An ‘influencer’ Kiwi couple recently rescued after four months’ detention in Iran spent a far more pleasurable lockdown in Queenstown two years ago.
With the help of New Zealand government officials, Bridget Thackwray and Topher Richwhite were freed from a country which the NZ
government’s warning Kiwis not to travel to, due to escalating violence.
The newly-married couple travelled there as part of their seven-continent ‘‘Expedition Earth’, travelling and living in their 4WD Jeep Wrangler
called ‘Gunther’.
The purpose of the trip, which has attracted about 300,000 Instagram followers, is to promote environmental issues.
In April, 2020, Mountain Scene reported they’d interrupted their then-two-years-long expedition when they were in the Yamal Peninsula, in Northern Siberia, due to Covid closing borders around the world.
They’d retreated to Queenstown, where they originally met, and were hunkering down in Richwhite’s family holiday home.
‘‘Even though everyone is complaining about isolation, we’re loving it,’’ Thackwray said.
Scene went on to report ‘‘the couple have no shortage of crazy stories from their travels across the globe, including being held at gunpoint in Ethiopia’’.
