The Silk Route Motorcaravan Club.

Bulletin 114.

April 2004.
Editor (Original edition in French) Jacques Mahaut.
Translated by Rowena Brunning and Les Brook.
Translation Edited by Les Brook.

In this bulletin

Editorial: You Can Guess What's Coming!

Strange. This information was passed on more or less on the qt. It took a chance reading - in a dentist's waiting room which had a copy of the "Top Gear" magazine - of these few lines:

"Our roads are not flat, that is indisputable. Their surfaces are very slightly curved to facilitate drainage. Road users are scarcely aware of it but the machines which produce hundreds of thousands of wheels and are designed to adapt to this fact. The right hand side, i.e. the kerb side of the vehicle (left in the UK), is a few millimeters lower than the other side and bears a load which would be completely negligible but for the fact of the thousands of kilometers involved. Tyres, axles, steering linkages - all suffer inevitable wear.

Consequently, and very soon from now, there will be a change in the side on which you drive. At 01.00 precisely, vehicles will have to cross the road and drive on the other side. And on the first of the following month, the opposite will happen.

As one may imagine, these measures risk giving rise to some confusion, and to avoid collisions, between 5 to and 5 past 01.00, speed will be compulsorily limited to 5kph. This measure will entail vast road works For example, traffic lights will have to be disabled or automatically pivot at the said times, and the barriers at the centres of roads will have to be breached".

What do you think?

Red Dragon Balade.

Summary by translation editor:

'Red Dragon' is the name chosen for the balade in Wales which will take place in June. The balade is fully subscribed. The article gives details for French participants about cross-Channel ferries, the use of credit cards in the UK etc.

Explorer Of The Year.

I'm delighted to tell you that, for the second year running, a Silk Route Motorcaravan Club member will be awarded the Caravan Club/Explorer Group "Explorer of the Year" award.

In 2003, Maureen Middleton was the first recipient of the award for her journey from Scarborough to Beijing and back.

On Friday 20 February, at the National Boat, Caravan and Outdoor Show which is being held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, the award will go to Graham Kelly for his epic, solo journey from Glossop to Canberra.

Graham's expedition was not only a feat of courage and organisation, but he documented it in a wonderfully helpful and humorous way on his website www.landyman.co.uk.

Well done Graham!

Postcards From.

Jean-Paul and Annick Hersent, Tataouine, 13/02/2004. We are in the first month of our training as motorcaravanners. We're managing and everything's OK. People are very nice and help us.

Raymonde Gomez, Mopti, 12/02. I've recovered the 4x4 in Burkina. Ghana, southern Togo, Benin, a little of Niger. Splendid road in the desert, along the river, Niamey/Gao and Gao/Timbuktu, a little hard sometimes! Loops of the river Niger, Timbuktu/Mopti, 5 ferries, 3 fords, what an adventure! 4 x4 stuck in the middle of the river. The driver had to go 14kms to a village to bring back a good twenty men. That many were needed to get the vehicle out. I followed on foot with water up to my bum.

Robert and Josy Gastaud, Cuba. We are well, under the coconut trees, and thankful for this very beautiful holiday. (Josy is 60!).

Michel and Marie-Claude Daviaud, Aglou-Beach, 25/2/04. Continuation of the trip to Morocco, in small steps with rest days in quiet spots, and supply days as in Agadir where we could fill our gas bottles, but they no longer fill part-used bottles. Return during March.

Marie-Madeleine and André Lefèvre, Papeete, 25/02/04. In the absence of "trom-bins" (is this a Tahitian word?) we send everyone a souvenir of a wonderful country with friendly inhabitants

Leon Humm and Elisabeth, Cyprus, 1/03/04. An adventure without our carapace! But to visit this country with a motorcaravan would be feasible: they seem to be welcome.

From Korea To France, With A Parrot.

You'll certainly remember the amazing travellers we had the pleasure of seeing at Saint-Maur-des-Fosses. Jean-Louis Wolff, his Korean wife, his children dog and parrot - the whole lot in a huge Korean bus transformed in the style of Jeannot Lormand's van, except that it also incorporated a real photo studio. Which was to be expected as our friend is a photographer. The accounts of his 316 days from Seoul to Paris can be found, with gorgeous illustrations, on:

http://assoc.wanadoo.fr /france-coree/societe/seoul_paris_seoul.htm .

New Zealand: Don't Visit Without Reading This.

