Italy Coast to Coast Walk 2026

Approaching Lennox Head Last Saturday we completed our final training walk, from Ballina to Lennox Head. When we are travelling, our phones are very important. We use the Samsung Health app to record the day's walking statistics, take photos with the camera app, then compile the blog on our phones in the evening. Shouldering our full packs, we started out from Lighthouse Beach in Ballina. The fine drizzle gave us the opportunity to test out our hands-free umbrella holding system. We found something that worked for Kath, but Russell's is still a work in progress. We followed the sealed path along the coast, admiring fine views before heading into the coastal scrub. The path was busy and we shared it with cyclists, joggers, fellow walkers and a couple of groups in training for long distance walking - one even planning on walking the Via Francigena like us! The new facilities at Sharpes Beach - toilet, water, benches - were being well patronised. Someone had even built rock cairns...

In the last post we talked about how we researched our trip. After we have planned our route based on this research, we have to make sure we are fit enough and have the right gear to undertake it. This is the focus of this post, what we have done in the past along with a couple of tweaks for this trip. Training We keep ourselves generally fit by walking and bike riding in the (hilly) Northern Rivers. As well as walking locally most days, one day a week we usually complete the Ballina to Lennox Head coastal walk, a distance of about 20 km. As departure date grows closer, we increase the distance by adding on loops into Ballina and carrying increasing weight, until we end up in full kit. We also increase the food intake! Foot Care We both currently wear Merrell Moab hiking shoes, which have wide toe boxes and are waterproof. We replace the inner soles with gel soles for added comfort. Our preferred socks are Darn Tough, although Kath is experimenting with toe socks this time as well. We ...