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THE 12-HOUR WALK AND THE 10 LIFE LESSONS IT TAUGHT ME.

  • Tony Ilbery
  • Oct 11
  • 5 min read

4.57am its a chilly 11°, the sun hasn't even crept over the horizon, I'm standing under the glow of a streetlight waiting for 5.00am. There is no fanfare, no crowd, no bang of a starters gun, this is how the 12-hour walk begins.


I first discovered the12-hour walk from a simple Instagram reel, it was added to my bucket list immediately, I just didn't realise I would be doing it 15 days later. I've read other people explain their walk as transformative, eye-opening, a modern day pilgrimage and conquering their mind. The concept is very simple, walk for 12 hours, with no phone, no music, no podcasts, no talking, on your own, completely unplugged and digital free, just you and your thoughts for 12 hours.


The 12 hour walk says distance and speed are of no consequence, you simple walk in solitude, stepping away from the noise of everyday life and spend an entire day walking without distraction. What unfolded wasn’t the epiphany I expected, it was better. It was a reconnection to stillness, to presence, to the quiet rhythm that hides beneath the rush of modern life.


As first 8kms kilometers rolled through, I grabbed some breakfast and the first all important double shot macchiato of the day. I'd found an easy rhythm, but was still focusing on the apple watch, analysing split times, walking speed, how far I'd get in total end distance, creating a target, and only briefly exploring thoughts around business, projects and self-improvement.



13kms from home, around 7.45am and I arrived at my first goal, the Pymbol entrance to the Great North Walk. In hindsight, I think putting a 14kilometer hike in the middle of a 48km 12-hour walk wasnt the smartest idea and would be cause of 70% of the pain to come.


Leaving the highway footpath and the car noise behind me, brought an almost instant, deep and unexpected sense of calm being surrounded by nature.... and the reality of a big physical challenge. Forty-five minute into the bush I decided to record my thoughts, which was an epic failure. Not only did the recording feel forced, but staring at the damn screen, I missed a turn, got very lost, and spent 30 minutes backtracking and circling around finding the little red G.N.W sign I clearly missed.


Back on the right track, iPhone distraction back in my pocket, and my focus realigned, I realised when the path is uncertain, attention sharpens; when it’s familiar, the mind wanders. Focus and engagement are born from uncertainty and challenge, not routine.


5 hours into the walk, 2 hours along the G.N.W and I was startled to pop out at the very busy Lane Cove Rotary Athletics Field where back in 1984/85 was where run and won my first ever 800m races, the walk took me past the exact point on the footpath I stood and watched, then cheered by friends for those races. With a coffee cart double shot mac in hand 1km further down the G.N.W I crossed Magdala Oval where i played 5 years of O35 div 1 football for North Ryde. Familiar landmarks triggered old memories and I began to realise the walk was less about solving life and more about experiencing it.


A little over the halfway point, with six hours to go, the reality of 26kms, 14 along the G.N.W was setting in and fatigue hit. The narrow dirt track, carved out stairs into the cliffs, climbing over bounders and around tree trunks was testing my determination. Returning to sidewalks in Hunters Hills, the watch finally died, which I now know was symbolic, the final forced digital detox that liberated me from counting, comparing, and measuring. Time dissolved; awareness deepened.



Continuing the walk towards Sydney City, over bridges and my first views of Sydney Harbour, then over The Gladesville Bridge, and I grabbed another much needed (third) double shot macchiato. 8.5 hours into the walk in Rozelle and time for lunch and a much needed 20 minute break at a park bench in Lilyfield. Sitting there is physical relief and clarity, complete mental stillness: a blank mind, free of its usual noise. Without technology or constant metrics, moments became richer, slower, and more appreciated.


In the final hours walking through the inner west's narrow tree lined street, through the old Rozelle Hospital, the Bay Run, parks and the Parramatta River physically hurt, but mentally I experienced a meditative rhythm.



The walk’s true reward wasn’t revelation but reset.


At 4:59 p.m., exhausted yet clear-minded, I arrived home exactly 12 hours later, realising the most practical insight of all: life feels lighter without constant digital clutter.



10 KEY TAKEAWAYS


  1. CHALLENGE CREATES PRESENCE — When the path was difficult or uncertain, focus sharpened. When it was easy, the mind wandered. Discomfort demands awareness.

  2. YOU CANT THINK YOUR WAY TO CLARITY — The breakthrough wasn’t intellectual; it came from not thinking. Stillness arrived when you stopped searching for meaning.

  3. DIGITAL DEPENDENCE BLINDS YOU — The dead watch became a gift, freedom from measurement, comparison, and time anxiety. Real life unfolds beyond screens and stats.

  4. LET GO OF EXPECTATION — My lessons weren't lightning-bolt revelation but acceptance, being with yourself for 12 hours and realising that’s enough.

  5. OLD PLACES, NEW MEANINGS — Revisiting childhood landmarks linked past and present, revealing how memory shapes identity but doesn’t define it.

  6. NATURE RESENTS THE SYSTEM — The bushwalk forced slower movement, grounding attention in physical reality and silencing mental clutter.

  7. SOLITUDE IS NOT ISOLATION — Extended time alone wasn’t lonely — it was restorative, proving that inner peace often hides beneath constant stimulation.

  8. PAIN AND PERSISTENCE ARE TEACHERS — Physical exhaustion mirrored life’s persistence lesson: discomfort isn’t a signal to stop; it’s proof you’re alive and moving forward.

  9. PRESENCE BEATS PRODUCTIVITY — Without tracking or goals, walking became meditation, no outcome, no urgency, just being.

  10. DECLUTTER YOUR DIGITAL LIFE — The final reflection, to “purge the apps on my phone” summed up the transformation: less noise, more intention, more life.


To anyone thinking about doing The Twelve Hour Walk..... Do it.


Personally I cannot recommend it strongly enough, what you get out of it is personal to you, it will probably not be what you think going into it, being left alone with your mind, uninterrupted, for 12 hours, will take you where you need to go, its not the kilometers its the experience and you are guaranteed you will get something you need out of The 12 Hour Walk..



WHAT I TOOK

  • Cap

  • Phone

  • Water bottle (small) - every drinking tap I'd finish and refill

  • 2 protein bars

  • Cash (just in case)

  • Bum Bag - even though i was told it was a fashion mistake


MY ROUTE

  • 47.8 kilometers

  • 70,027 steps

12 Hour Walk route by Tony Ilbery

iPhone data counter and mapped out on mapmywalk. Purple section is the Great North Walk


LINKS


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