The Idiot just spent two weeks in Australia weighing an intriguing and lucrative offer by a corporate sponsor to spend the next seven years walking around the continent’s 60,000-kilometer (37,282 miles) coastline and writing a series of books about it.
The project, code named PacTrek, was initially discussed in 2008 when the first book in The Idiot and the Odyssey trilogy of travel narratives, about The Idiot’s 20-year MedTrek around the Mediterranean Sea, was published in Australia to an enthusiastic reception and positive reviews.
The PacTrek will be part of the promotion for the Brisbane 2032 Summer Olympics — which get underway in just over 3,200 days — and will kickoff with a stroll along the Pacific Ocean from Brisbane to Cairns.
Here are some of the beaches The Idiot visited and hiked on this month to help him decide to undertake the PacTrek.
The Idiot walked the alluring Seven Mile Beach a couple hours south of Sydney.
It’s always calming to hike an empty bit of Australian coastline like the Seven Mile Beach south of Gerringong.
The Idiot strolled by this oceanside blowhole in Kiama south of Sydney.
The Idiot roamed on Bombo Beach in Kiama south of Sydney.
The Idiot rambled around Pelican Bay in Kiama south of Sydney.
The Idiot discussed the PacTrek project with the Australian media in front of Parliament in Canberra, Australia’s capital.
The Idiot loved stumbling onto The Sea Nymphs sculpture during a coastal walk in Manly near Sydney.
The Idiot enjoyed this view of Sydney harbor while walking on the coast in Manly.
The Idiot enjoyed this view of the Pacific Ocean during lunch while walking through Manly, Australia.
The Idiot hiked on an empty Palm Beach north of Sydney.
It was exhilarating to take an early morning swim in the Pacific Ocean off Palm Beach north of Sydney.
The Idiot enjoyed a mid-October sunrise over the Pacific Ocean in Coffs Harbour, Australia.
The Idiot walked on Diggers Beach in Coffs Harbour between Brisbane and Sydney.
The Idiot enjoyed a sunrise over the Pacific Ocean on Casuarina Beach south of Kingscliff, Australia.
The Idiot took an invigorating morning swim in the Pacific Ocean on Casuarina Beach south of Kingscliff, Australia. (Photo: Audrey Keeney)
The Idiot hiked the beach in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast south of Brisbane.
The Idiot regularly enjoyed a soak after hiking on some Australian beaches in October.
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