By Tony Ng

To most people, a journey from UK to Singapore means a trip on a plane - there are no other options.

But the Wood family seems to do things just a bit differently from the average SUV-owning family in the UK.

They chose to travel on a set of wheels that was more than a decade old - a Citroen ZX that the family lovingly called Wilma.

It sounds feasible until you consider the distance and locations they are plowing through.

They clocked over 40,000 kilometres with a particularly mesmerising stopover - the Gobi Desert, a place that most people will only travel through with a 4x4.

Dwight added with a wink, 'Every Mongolian road junction is nicely highlighted by a few crashed cars.'

He explained, 'We just wanted a holiday that was most memorable.'

'Of course, we wanted to prove to the folks back home that such a journey can be achieved with an ordinary car.' Dwight emphasised.

Dwight recounted how along they met several participants of the Gobi Desert rally. 'The participants were travelling in Mini Coopers that were all smashed by Mother Nature. The desert had gotten to them. All that while, our Citroen was chugging along perfectly.'

He said, 'I remember a Mini that suffered a broken gearbox. The team was impossibly stuck in third gear for the rest of the journey until they could get to a mechanic.'

And he chortled, 'Imagine what that would be like on those dirt tracks and non-existent roads!'

Setting off

The four fearless adventurers, together with their Wilma, caught a cross-channel ferry from Dover to Calais.

Husband and wife, Dwight Wood and Tessie Tay, alternated as captains of Wilma while Loong Wood acted as the navigator. Five-year-old Lewis Wood just enjoyed himself.

The journey was easy in the beginning - with plenty of tarmac roads to go around as the Wood family travelled through the quaint European cities.

The Woods opted for the exotic, outdoor experience. They chose to sleep in rustic spots such as abandoned farms or simply with the stars hanging overhead even when there were hotels available. The thirst for that outdoor experience brought them a few unexpected rewards, one of which was the ephermeral moon rise in the Mongolian Gobi desert.

"An eight-lane 'road' in the desert promptly turned into one gigantic dust track. All the drivers seem to know where to go!' she exclaimed.

The most unusual spot that they slept in?

Loong said it had to in Rezekne, Latvia. They were looking for a proper campsite - one that had washing facilities - but instead found a lovely spot next to a graveyard. Loong recalled how her father deadpanned, 'It's dead funny.'

With a trailer behind carrying their world possessions, the Woods plotted a long journey through Russia, Mongolia, China, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and finally stopping over in Singapore to visit Tessie's relatives and friends.

As if it was not enough, the Woods opted to return by car as well, leaving their marks in India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria and Luxemborg.

Amazingly, Wilma never failed to live up to the Woods' expectations and the three-hundred pounds they paid for . It carried them through a total of 22 countries in six months.

Even as technology became a point of frustration, the Woods could rely on Wilma the hatchback. Their satellite navigation unit failed to have sufficient maps for some parts of the world. Loong recounted how Vera, the sat-nav, ran out of maps when they were in Kaunas, Lithuania.

But for some minor repairs, Wilma the hatchback seemed to work just fine and soak up everything the drivers threw at it - rivers, snow drifts, deserts. On the way back in Turkey, Tessie actually drove off the edge of a road into a snow drift.

Even the mechanics in China were amused at how tiny Wilma's wheels were. Loong recalled that someone actually offered to buy Wilma when they were in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.

Toilets in Mongolia

When asked what was the most memorable country they had been to, Tessie replied without deliberation, 'Mongolia.'

'It has to be the most memorable place because it is just so different!' she insisted. Perhaps she was thinking of that ephermeral moonrise in the Gobi Desert when she thought of Mongolia.

But that moment was soon broken by Dwight's cheekiness, 'Don't forget the toilet moment in the Mongolian desert!'

He said, "Tessie wanted to be out of sight from the rest of us. So whenever she found a suitable spot in the desert, she'll holler to us whether she can be seen and I'll holler back, 'I can still see you!'

'Of course, with Mongolia being relatively flat, we had that exchange quite a few times! In the end, she was so far away from us,' Dwight laughed.

To read more about the Wood family's adventures, go to www.freshwaterfilter.blogspot.com

Photos: The Wood family

Tips on how to prepare for a long drive Start with a positive attitude Do the paperwork. China and Myanmar will mess up your driving. It takes three months for the Wood family to get visas from China and six months of planning. Remember the workshop manual for your car. Since you won't be travelling with a mechanic, you will have to fix everything yourself until you get to the nearest workshop. Teamwork is necessary - you can't do everything by yourself. Dwight does the driving while Tessie navigates and Loong reads the workshop manual. Bring along a phrase book - one for each city you're heading to.