Small car, big journey
Gavin Green follows in his rally racing father's footsteps by driving a MINI from Sydney to PerthIt was in 1966 that rally driver and motoring scribe Evan Green penned the novel entitled Journeys with Gelignite Jack. The book chronicled his then groundbreaking sojourn through the heart of Australia in the classic Mini.
Today, almost half a century later, Evan's son, Gavin Green, is following in his old man's footsteps and has recently taken a new MINI Cooper around Australia.
As the saying goes, like father like son.
Gavin's journey was conducted in April and took him from Sydney to Perth via Alice Springs with the only modification to the 88kW Cooper was a sump guard.
The journey covered 6646 kilometres (4130 miles) in just 10 days, following 80 per cent of the route his father took, passing through towns such as Boulia, Bourke and Barcaldine and the Simpson, Great Sandy and Great Victoria deserts.
"I wanted to give a different perspective on MINI in its 50th anniversary year and my father's journey in 1966 has long been something I've wanted to pay homage to," said Gavin Green.
Remarkably, no punctures were recorded: "The MINI was running on standard 16-inch run-flat tyres and we didn’t once have to change them, despite it often having to cover a mix of rock, mud, sand and asphalt at high speed," explained Gavin Green.
"It was an emotional experience because crossing Australia in this way meant we had the opportunity to witness some awe-inspiring locations and people, all of which is captured in the stunning collection of images we now have from the journey," added Green.
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