26 March 2009

To Australia by horse and cart

BRISBANE - An environmentalist made a 12,000 mile journey by land and sea to be a bridesmaid at her best friend's wedding in Australia to avoid the carbon emissions caused by flying.

Using buses, trains, bicycles, boats, and a horse drawn cart, Barbara Haddrill carried her bridesmaid's dress in her rucksack across 18 countries.

The 30-year-old ecology worker lives in a 12ft caravan on a farm in the foothills of Snowdonia National Park in Wales.

Because of her commitment to the environment, Miss Haddrill decided she could not fly from London to Brisbane, a journey that would produce 5.6 tonnes, compared to 1.0 tonnes travelling by land and sea.

"I really wanted to be a bridesmaid for my friend but knew that I could not get to Australia by plane," she said. "It just went against all my principles.

"I found another way - the road less travelled - and it turned out to be the most incredible adventure I could have hoped for.Ã¢â¬~

Miss Haddrill set off on the seven-week journey from Victoria coach station in London, and travelled through Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, and into Russia.

From there she boarded the Trans-Siberian Express for a six-day journey into China, entertaining passengers with her accordian.

She travelled through South East Asia before taking a cargo ship from Singapore to Australia.

She said of the boat journey: "I was a bit wary. There was just me and 16 male sailors from Russia, the Ukraine and the Philippines.

She took 10 weeks to return to Britain, cycling the last leg from Paris to her home.

She wrote a blog during her journey, which she has had published as a book called Babs2Brisbane.

She said, "I made loads of friends on the way and had some fantastic experiences. It was a lot more fun than being jammed in a plane seat for hours upon end."

Read more about Babs and her book at http://www.babs2brisbane.com/

Source: UK Telegraph Online.