Invitation Invitation Try Again Sahara Nigeria Cameroun Central African Republic Central African Republic/Zaire Zaire Zaire Mud Zaire Mud Uganda Kenya Tanzania Malawi Zambia Zimbabwe Johannesburg On The Road Again Namibia South Africa

In and Out of Africa

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Africa from top to bottom. 33,800 km (21,000 miles) and 15 countries, 10 months from 3rd January 1991 to 28th November 1991.

Many times during the preparation for, duration of and since our return we hear comments like.
"I always wanted to do that" or
"I bought the landrover and everything but..." or
"Gosh that's brave. I could never do that" or
"Well, we got as far as Calais but someone said that there was trouble in..."


Well, we did it! In spite of the hardships on the way, and all the times when it would have been so easy to give in.

We achieved something which others talk about over drinks in bars and cafes, but get no further than that.

This website is the story of how it can be done in the hopes that it will inspire others to follow their own adventures.
Route Map


The dreams of many are the reality of only a few

This is for those who would make such dreams real.

AfricaThe InvitationAn Invitation, a flight to England and a drive to Spain
AfricaSecond Time LuckyLet's try again shall we? This time all the way to the Sahara
AfricaMore Desert anyone?More Desert anyone? Even more of the Sahara and an introduction to commerce and corruption African style
AfricaNigeriaNigeria, some animals and the start of the 'riot belt'
AfricaAfrica in unrestSigns of unrest, some Americans and an introduction to Bureaucracy African style
AfricaOut of the Frying Pan...We leave Cameroun recovering from civil unrest. We enter the Central African Republic as rioting starts in Bangui - our next destination.
AfricaNarrow EscapesWe narrowly escape several disasters, eat enough mangoes for a lifetime and, finally, reach Zaire
AfricaDon't pay the Ferryman...There are some 'interesting' bridges, ferries and other road hazards in the heart of Africa
AfricaMud, Mud, I love MudMud, mud, I love mud, I'm absolutely positively wild about mud
AfricaThe Bush MechanicsMore mud, bush mechanics, the truck becomes troop carrier and a tempting glimpse of tar seal ahead
AfricaA Truck With ArthritisThe truck gets arthritis and we enjoy good food and hospitality
AfricaClose Encounters of the Animal KindBird watching, into the rift valley with no brakes, some close encounters with wild animals, some of which bite, Fiona wanted hippos and got hippos and Kilimanjaro really does have snow on the top
AfricaIn The Cradle of HumankindA slight detour, some more close encounters with large carnivorous animals in the Ngorogoro crater and Derek communes with our Ancestors at Olduvai
AfricaFrom subversives to Ambulance DriverWe smuggle subversive literature, meet some other New Zealanders and go out drinking, have fun in the sand with vehicles and learn some lessons about third world medical care and ambulance driving
AfricaA Real Bed in a Real RoomWe leave for Zambia in convoy and with a passenger, some more encounters with animals, this time further away, and a night in a real bed
AfricaElephants GaloreVictoria Falls, some more close encounters of the animal kind, elephants galore and we cross the great grey green greasy Limpopo into South Africa
AfricaThree Months In Johannesburg Temporarily back in civilisation
AfricaNow We Are ThreeOn the road again, Just you and I - and June, through Zimbabwe and some animals, Botswana and more animals, some with only two legs, and a possible fortune is turned down
AfricaIn the Desert AgainNamibia, a special blend of German and African architecture, mountains, desert, more desert, the magnificent oryx, the worlds strangest pine tree, the worlds highest sand dunes and the worlds second largest canyon
AfricaThere and Back AgainSouth Africa again, Tea, Wine and Watersports, tents allowed in campsites yes, yes, no, no, no, yes, no, but they are allowed in caravan sites, many things which are smaller than expected and a hole which is really big, crocodiles, ostrich, whales and dolphins, beaches and hot pools, we only just get into Swaziland and finally a leaving party


Dedicated to Angie the missionary, who died in the service of others, in the country she loved.