It is a long way even by plane and leaves a legacy of severe jetlag for several days touching down, but a man moving from New Zealand to Scotland took airport delays, jetlag and everything else connected with flying out of the equation when he decided to make the 25,000-mile journey ... by car.
However it was not all plain driving for Joss Quilty during his 23-country
trek as he narrowly missed a suicide bomb attack as he made his way
through Pakistan.
Mr Quilty made the trip after he found he could not part with his old and battered Toyota Land Cruiser when he decided to return to the UK – so he opted to drive it all the way – for nearly 25,000 miles.
He spent nearly 10 months in his beloved van over three continents, and nearly came to a tragic end with the near- miss from the suicide bomber.
The 30-year-old decided to take on the epic journey with his girlfriend Romy Romagnoli, also 30.
The pair shipped the £6,000 car to Malaysia and began the trek from
there – arriving in the UK in time for Christmas.
They passed through Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Iran before reaching Europe.
They then worked their way across Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Italy, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and France before ending up in Thornbury, Gloucestershire. They will continue their trip back to Scotland later.
To make the dream trip extra special, Mr Quilty proposed to Ms Romagnoli when they returned.
He said: “I had bought this old Toyota and wanted to keep it. It’s a really good car and I’m just amazed it was possible.
“Our budget was very tight for the whole trip. We tried to sleep in the vehicle the whole way, with mattresses in the back.
“Romy and I were very much in this together in making decisions – to drive the car back, choosing the route, splitting the money 50/50.
“There is no way I could have done the trip without her. She’s tough and very keen on a challenge.
“There is danger but everyone you meet is so kind and welcoming, that’s what makes it.
“We had to have armed guards for some parts – when you follow the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“We had a close shave with the Taliban there, after leaving a military base. We had a guy with an AK-47 with us in the car. We were driving along when he leaned forward and told us to drive fast because there was a female suicide bomber nearby.
“I was s******* it – the car could only do a maximum of 50mph! I don’t know what happened next. We never heard.”
Mr Quilty also had problems getting into trouble-hit Iran with his UK passport, although his girlfriend had no worries because of her Italian credentials.
He said: “It was really difficult. It took me a few months of effort to get a visa and $1,000.”
But the pair said the majority of people they encountered were lovely and willing to do anything for them.
He said: “They all wanted to help, even though they had nothing. It’s the people you meet that make the places.
“One woman brought out her baby to look at me because it had not seen a white person before.”
The accountant bought the red car while he was living and working in
New Zealand. He and his girlfriend then spent another £6,000 on renovations because it had suffered some wear and tear since its manufacture in 2000.
The couple were inspired to take on the challenge after getting fed up hearing their friends talk about their experiences.
Mr Quilty said: “All our friends are adventurers. We would go to the pub
and they would make you think ‘I should be doing something with my life’.
“After that we just decided to do it.”
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He proposed to social worker Romy in a pub when they finally arrived back home, after five years together.
She said yes and the couple have now decided to move up to Scotland – with the Toyota.
But they are hoping to do another trip before they go, possible travelling from Alaska, America, to Argentina.
Mr Quilty said: “Walking around Bristol doesn’t exactly have the same appeal. The people we saw, the way they live [when travelling] ... we
came back and people were arguing about vegan sausage rolls. It
was depressing.”
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