ROUND THE WORLD IN 22 YEARS

The Zapp family have come to the end of an epic global journey and they’re already planning their next adventure

- ROBYN LUCAS

AS JOURNEYS go, it’s been epic : 22 years , 362000km, six continents, 102 countries, countless exotic meals – and the birth of four children along the way.

More than two decades after the Zapp family set off on their big adventure they’ve come full circle, completing their voyage in their beloved old car at the Obelisk, a monument in their hometown of Buenos Aires in Argentina.

It was a bittersweet moment for Herman (53), Candelaria (51) and their kids, Pampa (19), Tehue (16), Paloma (14) and Wallaby (12).

“I have mixed feelings,” Herman says. “We’re ending a dream or fulfilling a dream. What will come now?”

The couple set off from Argentina’s capital in January 2000 in their 94-year-old Graham- Paige, an American-made brand of classic car, and have a trove of memories to treasure.

“People are wonderful. Humanity is incredible,” Candelaria says. “You always hear about the bad things going on but there are so many people doing good things for the world.”

Now their trip is over, their friends and family are concerned about how they’ll settle into their new life – but the Zapp clan aren’t concerned thanks to a little saying they learnt in South Africa in 2013.

“People say, ‘How are you going to adapt? How are you going to live a normal life?’” Herman says.

“But if we worry about tomorrow, how are we going to be happy today? I love what they say in South Africa: ’n Boer maak ’n plan – whatever happens, we’ll make a plan.”