Overlanding

Travellers will be required to register online with US authorities at least three days 72 hours before leaving to visit America taking effect on the 12th January 2009.
The rules will apply to citizens from the 27 nations of the visa waiver scheme. This includes most of western Europe as well as Australia, Japan and New Zealand. Travellers will need to provide biographical data, flight number and destination address and the answers to a number of additional questions. Travellers who do not meet the necessary security requirements will be forced to obtain a US visa, which can take some time and money.
Successful applications will be valid for multiple entries over two years. You will be able to register in advance from August 2008 through travel agents, airline websites or a special US government website.

Post update: Reported back in June 2008, Just thought it would be a timely reminder. “72 hour” before you fly rule appears to be incorrect with reports in the press suggesting that you can fill in the form at a internet terminal just before you fly! - To be safe I would suggest you check with the American embassy website well in advanced.

It seems the fluctuating exchange rates are having an impact at Intrepid, as they may introduce a currency surcharge. On their website they are encouraging people to pay up! “Avoid any surcharge by paying in full by 30 November, 2008.”

After days of high rains water from the Redlands Dam spilled into a side canyon which contained the Supai village causing extensive flooding. Although the majority have been accounted for, the search remains in effect for a number of missing people.
Flash flood warnings remained in place with more rain forecast.

Check out our overlanding discounts page, we have a list of late running discounts from various overlanding companies. A whole set of new brochures will be avialable from September so you may be able to take advantage now!

The eight new natural sites added this year include:

Joggins Fossil Cliffs (Canada)
Mount Sanqingshan National Park (China)
Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems (France)
Surtsey (Iceland)
Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan)
Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Mexico)
Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona (Switzerland)
Socotra Archipelago (Yemen)

With the new additions, the World Heritage List now has 878 sites (679 cultural, 174 natural and 25 mixed) in 145 countries.

The floods in the US have been caused by storms during the week affecting South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana. US Authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders as Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and other Iowa cities were flooded. They are also predicting record water levels at Quincy along the Mississippi river in the coming days.
On the otherside of the world in China, Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces have also been badly flooded and many roads throughout the affected areas have been covered by landslides. The Xinhua news agency reports that flooding in the Pearl river delta is the worst for 50 years. It has forced the Guangdong government to issue an emergency flood alert throughout the province. In addition Sichuan province, where last month’s earthquake occured is also experiecing heavy rains. 

OzBus recently launched its New York to London overland trip, with the inaugural trip scheduled from New York on March 15th, 2009.
Over 17 weeks and 14,000 miles OzBus groups will travel across America and Canada to Alaska, then cross the Bering Sea to Kamchatka and Siberia, before venturing across China, Mongolia, Tibet, Kazakhstan, Russia and Eastern Europe to London. There is a flight involved from Alaska to Eastern Russia across the Bering Sea.
It appears the success of its London to Australia trips even though a little bumpy at times have spurred OzBus to more extreme adventures. What do you think of these transcontinental routes, would you travel this way?

This has been recently highlighted to us as a company offering North and Central America overland trips and tours. Has anyone used this company and what did you think of the whole experience, the transport looks interesting with the use of sleeper coaches! More Info