GoannaTracks South to Morocco

UK, France, Andorra, Spain, Ceuta (the Spanish enclave in Nth Africa).


Tuesday 26th –Thursday 28th February 2008: We arrived in London after a long 36 hours of travelling, and then jumped on a 3 hour train trip to Devon where our truck is stored. It is now 8.30 in the evening and was kindly met by Simon Buck of Devon 4x4. Simon had been storing our vehicle since our arrival from our Russian expedition in October 07.

Our plan is to head south to Morocco for 4 weeks of touring. Morocco was chosen for two reasons, firstly, we like the idea of the vast open spaces and the proximity to the great Sahara Desert, and secondly we plan to compete in the Morocco Outback Challenge in out competition vehicle in 2009, so this gives us the opportunity to check out the region. Besides, a road tour of the museums and churches of Europe does not appeal.

It only took 5 hours to prep the vehicle before we said our goodbyes to Devon and headed out to Poole for our overnight passage to Cherbourg in France. Our only negative was that a lot of items stored in the vehicle had gone mouldy with the wet English weather. In Poole we found a laundromat, or as they call it locally a laundrette and that rectified most of the mould.

Once in France I was surprised how quickly I fell into the system of driving on the wrong side of the road. One of our first needs was to restock our larder for our travels so it w
as into a French supermarket. French wine, real Champagne, pâté, and cheeses were not on the list but I could not resist.

South of Rennes we exited the freeway and visited the small coastal sea port of Granville and then the UNESCO World Heritage site of Le Mont St-Michel. This is a magnificent old abbey set on an island rock just off the coast.

We had originally planned to travel further south, but jet lag and lack of sleep was catching up. We headed to what we thought looked like a quiet coastal town of St Nazaire but it turned out to be a large industrial port. In such a large town it was difficult to find a quiet isolated spot to set camp and all the ‘camping’ grounds we saw were closed because it was no longer summer. Finally we found a camp ground open. The young lady could only speak French and wrote down the price on the booking form. Euro42 seemed extremely expensive, but with 10 hours sleep in he last 3 days, I had just enough left in me to ask ‘why so expensive?” By this time the owners wife had arrived and said “Why do you think the price of 12 Euro it is expensive?” Then I had to explain and apologise to the young lady because I had misread her European writing of 12 as 42. That night we slept for 10hours!

Camp 1 – Wrong Price Camp, St Nazaire. Distance Travelled: 664Kms

Friday 29th February: We have been driving past towns with household names. In the UK it was Axminster (carpets), and then in France, it was Chateaubriand (steak), Bordeaux, Cognac, and Cadillac. Our destination was Toulouse where we had pre-booked a tour of the Airbus A380 assembly plant. We turned of the autobahn about 20kms from Toulouse to find a camp site and a restaurant. Lyn had had enough of highway food and wanted anything but pizza. As luck would have it, the only place we found was a pizza restaurant.

Camp was in the middle of the provincial town Grenade at a designated site for motor homes. Very noisy but OK.

Camp 2 – Grenade Town Camp. Distance Travelled: 649Kms. Total: 1313Kms

Saturday 1st March: Our morning walk around town rewarded us with market day. We had to indulge in more pâté, fresh salad items, and a typical French breakfast of coffee and croissants.

The Airbus tour was great. From manufacturing plants all over Europe the final assembly is done here in Toulouse. For a mere Euro 220 to 275 Million you too can have one. Just keep in mind that if you want more than one, they will offer a discount for quantity!! To date 189 have been sold, including to Qantas, 50 to Emirates, and one privately.

After getting lost exiting Toulouse we are now camped halfway up the Pyrenees Mountains separating France from Spain. A very idilic commercial camp set in the valley of steep mountains. We can see snow in the distance!

Camp 3 – Pyrenees Mountain Camp. Distance Travelled: 156Kms. Total: 1469Kms

Sunday 2nd March: It was a lazy start to today, about midday before we got on the road, but it was Sunday so that was OK….and it was a cold 6’C. There actually was another reason. The Pyrenees Mountains are dotted with caves that show signs of pre-ice age habitation, and we have pre-arranged a 2.30pm tour of one of the largest. The Grotto de Niaux was a ceremonial cave, and 1200metres into the cave was a large cavity, there on the walls were etchings of Bison, Ibex, and horses done in black charcoal. These etchings were 15,000 years old! This is real history.

The afternoons drive was up an impressive snaking road to 2,500metres and the country of Andorra. The snow cover increased as we drove. Finally as we crossed the border and into the town of Pas de La Casa, the snow fields surrounded the town, with ski lifts and slopes everywhere. Andorra is a duty free country and the streets are busy with traffic and shoppers. For us the greatest benefit was that fuel was 30% cheaper than France.

Dinner was at a sidewalk café with perhaps too much sangria, and our camp was amongst perhaps 50 other European motor homes in the Pas de La Casa car park.

