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London To Cape Town 2010

Expedition Blogs

Wolseley 18/85 in Cape Town
9th Nov 2010    Mac Mackenney
Piecing Together History

I'm keen to hear from anyone who knows about the previous London to Cape Town driving records.
Ethiopia - 1500
8th Nov 2010    Mac Mackenney
Gossip on the internet!

I've had great fun reading all the gossip on the internet - apparently the vehicle fell apart and we 'dicked' around too much at the borders - really?!
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5th Nov 2010    Mac Mackenney
Heading Home

The joy of vehicles compared to airliners - discuss.
Team with Defence Attache South Africa
3rd Nov 2010    Mac Mackenney
The Art of Travel

Some art I can get, others just don't do it for me, but the one piece that I really liked was a solid stone 'map' of Africa with a chess board built into it.
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2nd Nov 2010    Mac Mackenney
Unaccustomed as I am to Public Speaking....

2 messages

It's almost midnight and Chris and I have just come back from the McCarthy Land Rover dealership on the outskirts of Cape Town
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1st Nov 2010    Mac Mackenney
It could have easily gone so wrong...

Now that the hectic planning for this trip is over, with time to relax and reflect on what we've achieved.
Atmosphere-MaxAdventure-OverlandWorldRecord-28102010-MW007
30th Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Mac's Blog - Cape Town Part 2

2 messages

The reception when we arrived was amazing and we didn't stop for the whole day, being ushered from one interview and reception to another.
IMG_1232
28th Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Mac's Blog - Arrival in Cape Town

I can't believe that we are actually here, it still hasn't sunk in yet. Looking at a map of Africa makes it even more unbelievable.
IMG_1157
28th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
Welcome to Cape Town

In the nav seat for the final countdown, through the mountains bordering the famous city with the sun in our faces.
Potholes Zambia
28th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
The Final Frontier

29 messages

Sorry, I am a bit delirious at the moment. I woke from a deep, sweaty sleep. Wanting to put my head back down and drift off again.
Steve Blogging
28th Oct 2010    Steve Mackenney
The Lorry

7 messages

As we drove down the road at 0200hrs me and Chris were quite happily going along when "QUICK BRAKE!" was screamed.
Tanzania excellent roads
27th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
Chris' Blog Botswana

16 messages

A quick kip and back to driving at 3am. I was on autopilot for the first 10 mins, not able to shake off the sleep for a long while.
Tunduma Border between Tanzania and Zambia closed - 3 in back of Landy for night
26th Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Mac's blog - Zambian Border

10 messages

The youths following us closed in tighter as we marched passed everyone and towards a darkened door that seemed to lead down into a cellar.
Programming Garmin Satnav for Zambia leg
26th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
Chris' Blog Zambia

4 messages

The friendly smiles meant no harm, they were just curious to see our magnificent Landy parked up at their border.
Metema - vehicle check whilst waiting for Customs clearance
26th Oct 2010    Steve Mackenney
Pants, dumplings and spotted dick

7 messages

The trip so far from London to Cape Town well all I can say is boy it's a long way and if you ever decide to do the journey I suggest you take more than 1 pair of pants.
Checking the suspension
26th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
Chris' Blog Tanzania

6 messages

It was pouring with rain, the type that gets you wet quickly. The temperature had dropped and we were tired. Now the misery of a closed border in our faces.
The East African Highway - Kenya - at night in the rain. Not as it appears in the brochures.
26th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
East African Highway - Moyale to Nairobi

3 messages

It wasn't long before the excitement began, Adam the front seated guard shouted to stop. Both Guards jumped out, cocking their weapons as they went.
The Jet Boil in Kenya
25th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
Chris' Kenyan Border Blog

3 messages

The Ethiopian and Kenyan boarders were tackled with military precision.
Greasing the propshaft
25th Oct 2010    Steve Mackenney
today i have learnt to do puntuation...

