Wilderness editor Alistair Hall shares some pearls of wisdom (ahem!) to help you do the challenge.

One – Short walks every day 

My goal with Walk1200km was to walk every day – making it habitual – rather than doing a few big walks once or twice a week. I think it has been easier this way because, as walking became part of my daily routine, filling in my progress tracker became almost an obsession. It was such a motivator, it was my 29th week before I recorded a zero-kilometre day. By then I had walked almost 800km and was well on my way to completion.

Two – It’s easy to break a habit 

Forming a walking habit was the secret to my success, but sickness and a busy period at work demonstrated how quickly habits can be broken. About 45 weeks into the challenge I had four consecutive non-walking days. On the fifth day I realised I hadn’t even thought about walking on the previous two days – the habit was broken already. Having the strength to force yourself out of the door each day, even if just for a few hundred metres, will help to maintain the habit. Throughout the challenge I did several walks of 1.5km and one of just 580m. Psychologically, these short distances were better than leaving a blank space on my tracker.

Three – Variety is the spice of life 

Most people clock up their kilometres from home. But once out of the front door, no matter which way you turn, boredom will eventually settle in. I found eight different walks I could do from my home or within a short drive. This kept things interesting. I also made more of an effort to walk further afield – big hikes in Mt Aspiring, Arrowtown and Coromandel were highlights that kept me motivated.

Four – Go hard early 

There will be times when you can’t go for a walk, when poor weather, sickness or life in general just get in the way. I made sure I walked further each month than was necessary (sometimes by just 1km!), so that when I got ill and couldn’t get out for a walk for several days, I didn’t become stressed or downbeat because I knew there was leeway. I ended up reaching 1200km in 47 weeks. Everything after that was a bonus and a target to beat next time.

Five – Even moderate walking helps the waistline

Walking is hardly strenuous, but when you do it day after day it still has an effect on your overall fitness and health. For most of my adult life I have weighed 67kg. But for about eight years before Walk1200km, I weighed 71kg. After a year of doing Walk1200km, I’m back to my usual 67kg. Not only am I trimmer and fitter, I recover more quickly from harder and longer tramps.