Hunting for photos to illustrate Michel's article, I had the good fortune to stumble on an interesting website. Of course, I asked the owner's permission to use the photos. Here is his reply. Make use of it.

We agree that you can use photos from our website and parts of the text if you wish to. In exchange, we would like you to quote www.frogs-in-nz.com and its team in NZ. We are specialists in providing for private travellers in motorcaravans or for organised tours. All members of the team have travelled the length and breadth of NZ guaranteeing accurate advice. Our publications and our travel offers are available on-line at www.frogs-in-nz.com. Our publications can be bought at our on-line shop.

Sebastian Michel, Frogs-in-NZ Ltd, PO Box 147 179, Ponsonby, Auckland 0064 0274 108 264

And Yet More News.

You can now locate the account of our last journey to New Caledonia on our website www.family-dreamtime.fr.st

We are continuing our discovery of New Zealand. Having done South Island, we are now in North Island. By 2 April, we will be back in Sydney from where we will send you the diary of Route 17.

The Muenches Dannevirke, NZ

Plans For Expeditions.

ALASKA/PATAGONIA 2004/2005: it may take a little time for our new member, Jerome Boillot, to organize this large trip with his family. since he hasn't a van. Maybe he could take the one chosen by our friend Guy Bazin! (Illustration on p2 of the Bulletin).

RUSSIA 2004, CANADA 2005: Gaby and Christiane Rambault, also new members, already have their vehicle, a Niesmann Flair on an Iveco.

ROUTE 66, USA 2005: Armand Brout seeks an English-speaking travelling companion [I think the sense is 'to join him on the journey in his van' Ed.].

Return To Mali: The African Adventures Of The Little Synchro.

For health reasons, we had abandoned our van in Mali last year. With a couple of friends, Odile and Claude, we completed the trip this years.

This is the account of our return, recorded by Odile and achieved by our Synchro. Over many years, the latter had taken us to China, South America and Africa. It's great age, long journeys, and 300,000kms on the clock had made it very tired, which explains the minor breakdowns which were all repaired beneath the baobabs by two amateur but very ingenious mechanics.

The little Synchro was getting bored. For the entire year he had been sitting in the Mission yard near Mopti - whole year without moving, like a small donkey beside the road with its little turbo gripped by the fear that mummy and daddy weren't coming back. He even shed a few tears of oil.

Of course he had been taken care of. He had even been made to purr from time to time but he hadn't left the yard and he was resigned to waiting for his masters to return. The day when he was thoroughly cleaned up he realised that something was about to happen: his master would be coming back. They cleaned him, removed the vermin that were eating his insides, chased the mice away, did a few little jobs, then took him out for a drive.

One fine evening, a traveller came to stop beside him. His 'Synchro family' had arrived! His shock absorbers were changed and they set off at last, all together, in search of new adventures.

The little Synchro felt on top form. Going down the Dogon cliff impressed him a bit, but dashing over the sandy tracks and the tarmac, he soon found himself in Ougadougou. In this town with its sing-song name, he thought he would die of suffocation because of the fumes from the mopeds, and he hurried off into the bush. He dawdled on little roads amidst the cotton plants, in search of some potters. He wanted to see the elephants bathing in the Mouhoun (the Black Volta), but waited in vain. In spite of a serious injury to his front joint, and starter problems, he climbed up the hills of Lobiand met the 90th son of a man who had had 30 wives! At last, along with his mate, he got a rest at Bobodioulasso under the mango trees, whilst their masters lived the high life with their Burkinan friends.

Then they had to leave again, once more on small tracks, through the beautiful villages of Senoufo and back to Bamako where he had a few days' rest. If he had known the ordeals ahead, perhaps he would have hesitated to set off again. After a terrible road with an uneven surface, a broken stabiliser and a shock absorber coming loose, they had to tackle an impossible track. Bravely, with his friend, they tried to find their way, lost in tall grasses, bestriding ruts, climbing up ditches. They were proud to be the first to get through since June, the rainy season, and what excitement! He suffered a broken foot - a puncture - and alas, his companion lost a shock absorber. Fortunately the villages grew more and more beautiful, sheltered by huge trees, surrounded by tall grasses, and this consoled them in their misfortune.

The track continued over a magnificent plateau, bristling with tall, pointed rocks: the Along Bay on land (it's the Goufan plateau in the south-west of Mali). The track becomes easier and they soon reached a majestic and very blue river, the Senegal. The little Synchro drove close to the shores to see the hippos. Only the canoes troubled the calm waters.

