Tuk-tuk pair end 12,000-mile trek

The tuk-tuk pair have a £50,000 fundraising target for Mind

Two women have returned to the UK after a 12,000-mile (19,312km) charity drive through 12 countries in a pink tuk-tuk, a motorised three-wheeled rickshaw.

Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent, from Norfolk, and Jo Huxster, from Brighton, both 27, travelled from Thailand in the vehicle, nicknamed Ting Tong.

They drove through pink finishing tape in Brighton having raised £25,000 for the mental health charity Mind.

They encountered an earthquake and a herd of buffalo during their travels.

The pair left the British Embassy in Bangkok on 28 May.

'Surprisingly comfortable'

"I'm really glad to be back, but really sad to be finished," said Ms Bolingbroke-Kent on Sunday.

"Life after this is going to be an anti-climax," she added.

She and Ms Huxster also drove through Laos, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium and France.

Ting Tong suffered a few mechanical problems on the way, but Ms Huxster "always trusted that she would get us home".

We'll have to sit and concoct another scheme

Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent

"She's surprisingly comfortable to drive in, much better than a car," she said.

Ting Tong's occupants encountered an earthquake and landslide in China, as well as close attention from a herd of buffalo when their accelerator cable snapped.

But they also got to drive along the Great Wall of China, and were given presents by border guards in Kazakhstan.

They now want to raise even more money for Mind.

"We'll have to sit and concoct another scheme," said Ms Bolingbroke-Kent.

"I think long trips in a unique mode of transport is definitely the way forward."

Ms Huxster added: "Ting Tong will be used to raise more money, [but] there are no plans in the immediate future to drive back to Thailand."

I've just read that on the BBC news website. Call me a miserable monkey, but it must have cost them around 25k to do all the travelling and lodgings and food.............