Camp 4: Pas de La Casa Car Park Camp.
Distance Travelled:75Kms Total: 1544Kms


Monday 3rdMarch:C Leaving camp we took the more indirect route to the capital of Andorra de Vella. Winding up and down the steep mountains, often the road twisted above and below us as it twisted down near vertical slopes. The snow was up to half a metre deep on the side of the road. Soon we crossed the border into Spain. Customs only giving a quick look into the camper and asking about the quantity of cigarettes and liqueur.

As we wound our way down from the Pyrenees the country dried out. Olive trees and what we think are peach trees dominate the fields beside the road. We decided to free camp tonight, but in a country that has been populated for thousands of years there is not an inch of free ground. Every side road leads to a house; off the main freeways olive trees are right to the road verge. By 7.30pm we are looking for ever smaller roads, and take the exit to the town of Xatia. Within that town we get lost and finish up driving up increasingly narrower streets, until finally we clip the door awning of one house with the side mirror of the truck. This excites a very old man who rattles lots and lots in Spanish. We frequent the ‘sorry’ word as we back off is house trying not to run over his motorbike. We are at this time really craving for the open spaces of Australia, I would even settle for the treeless plains of Mongolia, or the steppes of Russia. I am so pleased the vehicle is only 2metres wide as we finally exit the tight streets.

Finally we are out of town and at 8.30pm find a side road to set camp, but only before we disturb a couple practicing the Karma sutra in the front seat of a small compact.

Dinner was an extra strong rum for me and a vodka for Lyn, followed by some French cheese on bread.

Camp No 5: Lovers Lane Camp. Distance Travelled: 608Kms Total: 2152Kms

Tuesday 4th March: Today we follow the E15 or AP7 down the coast through the provinces of Valencia, Andalusia, and Malaga. The country is generally dry and stony, with vast sedimentary layered deposits making up all the topography. In the north endless fields of oranges, and as we head south the agriculture is under thousands of acres of plastic. In these green houses tomatoes are the main crop, and there must be millions of tones grown in this region.

Dotted along the coast are some beautiful typical Spanish houses, and in the built up areas huge complexes of tourist condominiums. I fail to comprehend the ‘investment’ in such mega structures. The air is constant smog, and the horizon indistinguishable from the sky to the sea. There are no quiet spots along this Mediterranean Coast.

South of Malaga, is a continuous line of hotels, apartments and condominiums. We manage to find by good luck and not by good management a camping ground on the main road. Although busy it is welcome, and with a long shower, and a bottle of that French Champagne all is good. For tomorrow we board the ship for Africa!

Camp No 6: Mediterranean Seaside Camp.
Distance Travelled: 625Kms Total: 2778Kms


Wednesday 5th March: Today the prices of the condominiums have risen, because we have blue sky, and I can see the horizon. The reason is because we now have a strong cold wind that has blown all that smog away.

We follow the Mediterranean Coast all the way south until we can see the Rock of Gibraltar. As we head south the condos, and the houses become grander. Strangely, purple is the colour of choice for the most expensive.

At the Spanish port of Algeciras, we find our way to the high speed ferry loading point. We are about an hour and a half too early and the locals are already profiteering from us by charging €11 for parking the vehicle in the line up. It is not really a ferry, more of a super large high speed catamaran that carried cars, trucks and 800 passengers. The crossing takes only 45 minutes and we are in the continent of Africa.

Arriving in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, we immediately set about to do 4 things. Purchase a Morocco map (impossible), find an internet Café (no can do), buy an ipod because it is a duty free port and ours is broken (very little selection available, so no go) and fill up with cheap diesel – Yes we achieved this. At €.90/Lt compared to Spain at €1.30 and France €1.50 (A$2.50). Fortunately our full tank from Andorra lasted the 1500Kms to here.

It took a little time to locate the border crossing to Morocco, and about one hour to complete the formalities. Our biggest problem is that we still do not have the 3rd party Green Card. I tried for weeks to get one in the UK on the internet. I also tried personal contacts in France, and the original Green Card supplier in Latvia. All unsuccessfully. We need one for Morocco, but the sales office at the border has closed down. An ‘official’ tourist guide helped us through the paper trail and cleared it with the border chief. He then accompanied us in the truck for some 35 minutes to the town of Tetouan to buy insurance. At the insurance office they explained they do not sell Green Card insurance. So not sure where to from here. The ‘guide’ said the papers we have are OK, but I am not so sure. Watch this space>>>

We are now camped in the car park in the centre of Tetouan. Walked through the medina, (the old markets of the town inside the walled city), spent 20minites saying NO, we do not want to buy carpets, and just had a great meal of soup, and meat & salads in a local very busy market shop.

We did however have another win…we purchased a Morocco road map

Camp No7: Tetouan Carpark Camp. Distance Travelled:150Kms Total: