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The man himself (in working gear). The worried look is the result of too much worrying about the details of the trip.
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On Feb 15th next year we will be driving a 20 year old BMW from Borneo back to Auckland in New Zealand (our home town).
Imagine, a journey of a lifetime. A father and son undertaking a journey of almost ten thousand kilometers in a twenty-year-old car. The journey takes them across five countries and involves three continents. The car is a classic BMW painstakingly restored to pristine condition over a period of five years. A journey that has been many years in the planning and will take about five weeks in the execution. The father (Simon Breeze), a Physics teacher, completing an eleven-year tour of teaching in Brunei and the son (Christopher), hinge-pin of the whole trip ?driver, mechanic, animation artist, photographer, video cameraman and general ?form-filler?. He has offered to ?help out? and will be flying half way around the world to join this trip.
The trip starts from Anduki (a district close to Seria and Kuala Belait) in the Sultanate Of Brunei Darussalam. Seria is known as the ?oil town? of Brunei and Anduki is the base for the offshore helicopter flights which service the oil and gas ?platforms? which are scattered offshore along the Brunei coast. At night the magic ?twinkling? of the lights of these platforms is spectacular sight.
Down through the oil-palm plantations near Miri, across the jungles (touching the towns of Bintulu and Sibu) and through the vast delta-spread of the mighty Rajang, Saribas and Lupar rivers as they make for Kutching. Then the pair will head up towards the mountain chain which separates Sarawak from Indonesia. Then along the coast to Pontianak, a large port city which is the capital of this area.
This largely untouched area is home to many indigenous tribes of Borneo. Mixed into the area are settlements of the early Chinese traders and migrants from other parts of Indonesia.
Next, a 750 km sea trip across the Java Sea will take them to Jakarta, the capital city on the island of Java and seat of the Government of Indonesia. The trip from Jakarta to Yogyakarta takes them through the beautiful and picturesque central backbone of the island of Java. The ancient walled city of Yogyakarta is a ?must see? locality with the Temples at Prambanan and Borabudur in close proximity. Also close-by, the active volcano of Mount Marapi is a constant reminder of the power of nature. Continuing Eastwards the pair will head for the industrial port city of Surabaya at the Eastern end of the island of Java. Here, shipping of the car and its crew the 2065 kilometers to Darwin is being organized.
Arrival in the delightfully ?laid-back? Northern Territory capital of Darwin will provide the opportunity to check the car over thoroughly. No time to enjoy the fantastic scenery of Kakado Park and the magnificent Catherine Gorge. Thankfully this section of the highway is now a fully sealed, well-frequented highway along which goods and stock are transported daily.
The awesome scenery and spectacular landscapes are a highlight being eagerly looked forward to by the travelers.
Brisbane the garden city of Queensland will be a very welcome sight after the ten days or so of driving from Darwin.
In Brisbane there will be chance for some rest and relaxation (mixed in with tours of the city and its highlights) while the arrangements for shipping the car to Auckland, New Zealand, are completed.
Arrival in Auckland will be just ?a short hop and a step? from the family home in South Auckland. Thus the ?bringing back? of a trusty and treasured car will be completed.
In the meantime why not check out the link below to get your own free webspace?
http://www.fortunecity.com/
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