level of walker to experience the High Weald's landscape.

This year, some of the walks take a closer look at life in the High Weald’s 2,500km of public rights of way. In 'A Walk with a Poet' award-winning poet Jemma Borg shares how the High Weald has inspired her work on a walk in Mayfield, while Sussex naturalist Michael Blencowe leads a family wildlife walk on Ashdown Forest exploring the rare habitat and species of lowland heathland.

For people without cars, there are more walks that can be accessed by train or bus. The festival has teamed up with East Sussex Health Walks (The Conservation Volunteers - TCV), Sussex Wildlife Trust and Bedgebury National Pinetum for a series of wellbeing walks that are both accessible and social.

Due to popularity and available space, some walks will require pre-booking at https://www.highwealdwalks.org/

We had a conversation about the festival with Lucy Bowyer, community engagement officer at the High Weald National Landscape Partnership.

To get in touch with the podcast with comments, guest ideas, or for advertising/sponsorship opportunities, email us at [email protected]

This week, we’re talking with Grace MacGregor from the marketing department at Scottish outdoor gear manufacturer, Keela.

Interview times:

05:04 Keela

Keela

Keela was started in 1989 in Glenrothes, Fife. In the 1990s, Keela team began working on how to manage inner condensation in wet and cold conditions. The result was system dual protection (SDP), a double-layer fabric system that offered game-changing breathability.

It netted the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation. The company also came up with the world’s first fully tape-sealed fleece to carbon activated fabrics with inherent microbial properties.

The company supplies a range of emergency services from the police to the military, fire services and rescue teams.

The company also revitalises old gear through the Legacy Project.

To get in touch with the podcast with comments, guest ideas, or for advertising/sponsorship opportunities, email us at [email protected]

This week, we’re talking about the trend of avoiding hot places for vacations, and about a new trail at a Roman site in North Yorkshire.

Interview times:

04:17 Edge of Empire Trail

23:17 Coolcations

Cawthorn Roman Camps

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Roman legions set out from their fortress at York to conquer the north by defeating and controlling the local British tribes; particularly the Brigantes.

They constructed a network of camps and forts connected by military roads, systematically occupying new territory and carving their mark into the land. Now, visitors to the North York Moors can step back into this chapter of Britain’s history, with a new illustrated trail at Cawthorn Roman Camps, one of the most significant Roman sites in the region.

The one-mile Edge of Empire trail invites people to experience what life was like for Roman soldiers stationed at Cawthorn and to imagine the encounters with the Parisi and Brigantes tribes who lived and farmed in the surrounding landscape.

Featuring a series of interpretation panels, artistic impressions and historical insights, the trail covers the three distinct Roman fortifications, including the more mysterious and possibly experimental temporary camp.

A herd of Royal Golden Guernsey goats have been enlisted to protect the site as conservation grazers. The goats are now roaming the camps as part of a pioneering effort to prevent invasive scrub, bramble, and bracken from damaging the archaeological remains and heathland habitat.

Our conversation is with Nick Mason, archaeology officer at the North York Moors National Park Authority, and Jacob Lawson, conservation officer at the North York Moors National Park Authority.

Coolcations

While the sunny destinations in Europe such as Greece, Spain, Turkey and Italy are still popular, for some, rising temperatures has prompted a rethink. As temperatures rise, some people – walkers included – are actively looking to avoid the heat, and are choosing to visit new places in cooler climates.

The term has been dubbed coolcations, and regions such as Scandinavia are reaping the rewards. Vacationers are also changing the timing of their holidays, and are either visiting warmer destinations when they are out of season, or even going so far as to head to a different part of the world to get away from the heat and experience new adventures.

Our guest this week to talk about coolcations was Enrique Umbert, from Mountain Lodges of Peru, a company that provides unique trekking holidays in the South American country.

To get in touch with the podcast with comments, guest ideas, or for advertising/sponsorship opportunities, email us at [email protected]

This week, we’re talking about a series of trails with dinosaur markers in Leicestershire, and the 8-Day Walking Challenge in Somerset.

Interview times:

03:51 Dino T-Reks

16:48 80-mile walking challenge

Dino T-Reks in Leicestershire

A series of free ‘Dino T-Reks’ walking trails for the summer is taking place in 14 Leicestershire parks.

Schoolchildren were tasked with creating the designs for the trail markers by Leicestershire County Council’s Sustainable Travel team.

A total of 95 dinosaur trail markers inspired by sustainable travel methods are positioned along trails the parks.

As families walk, scoot, or cycle along the trails, they can spot up to eight dino markers, scan QR codes with their phones to collect letters, spell a mystery word and enter a draw to win a prize donated by a local business.

The free Dino T-Reks walking trails will be found in: Watermead Country Park, Market Bosworth Country Park, Snibston Country Park in Coalville, Forest East Park in LFE, Welland Park in Market Harborough, Melton Country Park, Spital Playing Field in Castle Donington, Blaby Road Park, Jubilee Park in Enderby, Queen’s Park in Loughborough, Hollycroft Park in Hinckley, Bottesford Park and Everards Meadows near Fosse Park.

Our conversation is with Kit Prime, communications officer at Leicestershire County Council, and Jessica Herbert, a Safe & Sustainable Travel manager.

Somerset 80-mile walking challenge

National Trails has announced an 80-mile walking challenge in September that will take place along the Somerset and Exmoor coast on part of England’s newest national trail, the King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP).

This year, the eight-day walk begins at County Gate on Exmoor and ends on Brean Down at the end of the Mendip Hills.

Participants can do the entire walk, or pick certain days to walk. The event starts on 28 September, and participation costs vary from £6 to £9 for one day, or £46 to £68 for the entire event.

The difficulty level is listed as challenging, with the first two days the most strenuous.

The challenge will raise funds for The Outdoor Guide Foundation’s Waterproofs and Wellies campaign to support Somerset’s coastal primary schools – last year’s efforts raised £350 and bought 10 sets of waterproofs and wellies for West Huntspill Primary School. The target this year is £700 to support two schools.

We had a conversation with Isobel Pring, of the Somerset Trail Partnership for the King Charles III England Coast Path.

To get in touch with the podcast with comments, guest ideas, or for advertising/sponsorship opportunities, email us at [email protected]