5 messages

tommorrow i will learn speling
Kenyan border welcome.
25th Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Frustration

2 messages

After dropping off our two Police guards yesterday morning in Isiolo, we made great progress driving to Nairobi.
Mac blogging in Sudan
25th Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Darkest Africa

11 messages

Yesterday was filled with a variety of emotion - worry, elation and then frustration, all in just a few hours.
Steve on 22nd - likes 'the local' look.
24th Oct 2010    Steve Mackenney
The Smell of Africa

14 messages

Been a bit busy driving and looking after the other two but got moaned at, as I always do.
Chris on 22nd - prisoner number...
23rd Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
High Lights and Highlands

8 messages

Finally through the Ethiopian customs and much relieved
Mac on 22nd - someone has stolen his hair while he was on a sleeping shift.
23rd Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Road Sense

20 messages

We're currently racing down a narrow and twisty road, packed with people, cars, trucks, goats and cows!
Countering the bio-hazard.
A pair of dangly, fragrant union-jack dice. They will have their work cut out after a few days of living in the vehicle.
22nd Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Africa Hits Back

9 messages

Fun, games and rule changes getting into Ethiopia
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22nd Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
Gallabat - Early O'Clock.

15 messages

Waking up clammy, dry mouthed and unaware of where I was, it took me a few minutes to get my bearings
A man, a filter, a mission. He came from the desert and he means business.
21st Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
A slow boat to Sudan

7 messages

My chance to sleep in a full length comfortable bed and I'm wide awake listening to Steve tossing and turning in the bunk above.
And modelling this season's 'Intrepid Explorer Range'.
20th Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Mac Hits Africa

4 messages

The elation of entering Saudi Arabia soon turned to nervousness about our ferry passage to Sudan
A bristly chinny chin chin
20th Oct 2010    Steve Mackenney
Our Cultural Ambassador Speaks

1 message

Today I ate my first malaria tablet yum yum - apart from the chronic pain in my guts and wanting to throw up
IMGP0591
20th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
Jeddah nights

We were elated to get into Saudi with relative ease. Mac was so overwhelmed that he even splashed out on a bottle of coke for us each.
Anyone for a game of 'I Spy'?
19th Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Stiff Upper Lip Wobbles

17 messages

Ok, I'll admit it, I did have a little grizzle in the back of the land rover as we drove out of the Halat Ammar border crossing.
You only ever seem to spot these places when you don't need them.
19th Oct 2010    Steve Mackenney
How much fun can you have with cats-eyes?

6 messages

Not a good day. Got a bit dehydrated ....
Chris with one of the many storage boxes. Is it heavy or is he getting tired?
19th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

6 messages

Another awesome day. I really feel the adventure now as we left Europe behind and into Arabia.
Poweeerrr!
19th Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Through Syria and into Jordan

14 messages

Yes, it was only yesterday, but I'm having real trouble remembering what happened and which country I was in!
A man, a filter, a mission. He came from the desert and he means business.
18th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
Moose avoidance manoeuvre?

4 messages

I woke with a start, the car being thrown up and around, the suspension banging and clattering and the driver and nav bickering in the front.
Approaching the Bosphorus - and into Asia!
18th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
Tick Europe off the 'To Do' List.

3 messages

Latest news - 09:30 Monday 18 We've entered Turkey and making good speed towards Istanbul and continent number two
Steve tries to do an eyelid inspection. Note the stealth, low profile sleeping bag.
18th Oct 2010    Steve Mackenney
Steve's Blog - 17/18 Oct

5 messages

Quite surprised I don't feel more tired, having only had no more than 4 hours kip in the last 24 hours.
Chris Rawlings - Expedition Communications (and a bit of driving)
17th Oct 2010    Chris Rawlings
Chris' first blog

10 messages

Time to reflect as I take to the nav seat for the first time and Dawn is breaking.
Steve Mackenney - Expedition Mechanic and Cultural Ambassador
17th Oct 2010    Steve Mackenney
Steve's first blog

6 messages

Quite nice to have a few people to say goodbye at the start point, however I did feel we hung around too long. Wanted to get going.
The moment of truth.
The team pull away from the RAC Club in Pall Mall.
17th Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
We seem to have settled down into a routine

7 messages

The whole key to our approach in order to try and beat this record is to just keep moving.
Boarding Eurotunnel
16th Oct 2010    Mac Mackenney
Finally, we're on our way!

