Overland to Australia -preparations

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It is 41 years ago that I was sitting in my flat in London counting down the hours before my 4 month trip to Australia started. I guess it is the same for most people but chance played a big part. I had started a new job which did not live up to expectations as instead of career development, I was required to spend months learning the company ways starting at the bottom of the ladder. Luckily an Aussie girl was temping in the office and she created the desire to travel. My flatmates and I returned from the pub one night and there was an advert on TV for the £5 emigration package to Australia. We decided to investigate but by the time I had collected paperwork from the Aussie High Commission, the other three had cold feet. By coincidence I had a chance meeting with an old Bournemouth school friend who was already planning his trip and that was deal done. In pre-internet and Lonely Planet days, data was much harder to collect but we gleaned information from libraries and the various Embassies and even found some travellers to interrogate. This information enabled us to decide on a route and estimate the cost of travel.

The trip would start from London with a train into central Germany and then through Europe staying with some student friends, who had been to Bournemouth to learn English, but the majority of nights would be spent in Youth Hostels. Stage 2 was Turkey,Iran,Afganistan,India,Nepal,Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. In those days, no work visas were required by Brits entering into Australia - so work, save and travel back. The costings were £1 a day for Europe and 50p for Asia. Travel costs were extra. We bought open ended tickets for flights from Calcutta to Bangkok and nothing else. The total money available for the four months was £300.

The biggest problem was the rucksack. When I left my parents home in Bournemouth, the rucksack was so heavy that it was nearly impossible to carry even after several attempts to identify and discard non-essentials. Another lot of items were discarded in London. One valuable item was a newly available space blanket which enabled me to retain heat in cold climes and would protect against bed bugs in less hygenic climes.

The last evening was joyous with much drinking in the local pubs sadly though missing Bournemouth's away game at Ason Villa and the highlights on TV. The limitation on the Budget meant that pubs and equivalents would be rarely visited for 4 months. .... and now the countdown for the 10am train London Victoria to Koblenz in Germany.

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