Team Update

We have 3 weeks now until we land in the UK and enter the final week of preparation prior to driving to Dover Castle for the rally start on the 13th July. Both teams are still awaiting on the final few visas to come in, hopefully this week will see our passports safely back in our hands. 

Jo and Neil (WombatsKhan) are undertaking further first aid training, including stitching a wound, and putting in a drip. Any volunteers out there with good veins, we need practise!!! Our first aid kit will take up half the car, but at least we are prepared!!!!! 

We have received a little more information on plans for the rally start in Dover. On the Saturday night all the teams arrive at Dover Castle and complete the final registration paperwork, then set up camp in a nearby field. Saturday night there is a 'black tie' ball for the teams, and guests at the castle. At mid day Sunday the 14th July we cross the start line to the sound of cannon fire from the castle battlements. Both teams then head inland a little and board the car train that takes us under the channel and into France. We then navigate our way through France, Belgium and into the Netherlands where we stop for our first night of the rally. 

Our plan is for both teams to remain together for the following couple of days, then Jo and Neil (WombatsKhan) and Ian and Ruby (Kangakhann) go off separately. We then meet up in Russia a week or so later. That's the plan anyway. 

Ian and Ruby are taking a high tech approach to navigation with GPS assistance. Jo and Neil are using maps and a compass. We will see who has the most entertainment along the way..

As we get closer to the rally start we will be able to let you know how you can follow the cars on a map. Basically each team is given an telephone number to text to each day, this SMS message updates the tracking software on a map, and those watching our progress can see where we are, updated every 24 hours..

We also plan to update the blog whenever we see an Internet cafe along the way. This might mean limited updates whilst we drive through remote areas, such as the Gobi desert. 

When we get to Mongolia the cars are handed to the Adventurist organisation who arrange for repairs to be carried out, stickers to be removed ready for the cars to be sold. The cars are then put up for auction, and hopefully sold. All money raised from the car sales goes to a Mongolian charity. 

As teams will be travelling out of Mongolia following the rally they will be reducing the amount of gear they need to take So the Adventurist do the same with camping gear, tooling and car spares, and sell it all off, profits again going to a local Mongolian charity.  

Jo and Neil expect to have approximately 160 to 200 kg of equipment in and on the car, we only have a total baggage allowance of 40kg for our flights out of China, so we will be leaving a lot behind us.

Thanks for reading, and many thanks for your donations to date.

 

 

Sponsor Update

Karen Friendship of Aldermans Tooling Ltd has kindly offered to open up her fabrication shop to enable both Teams to manufacturer some of the modifications they need on the rally cars. Without access to sheet metal tooling and welding equipment we wouldn't be able to have what we need on time and within our tight budgets. Many thanks in advance to Karen and her team at Aldermans.

 

In 1969, ambitious tool-maker Bill Alderman and his wife Lyn founded Alderman Tooling Ltd. Initially running from a modest workshop in central Plymouth, the business designed and built press and progression tools and supplied volume pressed metal components.
Moving into a custom-built, self-financed factory in Plympton in the early 1970s, the business continued to thrive and organically grow, with a local customer base maintained by Aldermans’ reputation to be innovative with tools and pressed components.
In the late 1980s, further business growth resulted in the need for even more space, so Aldermans moved premises once again. This coincided with its expanding offer, which included bespoke sheet metal component manufacture and, soon after, the supply of tubular and fabricated shop fittings.
Bill’s daughter Karen joined the business in 1998, focusing on developing retail relations and increasing the supply of shop fitting equipment to leading high street brand names. Once embedded within the business, Karen assisted in management, HR and H&S areas of Aldermans and, following Bill’s retirement in 2004, became Managing Director, retaining the long-established family connections.
Offering a wide range of tailor-made solutions, including a full design and manufacturing service, Aldermans has since become one of the most successful sub-contract metalwork manufacturing businesses in the region.

Team Update

With less than 6 weeks to go before we depart Australia both Teams are well into the final preparations for the rally, panic hasn’t set in just yet…

The cars will shortly be moved up to Neil’s parents place in the Dartmoor National Park so Mr Seabrook (Larry - Dad) can help prep the cars in advance of our arrival in July. Larry is busy hunting down deals on tyres and spare wheels and trying to keep our overheads down.

Jo and Neil (WombatsKhan) are planning an ‘Open House’ Curry Night for the 29^th June for all of our wonderful Perth based supporters.  We will have the help of Jo’s parents Lindsay and Brad so the food will be top notch (no pressure Brad!!). More details to follow in next few days.

The final needles for Team WombatsKhan are due next week, these are the 3 Rabies jabs, which sound like fun. The Team are also getting trained on how to put in intravenous drips, to add to their first aid training.

Another ‘fun’ Run

WombatsKhan are taking part in the HBF Run for a Reason this Sunday (26^th). Another attempt to keep fit in preparation for 10 hour days in the car. Our aim is to beat our time from the last charity run. Feel free to support us and make a donation to the PMH please.

Gnomesville

Returning home from a weekend away (to celebrate Neil’s birthday) team WombatsKhan were met by fifty (yes 50) garden gnomes staring in through the patio windows. We assume they didn’t all decide to abandon their garden ponds, fishing rods and march across Perth and meet up in our back yard. In fact it was the Bristow Perth Office (led by Annette – ‘thanks’) who planted them there, thinking they made a fitting present for Neil’s 25^th Birthday…….now that we have stopped laughing and coached the cat back into the house (she ran away from the little plaster cast army), who can come up with a use for 50 gnomes??? Be nice…

         Plaster cast Army of Perth

 

Charity Update

We are still some way off making $25,000 for our charities, so we need you to dig deep please and support the Teams efforts in reaching our goal. Remember, Neil will dress up at each border crossing if we make $22,000 before the 13^th July – Start date of Rally. See what he will dress up as in earlier blogs.