Going alongside the river, they decided to visit the Gouina falls, dear to Jules Verne, where the masters wanted to bathe. Poor Synchro! There his courage failed and he thought his last hour had come. Scary descents, steep climbs, stones, more stones, huge ruts where his wheels had scarcely room to travel. At last Kayes. There, they promised him that, at the end of the big track, there would be TAR, endless stretches of TAR, which would take him to Mauritania via Senegal.

His documents were in order. He had his carnet de passage en douane and hoped that the authorities would be kind to his companion. But this one was 5 years and 20 days old, 20 days too old for the new legislation! From the border at Kidira, they had to go back to Kiffa in Mauritania. Another 100kms of suffering. This time it was the sand that affected him. He felt very tired and found it harder and harder to get going in the morning. His starter had to be encouraged and he had to be pulled. Goodness, when do we get to this tarmac road which the masters call, so appropriately, "The road of hope"?

At last he knew he would again see his homeland and his house! The final ordeal, no matter how distressing, would not stop him. When, after Nouakchott, he dived down to the beach, he was very upset. He remembered how, last year, he had almost drowned. But this time it was a real pleasure to glide on the damp sand, to feel the wavelets' caresses, to scare away as he passed the clouds of seagulls and pelicans.

A bit more sand, a few more stones, and he greedily breathed the fresh sea air at Cap Blanc. Tomorrow he was sure of it. He would leave the desert forever, go back to Morocco - and certain safety. Thanks to his starter having been repaired at last, he would soon be back at his house and with his friends, and he would have so many great stories to tell.

To re-iterate: Senegal no longer allows entry to vehicles over 5 years old without a Carnet de Passage. However, this does not stop you visiting the Banc d'Arquin. You just pay the entry fee as before.

Mauritania, Chad, Cameroon.

At last, at Yaounde, an Internet connection that works.

The crossing of Mauritania, via the interior - Atar, Chinguetti, Tidjikja, Kiffa and the tracks of Dakar - was quite difficult, but the scenery, fabulous. You know the continuation of the route as far as Niger is pleasant. Tense atmosphere in Chad (some stones were thrown at us). The reception in Cameroon was scarcely better but the scenery is splendid. The equatorial forest is superb and we are going south towards the beaches.

France-Africa: Benin, Burkina-Faso And Mali. Continued

Benin.

Still in Puerto Novo: Adandé ethnographic Museum (entry, 1000 Fcfa per person) with a beautiful carved wood entrance door. Wooden masks, fetishes, votive statuettes, musical instruments - interesting. Multicolored mosque in Portuguese style, some old colonial houses. National Parliament: beautiful modern building beside the Supreme Court on the place of the Republic. Close to Cotonou airport, there's a lovely, modern district of the city.

Via the asphalt road we go back to Godomé and on to Abomey. Park on the quay for lake Nokoné and the lake city of Ganvié (motor boat 5050 Fcfa per person with guide). On the lake, many dugouts with oars and some with sails, all crewed by women. 25 minutes crossing to Ganvié; pass through the lanes on the lake, many houses on piles, some with thatched roofs but the majority using corrugated sheets. The lake is only 150 cm deep. 30,000 people live in this city. The water is dirty but the walk is interesting.

Abomey, visit the old palaces of the kings of Abomey (1,500 Fcfa) who reigned from 1620 to 1900. Each king built his own palace in banco [mud], but as a result of fire, only two are left. The thatched roofs were replaced by corrugated sheets. Some low-reliefs engraved on the walls of Glebé palace. Every five days, offerings of foods are left by tourists on the tomb of King Glebé. They also leave money. Nothing exceptional in these palaces.

Asphalt road north, holes but repairs are in hand. Close to Dassa Zoumé, pretty granite hills. Parking at the Wearied inn for 2000 Fcfa a night. The vestiges of the royal palace have disappeared. 5000 Fcfa to see the wooden horse, so I don't. At Parakou, interesting weekly market with women in multi-coloured clothing.

Good asphalt road towards Djougou, Natitingou, then good track towards Boukoumbé. From Kouala to Koussoukouigou, Somba villages with fortified Tata [mud] houses. Park at Natitingou in the garden of Bellevue hotel for 2000 Fcfa with shower and WC.

