During 57 years of marriage, Tauranga couple Pat and Valerie Sale walked “thousands of miles together” across New Zealand and overseas. Since Valerie’s death in 2022, Pat has walked thousands more.

Tauranga widower Pat Sale has always lived an “active” life.

The 90-year-old was an athlete when he was younger before he took up tramping with his wife Valerie and their four children.

“It gave us a new dimension to life,” he told the Bay of Plenty Times.

For “years and years”, Pat and Valerie “walked thousands of miles together” locally, nationally, and overseas.

His favourite trails included the Kaimanawa Ranges in the Central North Island and the Rees-Dart Track in Mt Aspiring National Park.

“Overseas, we had some wonderful walks, but probably the gem was the Tour de Mont Blanc … ”

Walking was a “great thing to do with your wife”, he said.

“Anything you do together that requires a bit of energy and stickability draws you closer together.”

Pat said Valerie died from oesophageal cancer in April 2022, 11 months after being diagnosed.

He said she opted not to have what would have been a “horrific” operation with a six-month painful recovery, and a “maybe not 50% chance of success”.

“We were blessed because that last year was a very happy year.”

She died peacefully with family around her.

Pat said walking was one way he came to terms with her death and “allowed me to reflect on my life”.

Pat Sale has walked 7300km in three years for the Wilderness Magazine's annual Walk1200km nationwide challenge.

That year, Pat learned of Walk1200km – an annual nationwide challenge created by Wilderness Magazine that encourages participants to walk or hike 1200km in 12 months.

It works out to about 3.3km a day.

Pat participated in the challenge in 2022, 2023, and 2024, clocking 7300km over three years.

That is the equivalent of walking the 3000km Te Araroa Trail, spanning the length of New Zealand, almost two-and-a-half times.

In 2022, he walked about 1500km, in 2023 he did 2800km, and in 2024 he did 3000km.

Pat said he had not walked much this year because of health issues, but he hoped to do the challenge again next year.

He said it was “most important” for people to keep active as they aged.

“The maxim ‘use it or lose it’ definitely applies.

“I get such tremendous pleasure out of it … being out there and moving and getting the sunshine and fresh air, watching the seasons change and the flowers in the park and the wildlife, particularly here in Bethlehem down at the wetlands in [Gordon] Carmichael Reserve … ”

Wilderness Magazine editor Alistair Hall upon completing the Walk1200km challenge in 2025.

Wilderness Magazine editor Alistair Hall said Walk1200km launched in 2021 when he was looking for a way to celebrate the publication’s 30th anniversary with its readers.

“We came up with this idea to start a walking challenge.”

Hall said it equated to walking 3.3km, on average, every day.

The challenge was about making walking a daily habit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, he said.

“It can reset your thinking, it can help your mind not focus on the negative … just plodding along, you can come up with ideas and ways to move forward and get on with your life after something traumatic.”

He said it was a free challenge available for everyone. People could sign up on the magazine’s website.

More than 7100 people had participated since its launch, Hall said.

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.