Possession of a Bermudian passport stopped Islander Geoffrey Redmond from completing an epic journey across two continents.

Mr. Redmond and travelling companion Darryl South set off on Boxing Day in a 1964 Ford Consul Deluxe determined to complete the Plymouth-Dakar rally - a fun event for drivers of ‘bangers' worth less than $160.

With Europe conquered, things were looking up for the adventurers, but it was all to halt at the border with Morocco.

“I didn't think we would have any action but we got some,” said a disappointed Mr. Redmond.

“It was no entry allowed for Bermudians without a British passport - not what we were told by the race organiser and the Consul four months before.

“The arguing and persistence for 26 hours did not help, we tried every language except Russian but without success.

“The visa we needed would take two weeks so we had to abandon the rally with sad faces.”

But Team Bermuda, which is hoping to raise money for local charity PALS following the death of Mr. Redmond's uncle Richard Harris from cancer, continued on after Bermudian Neil Jones, coincidentally travelling through Africa at the top, took over in the hot seat. Work had begun on the car on December 19, with the team putting in 15 hours a day of work on the vehicle to get it roadworthy for the trip. An exploding gear box on Christmas Eve didn't help matters, but a little charity from one of the UK-based sponsors ensured that the vehicle was roadworthy enough to take the ferry across to France and begin the journey.

“We knew it was going to be a lot of work but the reality was a little more than we thought,” continued Mr. Redmond, now back in Bermuda. “However, despite the hundred and one things that happened or went wrong we left on time.”

Nineteen hours of driving saw them reach Bilboa in northern Spain for some sleep before another eight hours to get to Madrid. And all this was achieved after the brakes failed in France, which meant 600 miles - including night-time navigation through the Pyrenees - with just an intermittent handbrake. On day four came the crossing to Morocco on a ferry before the problems at border control began. Mr. Redmond then had to return via Algeria and Spain leaving the rest of Team Bermuda to continue on through Mauritania to the final destination, Dakar.

When the journey is over, Mr. Redmond and Mr. South are to hold a slideshow at BUEI to raise further funds for PALS.