Earth road towards Tanguiéta: many somba tata houses. In Porga, take track for Pendjari park (entry 6000 Fcfa per person, guide 5000 per day + his food). Very interesting visit in spite of the many corrugated tracks. Many hippopotamus, lots of buffalo, cobs de Buffon, waterbuck, bubales, baboon, antelope, some elephants, two lions very close to the track and two others at the Bali pond.

Porga, border of Benin, formalities very fast. Border of Burkina-Faso 25kms further on at Tendango (permit to travel 5,000 Fcfa), customs officers and police officers fast and very pleasant.

Asphalt road in a savannah landscape of tall grasses and trees to Koupela and Fada N'Gourma. Villages of round earth houses with thatched roofs and again many cows and goats.

Burkina Faso.

At Koupela, free parking at the catholic mission. 15kms after Koupela, puncture on rear tyre. People in a truck offer to help us to change the wheel. I give them 1000 Fcfa and they are very happy. Purchase new tyre in Ouagadougou for 115 000 FCFA (the same price as France).

Road number 1 towards Koudougou and Bobodioulasso, tarred and very good. At Boni, visit very modern church whose frontage imitates a bobo mask then visit the village of Koto close to Bobodioulasso (entry 1000 Fcfa per person). This village is built on large rocks; the visit is of little interest.

At Bobodioulasso, parking in Casafrica camp site (1500 Fcfa per person). Visit to an old mosque of the Sudanese type and the old quarters of Kebidoué and Sya, traditional houses but dirty and ugly. Houet provincial museum (500 Fcfa per person), not many things to be seen. Certain city routes are tree-lined, the banks are modern, but beautiful buildings are rare.

Earth road to Liebougou, good for 30kms, corrugated for 25kms and then pot-holed. In Liebougou, take N12 for Gaoua, tarred and excellent. Visit Poni museum: small, very little use, few objects, lobi house. In this area, the village houses are squarer with round cereal granaries which have straw roofs. In Loudou, demonstration of straw-weaving by women who collect gold dust in the river.

Earth road from Gaoua to Loropeni; track rather bad from Loropeni to the village of Obéré: Gan royal village with tombs. The burial mounds are made from dark stones some 2.50m high, and 1.50m wide and deep. In the space between [the stones?] there is a very primitive wooden statuette.

The royal palace is a simple box but larger than the others, very interesting visit. To go back to Baufora, take a rough track for 100kms; park in the garden of the Sugar Cane hotel, free because we eat there. Then earth road towards Louana and the Sindou needles which are rather pretty rock formations (entry 1000 Fcfa per person if you want to climb them). Track to Kankalaba and Soukouraba, asphalt road close to Dietri; lots of mango trees in the area.

Mali.

Borders of Burkina-Faso and Mali (4450 Fcfa vehicle permit to travel for Mali). Road to Sikasso under construction. In Sikasso, visit royal palace, house of Dramond Bereyl in banco with an upper storey, very dirty courtyard, refuse. Parking in a large garden at the Wassoulou motel on the road to Koutrala. Sikasso Sunday market very lively and colourful. Asphalt road towards Bamako, rather bad the last 30kms. After the capital, go towards Kayes, tarred up to Kati, then earth road, very corrugated for 50kms, less bad from Negala. Park at Kita, tourist 'transport café' (3000 Fcfa).

Earth road to Tambaga 50kms, tracks to Manantali, charmless small city. 'Rolling' track to Bafoulabe in the Peuls [a West African ethnic group] area, cross Bafing river on the railway bridge, 10kms before Bafoulabe where the rivers Bafing (black) and Bakoje (white) form the Senegal river. The track is very bad, serious ruts, rocks and large stones to Kayes. En route, the falls of Gouina described by Jules Verne in his novel Five Weeks in a Balloon. From time to time, [?these can be] seen on the Senegal river. Further on, the Felou falls of Felou, wide but not much water.

Arrive at Médine, visit fort (1000 Fcfa per person), very dilapidated, partly destroyed roof, sad because the building is rather beautiful; lovely view of the river. Still 12kms by the very bad track to get to Kayes: unattractive city with some old colonial houses. Then bad track for 95kms to Liboli, Malian village on frontier with Senegal.

Senegal.

Senegalese permit to travel for motorhome (8 days, 2500 Fcfa), extendable; formalities carried out in 20 minutes. Senegal is on the other side of the Kidera bridge; asphalt road for 190kms to Tamacounda through a landscape of savannah, dry and flat. At Tamacounda, park in the car park of the Asta Kebé hotel (3000 Fcfa with shower). Very hot in this area and trouble with the caravan door lock which will be very badly repaired.

