For Love and a Beetle: A Tale of Two Journeys

For Love and a Beetle: A Tale of Two Journeys by McGovern, Petronella. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781864365580.

A tale of two journeys, a loving marriage and an adventurous couple expanding their horizons - this is the story of "For Love and a Beetle". In 1961, after a two year honeymoon in England, Ivan and Beth Hodge decided to return home. They brought a brand-new Volkswagen Beetle for 439 British pounds and, with their possessions on the roofracks, set off into the unknown. They travelled through Europe into the Asian subcontinent, finally catching a cargo boat from Calcutta to their home in Auckland, New Zealand. Thirty five years later, Ivan and Beth, now in their sixties, decided to relive the memories and retrace the path of their original journey. They shipped their trusty old Beetle back to London and in 1996, set out once again. Ivan and Beth have recorded their impressions of these two journeys - the changes in cultures; the impact of tourism and technology; the decay of communism; the unchanging hostilities in the Balkans and Kashmir; and the constant friendliness of the people. Through it all, the Beetle overcame the harsh desert, wild weather and chaotic roads to deliver the Hodges safely to their destination. Today, Ivan and Beth lie in Sydney, their adventurous spirit undimmed. Their latest trip was to Perth, across the inhospitable Nullarbor Plain, and many more journeys are planned, journeys for love and a Beetle!