After 28 years and more than 50,000 kilometres, Karl Bushby is nearing home

Karl Bushby’s journey home began in the Chilean city of Punta Arenas in 1998, with the expedition starting on Nov. 1. The undertaking, known as the Goliath Expedition, was originally expected to last about 12 years.

Instead, Bushby had been pursuing the trip for 28 years by the end of October 2026. The expedition’s route spans four continents and covers more than 50,000 kilometres, according to the project’s official website.

The journey has been governed by strict rules. Transport cannot be used to advance Bushby’s progress, and he must make his way home on foot.

One major section came in 2006, when Bushby crossed the Bering Strait with American adventurer Dimitry Kieffer. In 2012, Russia refused Bushby a visa. He then walked from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.

Bushby reached British soil at Shakespeare Beach near Dover on Oct. 5, 2026, after crossing the English Channel. About 400 kilometres remained to Hull when he arrived in Britain.

During the expedition’s final stage, Bushby was walking toward his mother’s home in Hull. That destination gives the long-running journey a personal endpoint as well as a geographical one.

The expedition’s rules mean that the remaining distance cannot simply be covered by vehicle or another form of transport. Bushby’s progress must continue on foot, consistent with the conditions he set for the journey.

The arrival in Britain marked a significant milestone, but it was not the end of the expedition. The remaining route to Hull represented the final stretch of a journey that began in South America and crossed continents, waterways and national borders.