Where are we?
Where we are at the moment .(you might have to zoom out a bit and if it doesn’t work first time or a google error message comes up just reload it)
This is our Itinerary which we update as we go along, just click on the below to download it.
A bit more on the route.There are two main ways you can travel overland from London Town to Australia, the first being via Eastern Europe, Russia and China coming down from the north and entering Southeast Asia. The other, usually preferred way is through central Asia, Iran, India and into Laos via China. We have chosen the second way because we thought it would be far more interesting, we would visit more countries and it should provide many more photo opportunities!
Whichever way you go though you have to pass through China. This poses a bit of a problem and like many other overlanders we found it very expensive. We were quoted over £6, 000 for a 4 week transit with a guide, which is a mandatory requirement. I emailed back because I thought that must have been a mistake. It wasn’t, and it didn’t even include accommodation! Doh.
A decision had to be made, 6 grand for a 4 week whistle stop tour of the one most interesting countries in the world or save the cash and ship the car from India to Thailand, spending the money we saved on a couple of Thai brides.
So the route…
France
Italy (via ferry to..)
Greece
Turkey
Iran (via ship to..)
Dubai (via ship to..)
Malaysia
Thailand
Lao PDR
Thailand
Singapore
Australia
Yes it’s a bit complicated and not totally confirmed yet but hopefully the above shouldn’t be too far removed from the reality.
Visa wise the only ones you need to get before you go are Iran, India and Pakistan. The Iranian Visa really has to be done through a travel company. We used a company called Magic Carpet Travel, who were very helpful with the visa application and general information about traveling through Iran. Due to time constraints on the Iranian visa, we shall be picking ours up in Istanbul, thus allowing us more time in the country.
Trek to Oz 
Hi,
We are doing (almost) the same trip as you hoping to leave around the 6th august. Do you a carnet yet as we are STILL waiting on ours….and do you have all your visas sorted – we have the Iranian one and go to the Pakistan embassy on monday?
It would be great to compare notes!
Andrea and James
Make sure you clean your 130 well before it gets here, as AQIS, will want to make sure its spotless, and will charge you if its not. AQIS are not the ones who actually make the money, once your containers cleared customs, its then passed on to a company who work for AQIS. if they insist on washing your 130, make sure you are there when they do it, some can be good some can be bad, so take care, and watch for the rob dogs.
Like your defender Justin, have a bit of spotlight envy to be honest, are they light force ones? Also can you tell me where you got the vhf ariel bracket for your bull bar from as have been after one for a while. The wheel carries are around £200 each so not too cheap. Think there cheaper ones for around £120 but they looked liked they wouldn’t last that long. We are off in too weeks so last minute packing and sorting going on at the moment!
Hi,
Saw the link to your trip on the Africa Overland website. We did the same trip 7/2005-7/2006 and had a great time. I don’t know how much use any of the info on our website will be to you seeing as some of it is 4 years old now but if we can be of any help with anything, get in touch. Reading your website brings it all back…Best of luck, Mark.
I bet you guys are running around like headless chicken doing last minute pre…..!!!
Yes the spots are lightforce, and bloody fantastic, you can see the Roo’s miles away out bush… The bullbar is arb, and comes with a mount, but i put another antenna on with a GME mount, have alook at this site….
http://www.gme.net.au/products/accessories/accessories-mounting-brackets-antenna/MB103SS
200 squids not bad for the carriers, did you say they were a special order????
I like your rear storage box, very neat, looking at one for our trip, but looks as if Nenoverland are the only ones that make them, at 1000 pounds each, ouch……….
Hi justin
Thanks for the link, will have to save the pennies and get some new, bigger, spots when i get out your way.
The wheel carries are from http://www.johncraddockltd.co.uk, quite a big supplier here in the UK. You can also look at a company called Brit Part. Would bring you out a pair if i could but there is no room as shampoo seems to be taking up 90% of my storage space.
Our top came with the car and is made out of sheet steel and fibreglass, doesn’t seem that difficult to put together. we just cut the sides out with a grinder. there is also a company called Trek Overland that do a back called Trojan that might be worth a look…..
Hi, we have recently arrived in Holland from Australia driving our Toyota via the China , Mongolia, Russia route. we spent a really long time crossing Indonesia, and the rest of SE Asia. so might have some info that could help you if you like.
Good luck with it all, you might consider parking in Johore Baru and catching the bus that takes 5 minutes into Singapore then shipping your car to Aus from Malaysia. You might find it a lot less expensive than taking a car into Singapore which can be a real pain in the proverbial. We shipped to East Timor from Darwin then drove to Sumatra then ship to Port Kalang to avoid shipping into Singapore.
Getting greener with envy every day – hope all going well and the jeep is holding out. Are u back to work next wednesday!!
You’re famous!!! Well, sort of. I’ve added you to my Macks 4×4 info website for the world to see; trust you don’t mind.
To see Trek to Oz listing, log on to http://www.macks4x4info.com
Click on Directory Category in l/h column “Overlander’s Personal Websites – Land Rover based”.
Also, I see you have contacted my club Land Rover Owners Malaysia (I’m based in the UK but know LROM through the RFC – Rainforest Challenge of Malaysia). If you have no joy to your post on the LROM messageboard, email me and I can suppy the email address of my good friend Alyna Tai, leading light in LROM – she will see you right!
You can email me at 4x4trading@talk21.com (this email address is in the public domain so don’t mind if it’s seen).
Another thing, when are you off to Malaysia? Reason I ask is because the Rainforest Challenge is 4th – 13th December 2010, so if the timing is right you may be able to see the Opening Ceremony in Johor Bahru, followed by Prologue SS (Special Stage) in Johor Bahru, which is open to spectators. Just a thought as it would be a rare treat to see the world’s best off-roaders in action.
Last but not least, via email/phone you’re welcome to use me as a ‘Land Rover Help line’ as I tend to have a few contacts. For instance a mate here in the UK (a very reputable company you will probably already know) can send parts on the next available plane. You never know!
Whatever, good luck for the rest of your trek … I’m green with envy!!!
Tom McGuigan
By the way Stephen … IT’S NOT A JEEP!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello Guys. Just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for sending us 1$’s address in Khao Yai National Park. We are in Klang now and he has been a great help. So sorry we didn’t join you for pasta, but after chowing down on pot noodles we were feeling pretty knackered and ended up camping closest to the salt lick so we could get up at 5am and spot something and then truck onto Bangkok – we drive slowly. Anyway hope you guys are having an excellent adventure. Your website is so cool and funky. Let us know if you need any tips on anything overland related. All the best. Col and Chrissy
Hello from us, here in Coulsdon by the Sea. It’s late on a Friday evening and we’ve Just had curry and chocolate for dinner. We then decided to catch up on your news and to our utter dismay, having inspected the photos of the landy pre-Oz, Neil discovered that you’d missed a bit; Bob and Neil both realized that they’d never let Meg in without a good bath and what could possibly be festering in SiMon’s dubious overalls we wondered. did I also mention that copious amounts of alcohol had been imbibed by the boys (a term used lightly), this would also explain why I, Nicky, am typing this!! We are all well here in Ol’ Blighty, and looking forward to you settling in Oz, assuming you’re not quarantined for some ghastly flesh-eating bug you got from shopping at Sainsbury’s, as we are planning a surprise rescue mission with when you least expect it. Neil, Bob and I all send love and look forward to the next installment:don’t forget to switch out the lights before you leave! Bye for now.