Historic Journey: From South Africa to London via Karrier Gamecock

Thanks to Pieter Oosthuysen for the text and photos, and to Morgan S. Wright for transcription

The first stage of one of the longest bus rides in history ended in London with the arrival of 43 South Africans who traveled 13,500 miles from Johannesburg, South Africa, in two British-built diesel-engined Karrier buses (Karrier was part of Rootes Group, which became a part of Chrysler). They left Johannesburg on 6 January 1956, and arrived in London on 27 March 1956.

The South Africans set out on January 6th in two Karrier Gamecock buses, specially equipped for the ambitious journey by South African Rootes Group Dealers. The leaders of the expedition, which was organized in conjunction with the South African Government, chose bus travel as the cheapest way of giving their young members an intimate picture of the countries through which they would pass.

The route took them through the length of Africa and through Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Holland, Belgium, and France. Their diesel buses, which drove through rivers, mud, sand and snow, averaged 180 miles a day and went all the way without once needing water to be added to the radiator.

The trip, which was paid for by the travelers, was a “holiday – educational tour,” and a honeymoon for the party leader, Mr. Retief Oosthuysen, and his 20-year old wife. The couple were married just before the start of the journey. There were 23 other women in the party.

Said Mr. Oosthuysen: “A trip like this had never been attempted and before we set out we were warned that we should have to cross some of the toughest terrain in the world and drive thousands of miles away from the nearest garage. But we were amazed at the performance of these British buses throughout this very severe test.”

“On our way North through Rhodesia, the Congo, French Equatorial Africa, Nigeria and across the Sahara Desert to Morocco and Algeria, we traveled through all sorts of conditions – heat, cold, rain and dust. We were reported as missing on the Sahara crossing but there was really no difficulty at all.

“In the desert we just slept out on the sand. On occasions the sand was so deep that we became bogged down but we had sand mats with us and we all helped with the pushing – including the 23 women.

“For three days in the Sahara, we drove in second gear, for it was impossible to travel for more than five yards in top. Despite the intense heat, the temperature of the diesel engines never once went above normal and we never had to put a teaspoon measure of water in since we left Johannesburg.

“We had no real trouble at all, although each bus towed a 2-ton trailer.”

The driving of the buses, each of which was equipped with a 30 gallon fuel tank, a 30 gallon water tank, and 10-ply tyres with special treads, was shared.

After only a few days in Britain, the party set out on the long return journey. The second half of the trip, however, was expected to take only six weeks, for they took a more direct route home.