RACQ members Lang and Bev Kidby have returned to Brisbane following their 22,000km journey from London to Melbourne in a replica 1924 Bean 14.
Earlier this year, Lang Kidby and his wife Bev set off on a five-month expedition in a replica-bodied 1924 Bean 14 to honour adventurer Frances Birtles’ famous 1927 expedition from London to Melbourne.
In the Spring 2023 edition of The Road Ahead, Lang shared plans of their upcoming trip and raised concerns about the logistics of shipping the car overseas to start the adventure.
Sure enough, major shipping disruptions in the Red Sea meant the vehicle was delayed and the trip’s start date was pushed back to 16 April.
After traversing the United Kingdom (UK) and France, Lang and Bev tested the resilience of the Bean 14 early in their journey when they drove from Trier to Stuttgart in Germany.
The replica-bodied Bean 14 is surrounded by snow in Austria.
“The drive from Trier was very hilly and it just got colder and colder,” Bev said.
“The snow piled up on the windscreen and when we arrived at the Sinsheim Museum in Germany we were greeted by hail in the car park.”
It’s no surprise though, when venturing through 16 countries on a global expedition that Lang and Bev received both ends of the weather spectrum.
“In May, we travelled between Bam and Zahedan in Iran, which saw us drive across pure arid desert and over very rugged, barren hills,” Lang said.
“On that day it was 40°C, and a sandstorm meant our visibility reduced drastically.”
They also endured 55°C in Pakistan, which is among the highest temperatures recorded on Earth.
However, their trusty car stayed in one piece through it all and made it back to Brisbane safely, despite a few hiccups along the way.
Lang behind the wheel after arriving in Pakistan.
Locals help replace a broken spring in Quetta, Pakistan.
“We pulled up at a service station one night in Trabzon, Turkey, and the engine locked up,” Lang said.
“We thought to ourselves ‘this looks serious’, but help appeared from everywhere.
“A passing scrap merchant was able to get the starter released from the pinion and out of the motor to allow us to drive to an auto electrician about 40km away.”
The couple knew the expedition would be a challenge, but Bev said the support from people along the way was what kept their spirits high.
“In a world full of problems, I finished the trip knowing the world is full of wonderful people,” she said.
“The hospitality and generosity shown throughout our trip was amazing and very humbling.”
“We thought to ourselves ‘this looks serious’, but help appeared from everywhere.
“A passing scrap merchant was able to get the starter released from the pinion and out of the motor to allow us to drive to an auto electrician about 40km away.”
The couple knew the expedition would be a challenge, but Bev said the support from people along the way was what kept their spirits high.
“In a world full of problems, I finished the trip knowing the world is full of wonderful people,” she said.
“The hospitality and generosity shown throughout our trip was amazing and very humbling.”
Despite a shipping delay, resulting in an extra 16 days of waiting, the Bean 14 reached Australian soil on 28 July.
“Trials and tribulations aside it was great to come back home to Australia and finish the trip in Melbourne on 31 August, like Birtles did all those years ago,” Lang said.
“We even got to meet Frances Birtles' great nephew, John, in Benalla which was a great experience.
“To have been able to follow Birtles’ original trip as closely as possible and to enable us to experience countries we did not expect to be possible, Bev and I must make a special thanks to the FIVA family.”
FIVA is an international organisation dedicated to promoting and preserving historic vehicles and their heritage.
While this may be Lang and Bev’s final global expedition, for now, they say their passion for adventure still roars on, like their indomitable Bean 14.
The 16 countries on Lang and Bev’s 22,000km route:
- England
- France
- Belgium
- Luxembourg
- Germany
- Austria
- Slovenia
- Croatia
- Serbia
- Bulgaria
- Turkey
- Iran
- Pakistan
- India
- Singapore
- Australia
