Laura Morrison drove from Aberdeen, Scotland to Cape Town, South Africa in memory of Neil Morrison, her late father who lost his life to cancer two years ago, and in a bid to raise funds for cancer research. The trip had long been a dream of her father’s, and so Laura opted to do it in his place, choosing Neil’s bright blue 1958 Morris Minor named ‘Charlie’ as her noble steed to see her through the journey.
Laura’s epic journey began in June 2018 in Aberdeen, the birthplace of her dad, from there she travelled across Europe, visiting England, France and Spain – from here, Charlie the car was shipped to Egypt.
Laura and Charlie then continued driving from Egypt, where Laura met a $20,000 mark of donations for cancer research – just $10,000 shy of her $30,000 target. A friend of Laura’s, Iain, joined her at this point in the trip, and together with Charlie the three of them crossed over the Nile river and set off for Sudan.
The trip saw lots of bumps along the way, from getting stuck in mud to getting stuck in sand. However, the trio’s zealousness never ceased. Laura’s experience of the people she encountered in the various African countries she passed through were both inspiring and heartwarming.
After the three arrived in Sudan, Iain flew back to London and Laura was joined by another friend, Fin, for her Ethiopian leg of the trip. Here again, various hiccups in the form of multiple breakdowns occurred along the road.
The travelers journeyed from Ethiopia to Kenya, where the three visited Lake Nakuru National Park, the Maasai Mara National Park and Diani Beach near Mombasa, where Laura got a chance to swim in the warm aquamarine waters. After Kenya came Tanzania, and the team had a look around attractions such as Zanzibar and Mikumi National Park. They then moved into Malawi, Zambia (where Laura was born) and on to Zimbabwe, the 13th country in the trip.
Next came Botswana, where they checked out Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta. Laura then travelled to Namibia for the last leg of the trip, which she completed on her own – not counting trusty old Charlie.
Laura had raised $28,294 by this time, and with $1,706 and a day-and-a-half to go until her trip was over, her and Charlie charged towards the finish line. When the two arrived in Cape Town, Laura was greeted by friends and enjoyed a cold draught at a beach-side restaurant. In total, Laura raised $32,000 in order to help cancer research.
If you would possibly like to donate to Laura’s cause, you can do so here. For more about her brave and extraordinary journey, visit Laura’s Instagram page, Facebook page, or website.
Image source: Instagram/ Morri 2 Africa
