He suffered blisters, sunburn, deep vein thrombosis and weathered major storms.
Even so, Julian Day has had a ball during the two decades he spent walking the entire NSW coast.
What started as a one-off walk from Sydney to Wollongong in 1994 to "clear the air" after the break-up of his marriage, ended up with Day walking on every single beach in NSW, over every possible headland and keeping as close to the coast as he could.
"The highlights were dolphins surfing in the waves, crab art on the beach and many, many great views along the coast," Day says.
The 57-year-old Sydney IT industry professional walked the coast in segments, taking several months to organise each trip of about six days.
He completed a walk every 12 months or so, clocking up 1600 kilometres in total at an average of 36km a day. He finished his coastal trek at Tweed Heads in 2011.
Day has recorded his experiences in a book, Walking On A BOB Or TWO, which was launched at NSW Parliament House on Thursday by state tourism minister George Souris.
The book also details some of Day's favourite stretches of coast.
The author says his toughest walk was from Huskisson to Sussex Inlet: "I walked into the worst storms I have ever encountered coming directly at me."
Day's mission to walk the NSW coast was not the quest of a fitness fanatic.
Rather it was a way to raise money for charities and a personal challenge for a man who has survived cancer three times and bounced back after a tumour that left him deaf in one ear.
"The first one from Sydney to Wollongong I just did to clear the air after breaking up from my first marriage," Day says.
"I didn't do the next one from Wollongong to Huskisson until four years later, but after this one I raised significant funds for the Cancer Council - I was then determined to keep going."
Day recently founded the Waterline Challenge, a national charitable event to challenge the whole of Australia to walk, run, cycle or sail the entire coast of Australia in one September weekend to raise money for various charities.
He is now preparing for his next walk - Brisbane to Noosa in May.
"It's great to look back and see how far I've come," he says.
*Walking on a BOB or TWO, by Julian Day, available from beachwalker.com.au, $25.
JULIAN DAY'S TOP SIX NSW COAST WALKS
Day says these walks stood out because of their "breathtaking views, intricate coast lines and diverse scenery".
- Half-day walk - Crescent Head to South West Rocks - 22km
- Half-day walk - Coffs Harbour to Emerald Beach - 18km
- Half-day walk - Mystery Bay to Bermagui - 16km
- One-day walk - Ballina to Byron - 35km
- One-day walk - Stockton to Anna Bay - 26km
- One-day walk - Kioloa to Batemans Bay - 28km
Source: From Walking On A BOB Or TWO, by Julian Day (available from beachwalker.com.au, $25)
