THE LONG WAY TO GOODWOOD
THE PLAN IS SIMPLE
Take one 1965 Land Rover Series IIA, point it vaguely in the direction of England, and see what happens.
The idea is to leave Sydney, take the backroads up to Brisbane, put the Land Rover on a ship to Southeast Asia, and then slowly make my way across a good chunk of the world.
There’ll be mountains to climb, borders to cross, places I’ve never heard of and probably a few wrong turns along the way.
The aim is to reach England in time for the Goodwood Revival in September 2027.
Of course, there’s the small matter of doing all this in a 60-year-old Land Rover. One that wasn’t exactly designed for comfort, speed or keeping the weather out.
But that’s rather the point.
No rush. No particularly strict schedule. Just a long, slow journey and a very old Land Rover.
MORE SERIES, LESS SERIOUS.
THE LONG AND SLOW JOURNEY.
Sydney to Goodwood. Approximately half a world in between.
Why this is called “A Second Series”
It was suppose to take 18 months. It took eight years.
What started as an 18 month trip from Cornwall to Cape Horn became something much bigger - a journey around the world in a Land Rover Defender, with plenty of wrong turns, breakdowns, rebuilds and unexpected places along the way. And, of course being adopted by a street dog in Guatemala - who became one of the biggest parts of my story.
One of the most important things I did learn along the way was with every wrong turn and every breakdown seemed to lead to another adventure - and often to people I wouldn’t never otherwise met, some of whom became lifelong friends.
So when people ask me wouldn’t you rather of not broken down or taken a wrong turn, my answer is always the same:
NO!
So I’m doing it again.
Only this time in a 1965 Land Rover Series IIA Soft top.
Smaller. Simpler. Slower.
More Series, Less Serious.
THE LAND ROVER.
1965 Land Rover Series IIA. 88-inch. Soft top. Not exactly the obvious choice.
The first trip was done in a Defender. This time i wanted something simpler (yes simpler than a Defender).
No elaborate expedition build. No attempt to turn it into a house on wheels. Just a small old Land Rover, the essentials, maybe a couple of items to make life a little better on the road, and enough room to see where the road leads.
It will be slow, It will be noisy. Something will almost certainly break.
Perfect.
FOLLOW THE JOURNEY.
Follow the Land Rover’s progress, catch up on the latest photos and videos or simply see where I’ve managed to get myself lost this week.
FROM THE JOURNAL.
No polished travel guide. Just stories, wrong turnes and notes from the road.
KEEP THE KETTLE BOILING.
If you’re enjoying following the journey and fancy buying me a coffee along the way, I would be very grateful.
Every little bit helps keep the wheels turning, the kettle boiling and hopefully the Land Rover moving roughly in the right direction.
No pressure of corse. You’re just as welcome along for the ride.