Adventurist

288 Teams from all over the world have now signed up for this year’s event, the tenth annual Adventurist London to Mongolia Rally. The Adventurist have just advised that the top 10 teams (who make the most money for their charities) will be entered into a draw to win a prize (more on that later). At this time we (WombatsKhan and Kangakhann) are running around 3^rd place – pretty good effort, but we can do better and we are sure we can beat the other 286 teams….with your help we can do it.

Team Update

 

 

With less than 70 days to go before the Rally starts both teams are running short on time to prepare. We will have 5 days in the UK to modify the cars, buy in food supplies and finish off packing gear for the start in Dover on the 13^th July.

Preparing two very small town cars for their toughest test ever.

Work to complete in the UK:-

A bash plate – made from steel plate. Welded and bolted to the car. This will help protect the engine sump and delicate steering mechanism from damage when driving off road

A four point harness for the Driver and Co-Driver, replacing the standard front seat belts

A safety net barrier to keep all the gear in the back of the car in case of a ‘sudden’ stoppage

Rally tyres and two spare wheels carried on the roof

Up graded suspension springs to help handle the extra weight and rough conditions

A set of driving lights (spot lights)

Remote Camera (Go-Pro) Mounting on the roof

A full length roof rack – to carry spare wheels and extra fuel

A removable snorkel to allow us to cross rivers, and keep the engine running (plastic tubing)

Radio (UHF) communications between the two cars

A pull out privacy curtain – for road side showers and other ‘emergencies’…..

Web Sites and the Blog

Both teams now have functioning Web Sites and these addresses will be used going forward for those wanting to follow the adventure. The Ulaanbaatar or Bust blog will continue to used, but accessed via each teams Websites.

Team WombatsKhan (Neil and Jo SEABROOK) go to:  www.wombatskhan.com

Team Kangaskhann (Ian and Ruby THOMPSON) go to: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kangakhann-and-the-Mongol-Rally/504298236293678?ref=stream

 

Team Update 23rd April

Website News

Ian (Team Kangaskhann) and Neil (Team WombatsKhan) have decided to develop Website’s for each individual Team to allow our family, friends and followers to have easier access to each Team’s progress during the Rally.

Our combined Blog (This one) will remain in place and will be updated in the lead up to the Rally start on the 13^th July. After the start the way in which you get updates will be slightly different, and will be explained in the next month or so.

In the meantime, please continue to use this Blog for all things WombatsKhan and Kangaskhann.

Visa’s

Both Teams are busy applying for entry visa’s for Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and China. This is time consuming and at times a worrying process, as you lose your passports for extended periods of time.

Cars

Both cars are parked up at Neil’s sisters place in Devon (UK). They will be moved to another location within the next month, to allow some preparation work to start on them. New tyres, under side protection, suspension tweaks and sturdy roof racks for starters.

What would you do to raise funds for charity?

We have raised over $19,000 to date for our Charities.

The Team’s want to bring the total fund raising for Charity much closer to the $25k goal before we set off in July.

Would the following encourage you all to dig deeper and help the Team’s reach their goal, or can you think of something equally as stupid:

For reaching $22,000 before the 13^th July 2013, Neil (Team WombatsKhan) to dress up as a 1970’s Punk Rocker complete with a real Mohican Haircut, clothes and safety pin earring, as we enter and cross the border of Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and get photo’s with officials at each border crossing….preferably not being carted off to the slammer.

 

 

 

Thats it for now.......more later....

Sponsor Update

From the very beginning of our adventure we have been looking for sponsors to help us raise the funding to enable us to undertake the trip, and ultimately raise money for our charities. Between the teams we have contacted over a hundred Companies in Australia alone. To be honest the response has been less than encouraging from most...However, we have come into contact with a few who have just been brilliant, these are our sponsors:-

The people and companies that have agreed to support us share our goal. Sponsorship has been in cash funding and in materials and services

Neil (Team WombatsKhan) recently met up with Julie Peskett from Perth Graphics Centre to discuss the graphics for the Team's car, and Julie very kindly offered to cover all the costs for transforming a bland Nissan Micra into a visually envious beast, which can only help us make the distance.

I would encourage all those who need business or services in these areas to support these Companies who still know how to put people first.........

Our Sponsors are:-

Perth Graphics Centre

Porsham Cakes

Aviation Network Associates

Motomotive

Team Update 4th April

With less than 100 days before we set off, we thought it was time for a quick update on the teams preparations, and how we are doing on the charity side of things.

Team Kangakhann now have a car, once again a million thanks to Graham for making this all happen. Both teams owe Graham a good few beers, to be drunk before we start the rally….

 

We have made over $18,000 now for our two charities, The PMH Foundation and Cool Earth. Although we would like to take some credit for this great effort it would not have happened if we hadn’t had the support we have had from friends, family and local businesses in and around Perth, Karratha and Globally..

We haven’t finished just yet, our intention is to make over $25,000 for our friends at Cool Earth and the PMH Foundation. Every little helps – please keep your money and support coming in….

The Adventurist have had to change the start location for the rally, it’s now starting at Dover Castle, rather than the Goodwood race track. This helps a little as it puts the teams close to the ferry port, primed for entry into Europe…….

Dover Castle