Bean there, done that: re-enacting the 26, km journey of an adventurous pioneer
Lang and Bev Kidby say the Bean is surprisingly comfortable inside. Photo: James Coleman.
Lang and Bev Kidby could hardly end their 26,kilometre expedition from London to Melbourne without a pitstop in Canberra.
The vintage car they&#;ve used for the job has quite the connection to the nation&#;s capital.
For more than 40 years, the Brisbane-based couple have made a name for themselves as intrepid travellers, circumnavigating the world in 99 days in a tiny Fiat , pushing a Willy&#;s car km through outback Queensland, bumping to the tip of Cape York in a Austin 7, and gathering the same five car models for a recreation of the Peking to Paris motor race.
And that&#;s just the tip of the iceberg. They&#;ve published full reports of each trip on their blog, Next Horizon.
For , however, they decided to recreate the journey of Australian adventurer Francis Birtles.
In , Birtles became the first man to drive from England to Australia in his Bean 14 car, affectionally named Sundowner.
Bean, a small British car manufacturer at the time, was very keen to promote its rival to the Ford Model T and a
Embarking on a journey that’s part road trip, part time machine and entirely epic, a daring duo from Australia is swapping their morning tea for outback adventures. Setting off on a vintage odyssey that might echo the penned adventures of Jules Vernes’ Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, Lang and Bev Kidby have revved up a century-old car for a road trip from the misty moors of England to the sun-drenched landscapes of Australia—not by plane, not by modern car, nor by a steam or electric locomotive, but ina vibrant vintage vehicle.
Sitting amidst the lush greenery ofthe Tollygunge Club, Lang and Bev, the globetrotter-couple from Brisbane, Australia, regale The Statesman with tales brimming with action, recounting the thrilling milestones their car has conquered on its journey from London to Kolkata till date.
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“The car had been on display at Gilberts Motor Museum in Strathalbyn, South Australia, for many years, and it was something I had known about for a long time. We had always dreamed of undertaking this trip, but sadly, the owner passed away. We reached out to the family, and they agreed that if we took on this historic journey, they would sell us the car. Thus, j
Australian couple drives around the world in a classic car
"So far we haven't had a single sunny day. But that's fine." Lang Kidby is tough. Even the most adverse conditions cannot deter the Australian from his plans. Together with his wife Bev, the year-old set off on a very special round trip last week. The couple are chugging from England to Australia in a vintage car. The journey will take just under two months and the couple will cover 26, kilometers. Now the kiddies have made a stopover in Salzburg.
The classic car enthusiasts are on the road in a British "Bean". Built in , weighs just under kilograms, 45 hp, four-cylinder. "Theoretically, we could drive at km/h, but the car wouldn't survive that. We take a more leisurely approach," grins the Australian. The classic car has no windows and only a fabric roof. The kiddies are therefore wrapped up tightly in a winter jacket, hood, scarf and gloves in the cramped interior of the car. "Once we get to India, we'll be wishing for the cold and snow of Salzburg back," laughs Bev.
But how does one come up with the idea
Cape crusaders
By Ron and Viv Moon•24 January
The Stewart River’s wide sandy credit: Offroad images
Reading Time: 9Minutes• Print this page
Cape York remains the premier four-wheel-drive destination in Australia, but you don’t necessarily have to have a fully rigged, heavy-duty vehicle to enjoy the magic the Cape has to offer.
WHEN BEV AND LANG Kidby drove their Austin 7, ‘Daisy’, onto the beach at Punsand Bay near the top of Cape York in June last year, they weren’t doing anything new. In fact, they were re-creating – as much as possible in this day and age – the first motorised vehicle trip to Cape York. Two New Zealanders, Hector MacQuarrie and Dick Mathews, completed that original adventure in an Austin 7 in – their gripping yarn was told in the book We and the Baby.
If anything, Lang and Bev’s recent escapade (they are some of Australia’s greatest adventurers by aircraft, motorbike and motor vehicle – see ) reinforces the fact you don’t need a heavy-duty four-wheel-drive to travel to Cape York. Now more than ever, the route is open to any SUV or light-duty 4WD, although a fully kitted 4WD will get you into a plethora of places that lie off the major dirt road
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