More Kiwis gear up to take part in Mongol Rally

A photo of a Mini taking on the Mongol Rally challange in 2005. Photo / Supplied

A second Kiwi team has taken up the challenge of driving more than 16,000km across Europe and the Middle East for an international charity rally and will donate any money they make to Starship Hospital.

Yesterday the Herald reported that Scott Patterson, Carson Bruce, Brad Cooper and Simon Matthews, known collectively as The Lost Kiwis, were competing in the Mongol Rally, which kicks off in July.

Starting in London, up to 300 teams have to purchase a junkyard car under 1000cc and make their way across Europe and into Turkey, then travel up through war-torn Afghanistan and the extreme heat of the Gobi Desert to the finish line at Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.

Depending on the route, the rally takes between three and six weeks. Each team can choose their own.

A group of Auckland mates has also signed up - and have already purchased their car.

Peter Stone, Robin Kidd, Timothy Hazlett and Thomas Van Deelan, team name Don't Worry, I Know A Shortcut, will also set off from London in July.

"We are doing the rally for a few reasons," said Mr Stone.

"We all have a keen sense of travel and want to visit parts of the world that most people will never get to see. We want to experience other cultures and raise money for Starship and Cool Earth."

Cool Earth a charity that works alongside indigenous villages to stop the destruction of local rainforest.

He said the group first heard about the rally two years ago.

"We discovered it accidentally and the idea grew and grew and we ended up signing up in August last year," he said.

"Our vehicle is a 1990 Suzuki Super Carry van (with a) 970cc engine. Robin lives in the UK and has purchased the van."

Mr Hazlet is a mechanic, which Mr Stone says will come in very handy.

Mr Stone is a travel agent, so has already organised the team's flights and Visas. They're so organised, even their route is planned.

They intend to travel from London to Belgium and then on through Luxembourg, France, Liechenstein, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan,Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and finish in Mongolia.

To follow team Don't Worry, I Know A Shortcut's journey visit their Facebook page here.