A man who said he’d ‘lost his purpose in life’ has set about finding it again – with the help of an epic road trip from his home town of Wigan in north-west England… to Australia.
His mode of transport? An 18-tonne MAN truck bought for £19,000 ($23,844) that is now a home on wheels following a three-month £20,000 ($25,103) renovation.
Bobby Bolton, 31, set off on the 10,000-mile journey in October, with just his seven-year-old fox red Labrador – Red – for company. But two quickly became four.
Bobby – who’s been documenting his trip on his Instagram profile (@one.life.truck.it) – found love in the South of France just two weeks into his journey, with his new partner joining him on the trip with her dog.
Marie Deleval, 28, a ‘gorgeous-looking’ French girl, dropped everything to join Bobby with her hound, Rubia. It was no doubt a welcome turnaround in fortune for Bobby, whose trip was partly prompted by the breakdown of his 11-year relationship with his ex-fiancée and a need to ‘wipe the slate clean’.
Bobby Bolton, 31, set off on a 10,000-mile drive from Wigan to Australia in a converted truck. He’s been documenting the journey on his Instagram account, @one.life.truck.it
Bobby began the journey after splitting with his ex-fiancée. He hit the jackpot just weeks into the trip after meeting a ‘gorgeous French girl’, Marie, who joined him. He’s shown above in the Macin Mountains, Romania
Before setting off, Bobby (left) sold almost all his belongings and handed his company, RNB Construction, to his business partner. He spent £20,000 converting a MAN truck into a home on wheels
Bobby wanted to ‘wipe the slate clean’
The pair met on a hilltop overlooking the bay of St Tropez at sunset. Inspired by the romantic location, Bobby said: ‘I plucked up the courage to ask her if she spoke English, but a few awkward sentences later she departed back home, and I thought that was the end of that.
‘Luckily, she took the Instagram tag off the back of my truck and sent me a message later on.’
Bobby managed to talk his way into a beach date the next day. A few weeks later, she joined him for a weekend in the Gorge Du Verdon and, ‘the rest is history’.
Marie was just about to buy a flat and ‘settle down’ when they met. But, Bobby said, ‘the temptation to see the world was just too much to resist’.
They’re currently exploring Albania and have ticked off 14 countries, with a plan to drive through 30 in total. But Bobby said the list is growing.
Bobby and Marie met on a hilltop overlooking the bay of St Tropez. Marie is pictured in Durmitor National Park, Montenegro
Marie was just about to ‘settle down’ and buy a flat before she joined Bobby. They’ve now ticked off 14 countries and plan to travel to 30 overall. She’s pictured (left) at Vadu Beach, Romania
Marie brought her dog Rubia along on their travels. Rubia and Red are pictured prancing through the snowy forests in Trnovo, Bosnia
He explained: ‘The original plan was to drive direct, but it’s more of an adventure while I take the chance to explore each country.’
How long until he gets there? Bobby said: ‘As long as it takes.
‘There is no timeframe really, and I will probably only do this once, so why rush?’
Before setting off, Bobby sold almost all his belongings and handed his company, RNB Construction, to his business partner.
The above images show Bobby’s 18-tonne truck at Vadu Beach, Eastern Romania (first image), in the French Alps near the Italian border (second) and in Theth, Albania (third and fourth)
And it was well worth it, it would seem.
Some of his standout experiences include paddle-boarding the Ardèche River in France, hiking Montenegro’s rugged mountains and admiring the ‘jaw-dropping’ scenery of Triglav National Park in Slovenia.
But it hasn’t all been an easy ride. Bobby said he’s experienced a difficult winter after leaving the UK slightly later than anticipated. From broken boilers and cold nights to frozen fingers and dog paws, Bobby said: ‘We’ve had to endure whatever winter has thrown at us.’
He added: ‘There are challenges, yes, and there is never any time to rest and you are constantly moving, but in doing so, there is a lot of beauty.
Bobby sold almost all his belongings and handed over his business before setting off. The above image shows his van in Albania at dusk
Bobby told MailOnline Travel that the journey will take ‘as long as it takes’. He’s shown above in the Macin Mountains in Romania
‘Every morning is a new view, every day we meet new people, and every month is a new country or two.’
Although Bobby – who’s funding the trip through a mixture of savings and earnings through partnerships and social media brand-ambassador agreements – still has a while to go before reaching the land Down Under, his journey continues.
What will he do when he gets there? ‘Who knows,’ he said. ‘And how exciting.’
To follow Bobby’s journey head to www.instagram.com/one.life.truck.it/ or TikTok account www.tiktok.com/@onelifetruckit.
‘Every morning is a new view,’ Bobby said. He’s pictured above in the Macin Mountains
