THE CHATTER BOX

Overland Drive, UK to Australia! by Wheelrim on 19 July 2007 12:18pm

I know I am not the only one as I met many on the way, in 1999, in an old Mercedes 609D `van I took a year off and aimed the van at Australia from the UK. following the coast of Europe (keep the Sea to your right Wheelrim) we went down to Portsmouth, Ferry to Bilbao then coast to Italy, Ferry to Greece, round Greece into Turkey, coast again (Sea on the right) through the centre to Iran, then into Pakistan, to India, round India, Goa, then shippied the van to Perth, round and through the centre of Australia, then, shipped the van back and sold it for the price we bought it for! This was with my wife and then, 9-year old daughter. Only in hindsight did we really think... bloody hell! what WERE we thinking of? basically we had a small stick-on compass above the steering wheel, a few lonley planet guides and 3 maps, Europe road map, a map of India, and a `Middle East` map.
Do it again? oh yes, we will! anyone done anything similar?

Re: Overland Drive, UK to Australia! by wellmadmike on 1 September 2007 2:21am

Hi there! Sounds like you guys had a blast!!

I recently married an Australian girl and am looking to move out there. I would love to take my old '99 BMW 5 series out but it's going to cost a few grand to ship it register etc. I got to thinking "what if i drove it over? What a road trip of a lifetime!!" It's converted to LPG/AUTOGAS which i dont know if you can get everywhere but it still has its petrol tank so it wouldnt be a problem.

What do you reckon? Is it possible??

Cheers and well done!!

Mike
Dundee
Scotland

Re: Overland Drive, UK to Australia! by Wheelrim on 1 September 2007 8:58pm

Talk to you tomorrow Wellmadmike.

Re: Overland Drive, UK to Australia! by peripatetically on 3 September 2007 2:38pm

If I had my way, I'd move my new wife to Scotland permanently instead! HAHAHAHA Paradise on earth, in my opinion! (Guess the cold and snow doesn't agree with her though.)

Re: Overland Drive, UK to Australia! by Wheelrim on 3 September 2007 10:25pm

No reason why you cant drive there, you HAVE to get a Carnet de Passage for the car though, it si easy, but, in these troubled times it takes a bit of brave spirit, But, On saying that, its not particularly dangerous.
Easier, if you love the BMW that much, to send it in a 20foot conatiner with your other stuff, a simple exercise that is cheap if you do it yourself, hire the container through MSC, Medeteranian Shiping Co. it cost me £1000 to hire a 40fot container from Melbourne, haggle with them, but do not use a removal firm, easy to do it yourself, THEY want your cash, and if you are going to send stuff over anyway... you can also share a container with someone else? If you want to drive, let me know and we`ll chat some more, a little seriously!

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