Good asphalt road for 130kms then pot- holes for 40kms, after which brand new surface to Kaffrene. Park at Mangroves camping hotel (2000 Fcfa). In Kaolack it is also very hot; new lock repair will not last long. Asphalt road full of holes for 45kms until Sakone. Then, N2 for Mbour via Kaolack and Fatick; it is tarred but with holes which are being repaired; it skirts the Atlantic, in the south towards Nianing. Just before, park in Warang in the garden of the Mango Trees hotel run by a Frenchwoman. This stop is free because we took a good evening meal at the restaurant. The morning, shower, WC and wash hand basin provided.

Road towards the south, Mbodiène, Ngazobel and Joal Fadiot. Visit the island of Fadiouth (Fadiot) connected to the mainland by an 800m wooden bridge; pleasant visit but nothing exceptional. Then to Sambadia and the earth road for Palmarin; free parking at the Eden tourist lodging house kept by very pleasant French people, with WC and shower room at our disposal; ideal place to rest.

We set out again towards the north by a coastal road: Saly Portudal, very touristy village without interest, then Ngapaou, Somone, Nguekokh and Poponguine (small village on edge of sea) where we will stop opposite the beach and beside the Echocotier hotel where there's no restaurant. Earth road towards Sendia and tarred to Bargny, Rufisque for Dakar. Little of interest to the tourist, no signs showing the manes of the villages. The Senegalese police officers are very unwelcoming to foreign drivers and operate rackets. At the Dakar customs on Independence Square, I extend my van's permit to travel then get a visa at the Mauritanian embassy (2 hours, 19000 FCFA per person).

Dakar has become a very large city which I do not recognize from my first visit 35 years ago. In a taxi we visit the city, the corniche, some pretty, tree-lined streets and various localities for 2500 Fcfa. Many street hawkers in the town centre as well as beautiful buildings - the presidential palace, national assembly, and enormous banks. Difficult and very slow traffic in the city and the suburbs. Road towards Saint-Louis de Senegal via Thies, Tivaouane and Mboro-on-Sea which has a large and pretty beach. In Saint-Louis, a police officer obliges us to take an insurance for the vehicle (15100 Fcfa for one month, the same price for 4 days!) even though mine is worldwide.

For the night, we go on the Langue de Barbare at the Oasis hotel. Free parking on the car park and they let us use the shower and WC in a free bungalow; good dinner in this hotel. Saint-Louis, a guided tour in a barouche for 2 hours (10000 Fcfa for two); very pleasant walk and visit, including the fishing port with fish mountains on the beach waiting to be loaded into the refrigerated lorries. The population is varied, majority women. Many old buildings in Saint-Louis which seemed to me a pleasant city and calm. We were stopped several times by the police officers who tried to find something wrong about us.

After Saint-Louis de Senegal, tracks to Diana dam, very corrugated for 29kms to Birette, border of Senegal with Mauritania. At the exit of the country, customs have to be paid (2500 Fcfa) and the Senegalese police officer requires €10. It's a bung.

Mauritania And The Return Home.

On the other side of the bridge is the Mauritanian border; pass for the vehicle 7500 Fcfa, 2500 per person to the police for "additional work", office of the commune 1500 Fcfa or 500 UM (a tax), insurance for the vehicle 12 500 Fcfa for 10 days.

100kms of the border is Rosso but we do not stop there. This locality is famous for the harassing of travellers. Asphalt road to Nouakchott generally good except for 30kms. Sand dunes ochre, shaped and worked by the wind, it's beautiful. Many villages but no cultural features. Along the road, police posts and gendarmerie are frequent but we are seldom stopped. New lock repair of the caravan door at Nouakchott.

Depart with the Bamba guide [guide called Bamba?] for the Moroccan border (guide €100 instead of the going rate of 200). Excellent guide who knows the tracks perfectly and will often drive Jacques' motorhome during the difficult passages. We travel along the beach for 180kms which causes some of our three vehicles to get stuck, but we release them quickly each time thanks to our sand tracks and my winch. Birds by the thousand along the Atlantic. Then difficult and not-so-difficult tracks on the plateau.

The last 100kms are done without 4 X 4 but the tyres were deflated to 50%. The guide leaves us at the Mauritanian border: he is unable to travel further. No man's land for 15kms before the border with Morocco; OK track. Formalities take 45 minutes with very pleasant customs and police officers. We re-inflate the tyres a few kms after having returned to an asphalt road.