2 messages

So, this is it. 15 years thinking about it, 2 years planning it and we are finally on our way!
Left hand drive Discovery 2 Td5
8th Apr 2010    Mac Mackenney
The Elusive Left Hand Drive

1 message

Expedition progress is going well, but what we don't yet have is the elusive second left hand drive Land Rover!
Helping a Ukranian at Calais Port
6th Apr 2010    Mac Mackenney
Land Rover World offer to Help

I had an email from the Editor of Land Rover World magazine today with an offer to help us .
Services 05
1st Apr 2010    Steve Mackenney
Faults worth knowing about

1 message

After our day with the Army I found out what were the most likley faults on the Discovery Td5.
Chris' New Land Rover
28th Mar 2010    Chris Rawlings
BDR on my new Land Rover..maybe!

I wasn't sure what to expect of the day really, or what the Army would think of us and our expedition.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
28th Mar 2010    Steve Mackenney
TV Chef keen to help

I had a chat with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on Wednesday and he said he's keen to help.
Outdoor Show at the NEC - 26 Mar 2010
26th Mar 2010    Mac Mackenney
New sponsors at the Outdoor Show?

The 'Sergeant Major' and I attended the Outdoor Show looking for new sponsors.
Loctite Demo 02
25th Mar 2010    Steve Mackenney
Good to be on the team

I really enjoyed the day with the Army Vehicle Mechanics and learned loads of useful things that we will probably need on the trip to Cape Town.
Loctite Demo 01
23rd Mar 2010    Mac Mackenney
How Strong?!

Loctite Glue - I have never seen glue as strong as this before, it was absolutely amazing.
Team Mechanic Jim Allen
22nd Mar 2010    Jim Allen
The tricks, the tools and a very can do practical approach.

We started the day with tea and cakes, so I knew we were onto a winner!
3M Demo
22nd Mar 2010    Jack Burnford
Luckily I'm not there to fix engines!

Turning up late in an un-ironed shirt to meet the guys at REME for the BDR course probably didn't get me off to the best start!
DSCF2408 - 1500
9th Oct 2009    Will Clough
Radio BBC Suffolk - Lesley Dolphin

Yesterday saw the TV Producer......on radio! And most enjoyable it was too.
DSCF2386 - 1500
8th Oct 2009    Jack Burnford
Hands on medical training

When Andy mentioned going on a medical course I had visions of sitting in a large, 18 century lecture room, overlooking an operating table many floors down like a scene out of Frankenstein.
DSCF2345 - 1500
23rd Sep 2009    Jim Allen
Don't panic Mr. Mannering!

Jim takes cover from an exploding gas bottle!
IMGP0026 - 1500
23rd Sep 2009    Will Clough
Hi, I'm Will.

1 message

Will gets cosy with Hypothermia victim!
Andy Grieve 3
3rd Aug 2009    Andy Grieves
Andy hones driving skills in Africa

For the serious adventure overlander, I guess this is the ultimate challenge.
Eric Jackson
13th Jul 2009    Mac Mackenney
Top Bloke

Will and I drove up to meet with Eric Jackson, the current record holder for the London to Cape Town run.
Ford Cortina advert
12th Jul 2009    Will Clough
Eric - you're an inspiration

Mac had found the original record holder - Eric Jackson, and he sounded like a real boys own hero!
Chris Rawlings 3
26th Jun 2009    Chris Rawlings
A huge challenge

This was the first time I met the London to Cape Town team Mac had selected.
Will Clough 02
22nd Jun 2009    Will Clough
Tough, but exciting

"Does that refer to me, or the London to Cape Town record attempt?"
Stirling Moss
20th Jun 2009    Mac Mackenney
What an Honour

I was outside, under the bonnet of one of my Land Rovers when the postman turned up with a smart looking letter. On the back were clearly marked the initials 'SM'.

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