War zones, deserts - Kiwis' trip more than a Sunday drive

Herald graphic

Four Kiwi mates will travel 16,500km together across 20 countries, five mountain ranges and three deserts in a "farcically small" car - without any set route - as part of an international charity event.

Scott Patterson, Carson Bruce, Brad Cooper and Simon Matthews, known collectively as The Lost Kiwis, have signed up to participate in the Mongol Rally, which kicks off in July.

The inaugural rally took place in 2004, with just six teams. Four completed the arduous course. The event now draws between 250 and 300 teams each year.

Starting in London, 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.

The Lost Kiwis are seeking sponsorship to get to London and make sure they have all the essentials for their adventure, and mechanical supplies to keep their yet-to-be-purchased car in one piece.

They are also fundraising for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Cool Earth, a charity that works alongside indigenous villages to stop the destruction of local rainforest.

"Why would we engage in such silly activities? Because we're keen for a proper adventure," Mr Patterson said.

"We're also in the unique position to go viral with this and make a stack of funds for charity.

"We're keen to get local sponsors on board - the more support we can get means more time to fundraise for our charities. Help us buy our car or tents or, heck, even our duct tape," he said.

A photo from a previous Mongol Rally taken at Gobi Desert.

The team members are all aged 26. Mr Patterson said he, Mr Matthews and Mr Cooper met at university in Dunedin in 2006 and had been "besties" since.

He met Mr Bruce at software company Solnet Solutions, where they both work. Mr Bruce is a hydrographic surveyor currently working off the coast of Perth on a ship.

Asked if the team were nervous about doing the journey without the usual technological aids, Mr Patterson said: "Course not.

"Though I bet we will be more than a little nervous crossing through the Iranian border into Afghanistan, but we will just have to turn on our New Zealand charm," he said.

"When [or] if we reach Mongolia, we will be relying on a map and compass as there are no actual roads or towns for the 2000km stretch.

"This will be the most challenging part of our journey, I would say. Not just for our tiny car, but for our mental states."

Teams must participate completely on their own and raise at least $2077 for charity.

It is touted by organisers as "the drive of the century, the adventure of a lifetime."

About 80 teams have signed up so far including groups from Switzerland, South Africa, Australia, China, the US, Canada, Denmark and Norway.

Among them are a father and son, a group of medical students and another of teachers, sisters and a newlywed couple.

At the end of the rally, the vehicles used will be given to local charities or sold commercially, with the proceeds donated.

Some teams choose to drive old ambulances or vans that can be used in Mongolia for transport.

To follow their journey visit: thelostkiwis.co.nz or www.facebook.com/TheLostKiwis