My aim is to travel from the UK to Brisbane for one of my best friends' wedding. Plane travel is so environmentally damaging so I am looking for another way. I also think that by travelling over land and sea I will be able to understand our world better as I will connect with the people and landscapes and not just look at the departure board in the airport. Any tips gratefully received!! Departure date 1st September.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Planning and Inspiration


Have just got back from the Big Green Gathering where I had a great time building a Spiral of Junk the Wierd Wild Web (see photo) with a great gang of people and where I was re-inspired that I had to do this journey even though it is really hard trying to organise it. I feel like I have devoted myself to doing what I can to reduce my impact on the environment and to nourish it aswell. If I flew to Australia I would negate everything I have done for the last 6 years and that would seem sad. I have just got my Russian Visa which is exciting and I will apply for my Belarus one tomorrow. Just heard news that the cargo boat from Singapore to Oz will now be over £1K so I may have to rethink that and have looked through all the crewing websites again...Jessa and Arthur at CAT (Centre for Alternative Technology) have kindly done a press release to promote my trip and took some lovely photos of me today. We still have no water at home, so no chance for washing hair since the festival-not a good look but I better get used to it for the trip...

20 Comments:

At 8:36 pm, August 15, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

pob lwc Babs, gobeithio byddi di'n dod nol yn diogel....cofiwch i dod a llyfr i dysgu Cymraeg pan ti'n ar ffordd!

Llawer o cariad a pob hwyl,

Dave

 
At 9:07 am, August 18, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Singapore, Indonesia and Australia area is very popular for those making yacht passages. Acquaint yourself with a big yacht club in Singers and ascertain if anyone's making such a passage. They will nearly always welome a crew member, even if you can only cook and clean. You will get a free passage and even more advenure. My friend travelled from Aus to the UK entirely free using this method. If interested I can fix you up with his email address. Good luck.
Kevin Barber
barberk@a.dii.mod.uk

 
At 11:28 pm, August 18, 2006, Blogger Babs said...

Diolch Dave, can't read the whole thing yet (but I can read most!) and I am working on the rest..... When the Welsh Language Board send me a cd I will be off!

 
At 8:51 pm, August 20, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Are you living vegan? That helps a lot to save the atmosphere. Cows e.g. produce much methan. I would be happy if you could answer me (and-may@web.de).
Thanks and respect for your project!

 
At 10:47 pm, August 20, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kind of a weird way to do it.
QF and BA do it direct, and do there best to save emissions. Now a days it all about time. People do not have the time to do an amazing journey like that. Especailly for hte cost of travelling by boat. Some ships i have looked at are way over £2000. While a flt takes 7 or 8 hours, some airlines donate money to eath charities, and all are looking at new ways to help save emissions.

 
At 10:57 pm, August 20, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to tell you this, but taking a flight down to Australia would have been much friendlier to the environment than your trip. It is going to be a wonderful and unforgettable experience, but cleaner, no way. A modern airliner uses less gas than a car (per passenger), and you're going to find yourself on stinking russian trucks and busses and probably some oil leaking southern asian container ship. But othjer than that, great project! Good luck!

 
At 11:23 pm, August 20, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bad idea. ;) Waste of resources doing this trip.

Did you also know that a car is way less efficient than a commercial aircraft based on number of seats and fuel used per seat?

Why not start walking instead? ;)

 
At 11:29 pm, August 20, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

As many have said, the way you plan to do this trip is much less environmentally friendly than flying. Maybe you should have done some research before assuming that taking countless busses, trains and boats will be less environmentally friendly than a plane.

 
At 12:05 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"QF and BA do it direct"

By the way:

QF = Qantas
BA = British Airways

And by 'direct', it isn't completely direct. You still have to stop somewhere in the far east on a layover, usually in SIN (Singapore), HKG (Hong Kong), BKK (Bangkok) or KUL (Kuala Lumpur).

 
At 12:08 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

While I agree with the posts above about how an Aircraft uses less fuel and has less carbon emissions per passenger than a bus, train, or deisle powered ship, if that's the way you want to get to Brisbane then good for you. But taking the trip this way will be far worse for the earth than a plane. At least you will be able to have a more interesting journey than stuck for 24 hours in the back of a plane. Don't take any notice of the idiotic comments above made by retarded computer geeks who have nothing better to do but bring others down for trying something different.

Good luck babs :)

 
At 12:09 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think its fabulous that you plan on doing it this way. BTW do you plan on going anywhere near Thailand, or Singapore? I need someone to mule, I mean deliver something for me.

 
At 12:11 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 
At 12:23 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good luck to you. Should be an interesting journey.

However, why not just admit the real reasons why you're doing it. Are you seriously saying you're never going to step foot into a plane in your life? When you get to Brisbane, are you taking the bus home from there too?

The environment has got nothing to do with your frolic, but it is sooner a desire to maybe write an ickle book or something like that.

Nevertheless, have a good time. If you get to Belarus, don't forget to assist in their struggle for democracy and I expect you to be active in Burma as well should you venture to that part of SE Asia.

 
At 12:26 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's just weird!
As everyone else said: it is even worse what you are doing! Have you ever been to a developing country? Have you seen the cars and trucks there?
I think it's more important that people in the world are happy, have enough food and live save. So maybe you should better get a job and donate your money? And make me happy and wash yourself, please!

 
At 2:58 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful journey.

I am shocked by so many cruel comments. I guess people are threatened by you for some reason!

 
At 7:26 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You should grab a copy of Peter Moore's book The Wrong Way Home - London to Sydney the Hard Way. It is about travelling overland without using a plane. It is a great read and will give you a few tips!

 
At 7:47 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

enjoy your trip, hope you don't have a lot of problems while getting around...

chris from germany

 
At 9:40 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like ya very much but I like also planes, so I'm sorry we ya don't match.

 
At 10:34 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

All these people are very unkind - maybe these foreign carts are awful for the environment and it might be better to just get on a plane - but at least you're trying to make a difference and stand by what you believe in...

I think short haul flights are the real problem, as the planes themselves will take off and land 5-10+ times a day, which is what emits the most.

 
At 11:43 am, August 21, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wonder how you were able to post on the Internet without electricity :-O

Less bullshit next time, please.

 

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