The adventure is finished, or almost. Near Ceuta, my vehicle windscreen will be broken and some accessories will disappear. A disadvantage of a van without access to the cab: by the time you get there, the robbers have disappeared!

Michel Barbaudy.

Gas And Stop-Overs In Canada And The USA.

In Canada, it's not a problem filling with gas, as long as it's propane. You simply need an appropriate adapter to attached to the neck of your French bottle (which must be no more than 10 years old).

In the USA, some states allow you to fill up in this way, others refuse, even if the container is new. Ours were only 1 year old. American bottles have a safety valve: French ones do not. Increasingly, 13kg bottles like ours also have a pressure gauge. This is what happened when we were in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida.

At Gettysburg (Pennsylvania), the propane supplier refused to fill up our French bottle (no safety valve). After a lot of debate and insistence that, at this time of year (it's snowing and cold), gas is vital to us, he agrees to help out, but unofficially. He fills the bottle halfway and refuses payment. No records, no bills, not even a back-hander. he never supplied us with gas!

In Louisiana, quite the opposite. One day I handed over a new French bottle plus adapter and a US bottle. Both were filled, with no questions asked.

. With an American bottle, you also need to take with you a special connector (obtainable from Narbonne Accessoires) to connect to your French appliances. In the USA, this would be the wisest option especially if you intend to stay for a long time and during the cold. Also your gas locker must be the correct size to enable the USA bottles to fit. They are marginally bulkier than the French ones. Otherwise, you could opt for buying a smaller bottle.

Useful information: on arrival in the USA or Canada, pay a visit to the CAA or AAA office. These clubs are twinned with the French ACF. They will supply you with all necessary information if you encounter difficulties on the road, and with a contact telephone number. It works, as I found when I tested it in Ontario.

Basic needs: filling with fresh water, and dumping waste water and toilets. As you travel round, you'll see Flying J service stations. They will let you fill/dump without charge, and moreover there are stopping areas specially reserved for motorcaravans. They also supply fuel and gas at competitive rates.

Retail parks such as Wal-Mart and Publix will also let you stay overnight in complete safety. Maps showing sites, facilities, addresses and phone numbers are available in shopping malls and fuel stations.

Among the photos we sent you, you'll find one in which our van is surrounded by an RV and a caravan/pick-up outfit. We are parked at a Flying J.

Charles Brisson.

Being A Patient Abroad.

Just in case the worst happens.

In Europe, you get the famous form E111. But be careful! The social security people in my district think that Britain is not in Europe!

But Les Brook says it is, and that the 111 is valid! For more information, get the leaflet Vous partez au… from your local SS office. There are also leaflets for Turkey, Sweden, Portugal, etc.

In all cases, keep the invoices for visits, care, drugs, etc carefully and make photocopies. Be prepared to face some problems. The payment people who reimburse these claims are not the usual ones. They are located in Créteil. You'll only get back the remaining expenditure after the money you can claim from the SS and your insurance. It can take a long time. Note that you will not be reimbursed for the purchase of drugs abroad when these have been prescribed before your departure. Everything you need should be taken with you.

In our case, it was possible to take tablets and others medicines for three months and even more, after we asked.

Excessive Wear And Tear On Tyres.

I found the article by Josian Olivier (B112) on tyre wear very interesting. It is very topical because a significant percentage of vanners continue to be supplied with new vehicles whose wheels have not been correctly set by the manufacturer.

Abnormal wear arises after 10 to 12000 km, and it is then too late to claim. Not wanting to undergo this kind of trouble, I required, at the time of the purchase of the vehicle and on signature of the purchase order that when the vehicle was delivered, I would take it myself to a specialist company to have the wheels checked. This requirement was accepted, and the dealer paid because the adjustment was not correct. Today, with 45000 km on the clock, everything is fine I think that this information may help others.

Denis Lahaye

North America Via Siberia.

At Vézac (Cantal), the travellers interested in the North America expedition (via Siberia!) met, with some optimism, for the third time to refine their plans.

They arrived along with a little snow on the afternoon of February 28, and the crews were cordially received on the car park of the commune by Francoise and Paul Boby. At 18.30 all were invited to the town hall and received by Mr. Alain Veroui, the mayor, Mrs. Maguy Monserat, the deputy mayor, Mr. Gilbert Daude, town councillor, and enjoyed aperitifs provided by our hosts.

