Banger 2 Banjul
One old car & two old buddies on a 5,800km adventure
The Plan - The Journey
On 7th January 2025 we departed Dublin in a nineteen-year-old, bruised but capable Nissan Note as part of the 2025 Dakar Challenge, the original banger rally that’s not a rally that passes Dakar and finishes in Banjul, The Gambia!
Our self-supported three week, 5,800 kilometres journey traversed Ireland, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia.
Disaster struck in Nouakchott, Mauritania with a robbery at knifepoint which left one member stranded.
On completion the car and contents were donated to charity.
A once in a lifetime opportunity experiencing a multitude of nationalities, cultures, cuisines, religions and ethnicities.
Blog now online
A full transcript of Kev’s Facebook blog is now here on the site. Just click on the main menu or go there from here
Team Three in the 2025 Dakar Challenge are long-time friends Kev & Mark. Having grown up less than half a mile apart but with a two-year age difference they have lead parallel but sometimes intersecting lives. Both attended the same schools and worked for the same employer in the UK and abroad, yet at different times and in different places. In recent years a series of reunions have brought them back in close contact. A weekend together at the very final Adventure Travel Film Festival in 2023 brought them to the beer assisted decision that driving from Dublin to The Gambia in a really cheap car would be a good idea!
Kev is a travel junkie. Retirement at a relatively young age has allowed him to indulge his passion. Overland from the UK to Vietnam, by motorcycle to Nordkapp in Norway and by truck as far south as Ushuaia at the tip of South America are just a few of his achievements. The Dakar Challenge takes him over the magic century of countries visited.
Mark is more of a mild addict. Notable adventures have included the classic West Coast road trip of the USA from San Francisco to Los Angeles then inland to Phoenix, Arizona to see Willie Nelson. Camel trekking the Wadi Rhum in Jordan and extended fasting & yoga retreats in Thailand. His real passion is old cars and taking freezing cold dips in the Irish Sea.
Gallery
Peek Into Our World
How you helped us help others
On 31st January 2025 our car and its contents were handed over to The Rotary Club of The Gambia to be auctioned off in support of local charities. This is our own personal contribution to help others less fortunate than ourselves. Many of our friends and supporters asked how they could help too. To this end we set up a Just Giving page in support of Wateraid. Your generous pledges raised £936 (Approx €1,090). Every donation helped bring us one step closer to a world where everyone has access to their basic human rights of clean water and decent toilets. We thank you all for your generosity.
Contact us
We love to hear from other travellers. If you’re considering entering the challenge in the future and need some advice please ask.
Just want to touch base? complete the form below and we will get back to you.
We would like to thank the following businesses and individuals
M.G.Anderson Insurance & McCabes Oil for their sponsorship. Francis Rhatigan for providing storage and workshop facilities and Simon Echlin for his invaluable help in preparing the vehicle. We sincerely appreciate your generosity.