Your Memories

The five travelled in a second hand Land Rover.

While backpacking to the four corners of the world is a commonplace adventure for young people today, 40 years ago when package holidays to Spain where just taking off, travelling to the other side of the world was a daring adventure.

For five young men from Liverpool, 1968 was to be a year they would never forget as they travelled overland from the UK to New Zealand.

John Proffit, John Doran, John Bate, Tom McCormack and Victor Parkinson set off to make the trip through 18 countries in a second hand Land Rover.

John Proffit, who now lives in New Zealand, recalls wanting to make a mark on the world, “We were young lads looking for adventure.

“At the time, I wanted to do something that identified us as from Liverpool to show the world.

Setting off from Liverpool in August 1968

“I talked this over with a friend of mine John Doran over a pint at the Copple House pub in Fazakerley.

The pairs, who were soldiers in the Liverpool detachment of the Parachute Regiment, had initial plans for a much shorter journey, “At first we thought we would row a boat from Liverpool to the Isle of Man,” says John.

“Then another friend told us he had purchased a second hand Land-Rover that was in good condition.

“So, an around the world adventure sounded appealing.”

On 6 August, 1968 the five men were waved off by a large group of friends and family outside the Legs of Man Hotel for a journey, which had taken twelve months to organise.

Their expedition would take them from the UK through Belgium, Luxemberg, Germany, Austria, Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and finally to New Zealand.

Organising a trip of this magnitude in 1968, in an age before the internet, was no mean feat as John remembers, “It had to be an expedition adventure and something others hadn't done, so we planned the route across stretches of desert and track where we thought it was possible to get through.

Clearing trees after a monsoon

“We got most of our information from book shops and looking through very old maps in books from local libraries.”

“It had an element of difficulty in organising the expedition as there were countries like Iran and Afghanistan to go through and they required application and visas to get through.

“These were approved.

“There was a presence of military and bandits along the way, so we kept a vigilant watch at all times and had a couple of moments we were concerned when a tank turned and lined us up in its sights.

“Talk about road runner, but we got away unscathed.”

The group had support from local and national businesses, Land Rover provided a rear half shaft, the British Rope Company supplied a 50ft rope, while Spear and Jackson gave the team a bush saw and axe that came in useful in India to move trees off the road tracks following a monsoon and tsunami

Despite this help the group had to find the money for the majority of the trip themselves,

“None of use had any significant funds”, says John.

“So, once our plan came together we all had to save up three hundred and fifty pounds each, to help finance the expedition.

“We then found out the government had placed a freeze on money going out the country so we could only take fifty pounds each out in currency.

The Land Rover was packed with provisions

“We were allowed funds in other countries that were classed as sterling areas, but had to get to them first.”

To try and get round the currency problems, the five packed the Land Rover full of provisions, “We took as much fuel as we could and jerry-cans and spare water.

“Most of our food was taken with us in 24 hour dehydrated ration packs similar to Army rations.

“The Land Rover was weighed down with around 400lb of food, which included 2000 tea bags, 40lb of sugar, 5lb of coffee and twelve dozen cans of beer. 

“We also had on board white blocks of firelighters to be able to cook our food or boil some water along the way.”

When travelling through Malaysia the five encountered another Briton travelling the same direction as them, John remembers that he was easily recognisable as a fellow countryman, “We started to head down towards Singapore and we came across a fellow hitching a ride in British attire of a pin-stripe suit and bowler hat with brief case and umbrella.

“We stopped and he told us he had just ten quid and was trying to reach Singapore.

“It turned out he was a reporter for the Daily Sketch, so we gave him a lift to Singapore.

“When we reached Singapore, he told us all he was proud to have met us and that he would write a story about his travels one day and make special mention of the Liverpool lads he met on his way to Singapore.”

Sunbathing in front of the Taj Mahal

At the end of the journey the men received a letter from General Michael Walsh and Sir Edmund Hillary commending them on their achievement.

For all five the spirit of adventure has stayed in their blood, John Proffitt climbed three mountains last year Mount Egmont, Mount Tongariro and Mount Victoria as well as a balloon expedition across the North Island of New Zealand; John Doran has sailed a yacht around Australia and onto New Zealand and the Islands; John Bate has an engineering business and went to the world parachuting championships; Tom McCormack works for an international airline and continues to travel and Victor Parkinson is in engineering and security and moved to live in Tasmania.

John Profitt recalls the trip as a unique experience that was made more special by their Liverpool roots, “The trip did change our lives in that we travelled the world and challenged ourselves and saw different ways of life. 

“However, there is something about coming from Liverpool that was acknowledged where ever we went.

“Not just because we were from a city of music or football, but because people could see us doing something different, that I think made us stand out.”