There was a welcome from the mayor who spoke of the many and various activities of the commune, and opportunities for tourism in the Aurillac area which will host the 7th European Motorcaravan Festival (see Bulletin 113). An all-year parking area equipped to receive motorhomes will soon be open. Lastly, the participants were cordially invited to return to Vézac and received a well-presented municipal information bulletin.

Sunday 09.00. Outside temperature 11°. In a room close to the town hall, provided free by the mayor, 22 expedition members representing 12 vans were present to plan the trip. 8 members are absent but have registered their continued interest in the trip.

Subjects suggested for discussion:

  1. make-up of the interdependent groups
  2. decision on the optimum date for entry into Russia
  3. routes of the interdependent groups and the common element of the route
  4. visas needed, including a 90 day transit visa for Kazakhstan
  5. before leaving France, prices to be negotiated with the travel agency for Russia and with the ferry company or companies for
    1. secure parking for all the groups at sites to be visited.
    2. French-speaking interpreters for the Russian guides, to be arranged with our contacts in Paris for Rafale Air (Moscow) and Grand Nord Grand Large (Magadan).
    3. the transfer between Tchita and Scovorodino of crews with motorcaravans using the Trans-Siberian railway.
    4. all the motor homes for the sea crossing to North America.

These subjects were tabled and discussion almost completed before the meal at midday: traditional local soup followed by an excellent, hearty Auvergne stew.

As at previous meetings, decisions were made in the afternoon:

Formation of interdependent groups:

  • A at Lake Baïkal, return via the Golden Ring and Saint-Petersburg (4 motorhomes).
  • B from Lake Baïkal to Japan via Vladivostok: route abandoned: Japan too expensive!
  • C from Lake Baïkal to North America via Magadan (8 motor homes).
  • D from Lake Baïkal, return via Mongolia, Kazakstan, Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran (3 motor homes)

At the start, groups A, C and D will meet up on Sunday May 2 in the evening at the border post between Belarus and Russia where a night stop is planned. All the crews will cross the border on May 3 in the morning with a 90 day double entry visa (€260) and will be in Moscow in the evening on the guarded car park of airports 1 and 2, Novotel Shérémétieva (price $11 per 24h) in order to profit from the prices (to be negotiated) for excursions and visits by coach with a French-speaking guide provided by Rafale Air.

The routes and visits that have been agreed will appear in the next bulletin.

René Notteau.

Clouds In The Land Of Quiet Sheep!

As you will have read in Bulletin 112, Michel is changing drivers.

At 10.00, Robert Vangrevenlighe [new travelling companion] gets off the plane just in time to meet Daniel [old travelling companion, forced to leave because of a family accident] who is boarding at 14.00. At 15.00, we set off and leave Auckland, travelling to the south and Wellington. I want to arrive as early as possible for the ferry to South Island. Robert has to be back in France on 2 March so there's not much time. The road is good and my new team-mate drives fairly fast on the SH3 amidst very rolling scenery. Night at Taumarundi, fine weather.

Monday. SH4 for Wellington, a few scary moments caused by Robert's driving: it's a bit too sporty for my liking! OK, we're in a hurry, but it's not that desperate! Short visit to Wauganui. Pretty town, lots of flowers, old buildings.

16.50. We're now ready to embark. Sailing is at 17.30 and there is a place for us. Few passengers, the sea is calm and we can see the islands. The voyage to Picton is fabulous. Hard to find a spot to spend the night.

Tuesday 27 January. Road number 6, disappointing visit to the Le Brun vineyard. Decent but expensive wines (>€11), tall and well-kept vines. The weather is poor and, abandoning the north, I prefer to go towards the east. Now the road runs alongside the sea. Masses of seals at Ohan Point, and the cooked crayfish €18/800g will be excellent for dinner tonight. Black sand and rocks on the beaches. On the Pacific shore, Kaikoura, a small town with expensive food.

It's stopped raining. Back towards the west coast via the 70. Pasture, pine forests, sheep, cows. Rotherham, SH7, mountains, a pretty little thermal spa called Hammer Springs. We go alongside the river Waiau and climb the Lewis Pass (900m). Reefton, Waiinta, ghost town, former gold-mine, abandoned and in ruins.

