Former Army officer James Townsend-Rose and his wife Polyanna have set off from their Pewsey Vale home on a 30,000-mile adventure through 25 countries.
Their choice of transport is an ageing, secondhand Land Rover and their aim is to raise money for three charities – one of them relating to Mr Townsend-Rose’s late father Charles who was a Devizes GP.
Dr Townsend-Rose died ten years ago at the age of 46 from prostate cancer and the three charities his son and daughter-in-law are raising sponsorship for are Hope and Homes for Children, Help for Heroes and the Prostate Cancer Charity.
Both Hope and Homes and Help for Heroes were started in Wiltshire by ex-service personnel and Mr Townsend-Rose, 28, served in both Iraq and Afghanistan with the Light Dragoons, attaining the rank of captain, before retiring to take up a business career.
Mrs Townsend-Rose, 28, a former Marlborough College student, is taking a break from her career in public relations, which involved her working in Malaysia and Mongolia.
They have bought an N registered Land Rover for their mammoth drive and have had it fitted with a new engine and gearbox and adapted for a safari journey across some of the world’s toughest roads with an extra fuel tank, winches and a roof tent in which they plan to sleep.
The couple left their home at Easton Royal, where they have been staying with Mr Townsend-Rose’s mother, on Sunday, to head for London where friends were laying on a farewell party. Then they set off on their journey through Europe and the Middle East before finally arriving in South Africa in November.
“The idea of making this journey has been three years in the making and planning,” said Mr Townsend-Rose, who is planning to study for an MBA at Cape Town University when they end their journey.
He did his officer training at Sandhurst – colloquially known as Sandbags – and this is reflected in the name the couple have given their adventure, the Sandbags to Sandunes Expedition.
En route they will be visiting the Hope and Homes orphanage in Rwanda and taking a few diversions including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
They have already raised about £15,000 in sponsorship and would welcome more to their website: sandbagstosanddunes.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here