Did mine end of November Ollie - hasn't sunk in yet as work is so crazy and 'normal' but as the real stuff like shipping quotes and paperwork starts to loom it gets a bit more real... Best of luck!
Gil

The wife is not allowed to take any clothes. that should save enough weight for us to take both!

either way we have to throw it away, as we are off for good! Well maybe ......

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Ollie

www.jollyfollies.com

Land's End to Sydney 2009

The wife gets one warning. The clothes go at Le havre and the axe, well I, think a man's relationship with his axe is lifelong!

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Ollie

www.jollyfollies.com

Land's End to Sydney 2009

i was think of going from poole, since calais is a bit boring, and plymouth to france is night time only. poole i think sails at about 830am at the moment, so i get to see a new bit of the french coast during the day.
i also roughly worked out that since we're heading for brittany first anyway, at 12mpg, the longer driving versus the longer sailings almost come out equal.

i'm taking an axe not a machete cos actual wood cutting with a machete is too painful- something to do with the cutting blade being in line with your hand? (you dont hold a hammer head to hit a nail, the vibration hurts!) obviously soft green bush cutting its fab. just not for campsite stuff. check out gransfors bruks, lovely range of axes if a wee bit pricey. small forest axe can chop down a good sized tree, and is handy for carving, fire wood etc, a bit of everything, fits in a rucksack. full size axe a bit ott imho!

Resignation now done! Lots of realisation at my wifes works:

" Ahh that's why you bought a land rover"

" Ahh that's why you have been on an off road course!

"Ahh that's why you have been on a Russian course"

" Ahh that's why you did a mechanics course"

Booking the ferry on Saturday, raising a toast to the future!

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Ollie

www.jollyfollies.com

Land's End to Sydney 2009

Ollie

I have never wanted to be somebody else as much as I do now, I'm soooo freakin jealous! Enjoy it my friend

Pete

Best of luck Ollie and Family,

When meeting officials remember to;

Be patient, tollerant and relax - take it easy,

and above all else, SMILE.

But then I guess it'll be a few weeks before you stop smiling anyhow.

Best regards,
Kevin

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www.4x4-travel.co.uk

Ha - well thanks so the nice words, and for the jealousy. But you cna hold fire with that, we still have 3 months to go!

This weekend we have started ebaying our worldly goods. Have a whole houseful to get rid off.

Anyone want an oldstyle widescreen (CRT) TV?

Or anything else......

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Ollie

www.jollyfollies.com

Land's End to Sydney 2009

Myself and a mate are planning the same trip, and hoping for an early April departure. We'll be on bikes, and maybe we'll hook up somewhere en route.

Good luck!!

This might help with hiding the Axe... I just stumbled across this while looking for head torches ...
GerberGear > Product Details > KICK Axe™

I dont really need one or even see myself using it.. but it is soooo cool looking i want one...

but if you are caring and Axe anyway...

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2000 Africa Twin
http://two-up-ona-twin.blogspot.com

I'm on my third warranty replacement of my Gerber Multiplier tool. Never again will I buy a Gerber anything!!! Hi Ho Hi Ho it's back to leatherman I will go.

But on the topic, I found that a home made sharpened cross between a matock and a hoe can replace an axe, machete and even spade... I use it to dig holes, rake fires and lift out coals for the dutch oven. With a sharpened edge it can even chop wood. And not even a Chunnel guy could really accuse it of being an offensive weapon - well, they could but they would have to be a right nit picking pedant.
Gil

Just take what you need and dont worry. the chances of being stopped with an axe are slim.....what will they do? take it if they want. then you buy a new one at the next market. they are looking for drugs and guns not machetes/axes. If you have it, take it,if not buy it en route if you need one. As mentioned before stay light, over loading is the worst thing to do.

Graeme

A list of what you are carrying is "handy" to have. When I first arrived in Switzerland (to live) I had my old Volvo 740 loaded to the hilt with personal belongings - including a full length roof rack. After a couple of bemused looks I was asked what I was carrying - I pulled out a list - including each bottle of alcohol listed with it's approximate content - EG 100ml Glenmorangine 12 year old Port Wood.

Showing the list was enough to be waved through.

When I went back to the UK I had an empty trailer - and was asked by the French and then UK customs what I was upto (by this time I was on Swiss number plates). But when I came back through I didn't have a list - but the trailer (Box type) was pretty full - and very tightly packed - they asked what was inside (personal belongings) and I opened the door. They weren't keen to go routing around!!

And finally, I had a small problem at Spa last year in my race car - that small problem was based around a suspension arm coming away from the chassis and the resultant parking damage from the barrier - always worse when you impact over 80mph - worried about what the nice chaps at customs and the border would say we simply wrapped the car under a large plastic sheet - in such a complicated way that no one in their right mind would want to remove the sheet and see that the car was in "a right old mess". Sure enough - they just asked "what's on the trailer?" - and were happy with the "race car" answer.

If you are asked - answer honestly.

Careful with the pepper spray. I took it too in case of an animal attack (I ride and camp where bears are a problem). Got arrested in Central Asia when they found it. They finally let me go, but it was quite an ordeal. Nobody ever cared about my knife or Leatherman- I kept them in my toolkit for border crossings.