Rain all day on the 29th. Greymouth, a few well-preserved old buildings. Shantytown, a restored mining town (NZ$ 10.40), quite interesting, and Hokitika. this Japanese-sounding town doesn't appeal to us!. We make contact with the parapet of a narrow bridge. Left front wheel punctured, wheel rim twisted, paintwork damaged, rear-view mirror broken. It is now 18.00, too late for a garage. So we visit the town whose speciality is greenstone (jade). The rain falls continuously.

Next day we get a free new mirror as I have comprehensive insurance. I telephone the rental company, Kea, who tell me I can get another van in Christchurch. Road 6, Roos, mining town which is, in a word, a dump. Rain started again at 14.00and never stopped. Franz Joseph, setting off for point for a 5kms drive and 10 minutes walk to glimpse the very disappointing glacier. The snow on the ice is black.

25kms further, another glacier, the Fox. To approach it, you drive along a pleasant road edged with tropical vegetation and tall trees. Park up, 5 minutes walk, and it's just as disappointing as the previous one! Night in a clearing, a few kms away. Rain.

Sunday 1 February. Rain! I adjust my plans again. It would seem that the east coast is less rainy. Winding roads, tropical vegetation, huge bracken, pasture. Arthur's Pass (924m). Beautiful countryside in spite of the rain and mist. Lots of herds of sheep.

At Christchurch, change the van. Night at the Top 10 Meadow Holiday Park for NZ$27. Visit the town. It's back-to-school time: the pupils uniformed (blazers, striped shorts, white shirts and ties, tartan kilts for the girls) walk up and down the streets. Town centre (Cathedral Square), ancient trams and the oldest of the country's universities with its Victorian buildings.

Tuesday 3rd, Summit Road, fantastic view of the port of Lyttleton, the fjord and the bay. At last, good weather! Banks Peninsular cliff road, steep and narrow, wonderful viewpoints, many little tourist spots. We reach the Pacific again and Akaroa, a pleasant little town which was French from 1838-48. The streets still have French names and French flags still fly on some buildings.

After a boat trip, meeting dolphins, with the sun shining but a cold wind, we set off for the Canterbury Plain. To protect the sheep from the dreadful wind, 5-6m high hedges dance in the fields. Stop at Timaru: St Mary's, a pretty Anglican church dating from 1909.

Towards Mt Cook via Burke's Pass and Lake Tekapo. Turquoise water, a panorama, and snow-topped peaks. Night in a village (762m); lots of Japanese tourists.

The 6th. Lovely weather for a flight over the highest summit (3754m) and a landing on the Tasman glacier. Take off again: fly over the glaciers we saw on previous days, much nicer from above!. The Liebig Range: such a lovely sight makes you forget the cost.

Back on the road. Tarras, arid countryside, Cromwell, old schist buildings, a night at Alexandra.

Saturday 7th. A region of valleys, lots of deer, an important gold mine at Macraes Flat - but not much to see.

The coast road takes us to many sandy beaches and very beautiful fjords. Disappointing Scottish-style Castle of Lamach, yellow-eyed penguins at Penguins Place. The Otago Peninsular is beautiful.

The 9th, Dunedin. Lovely old buildings, including the station, university and cathedral. Kaka and Nugget Points are famous for penguins, but we didn't see a single one!

Better luck with the sea-lions that can be found on the beach at Cannibal Bay. Now we cross the Caitlins, a very lovely region, beaches, lots of sheep.

A short look at Bluff said to be NZ's oldest town, Invercargill and a night on the Southern Riviera at Riverton.

The Riviera? It's still Summer but the nights get very cold and on the beaches the strong winds don't help matters.

13th. At Manapouri, we embark for doubtful Sound. Wonderful fjords, 7 hours of fabulous scenery in spite of dull weather.

14th. Continue in the rain to Milford Sound, another fjord on the Tasman Sea. When the clouds break, about 15 minutes before the end of the cruise, we have lovely views of the snow-capped mountains.

For our Sunday, Mossman, deer capital. Lots of herds. Queenstown, a pretty little tourist village, lots of shops, on the banks of lake Wakatipu which shines brightly in its casket of mountains.

For the night, we go 48kms further north to Glenorchy, a quiet little village at the foot of the mountains.

We turn back today, the 16th, towards Queenstown where it is cold and very overcast.

Michel Barbaudy.

The latest news is that Daniel, who was supposed to take up the torch - and the steering wheel - after Robert left, cannot. So Michel must decide to switch the motorcaravan for a lighter vehicle and come back sooner than planned.

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