Share

Oz to Russia - epic 'mail' delivery

Earlier in July 2012 we reported that adventurer Rainer Zietlow and his team would take on an epic 23 000km cross-continent journey from Melbourne, Australia to St. Petersburg, Russia.

The journey was to mimic dispatch riders of yesteryear as Zietlow set off with a letter from the mayor of Melbourne to be delivered to his Russian counterpart.

Zietlow and his team completed the journey in August in a world record-setting time of 17 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Touareg.

'COULD'VE ARRIVED EARLIER'

Zietlow described his journey: "Exhausted, but happy. We did it! We have overcome almost 23 000km from Melbourne to St. Petersburg, and arrived at the Palace Square."
 
The customised Touareg was equipped with a roll cage and auxiliary tank and proved highly capable of handling the varying terrain changes faced by the team.

The unpredictable road and weather conditions in Indonesia cost the team more time than originally planned as they finally crossed the island state in five days. Despite this, the adventurer still set a new record.

"We did it in 17 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes, there's a new record! But it could've been faster and, if not for our delay, we could've arrived earlier," said Zietlow.

Click here to view images and videos of Zietlow's journey!

Watch the Indonesian leg of Zietlow's journey below:

 
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE