On 11 December 1934, Theresa Wallach and Florence Blenkiron left London for Cape Town on a 600cc Panther motorcycle with a Watsonian sidecar and small trailer. Both were accomplished motorcycle racers, but this challenge was a long journey through Africa rather than a lap of a circuit.
Their Sahara crossing began in late December and took about a month. Rough tracks brought punctures and a broken sidecar mounting bracket. Sand and dust also caused serious engine trouble, and waiting for replacement parts delayed the journey by several more weeks. The route continued through Nigeria and East Africa before the pair reached Cape Town on 29 July 1935.
The return did not follow their original plan. Illness led Wallach to travel home by sea, while Blenkiron headed north alone with another motorcycle and sidecar. Their ride shows that long-distance travel is about more than arriving: adapting, repairing a machine and making difficult decisions are part of the journey.