Wigan man finds a 'romantic click' on epic drive to Australia in converted truck

Bobby Bolton, 31 set off on a mission to drive 10,000 miles in a kitted-out lorry with just his seven-year-old fox red Labrador Red by his side.

His plan was to “restart” his life after breaking up with his fiancée.

He has now revealed he has since met Marie Deleval, 28, from France while hiking up a mountain in France, and she has joined him on the journey after a “romantic click.”

So far, Bobby has travelled to France, Italy and Slovenia and his next stop is Austria.

The construction worker posted a video update on YouTube with his new partner at Lake Bled in Slovenia.

Bobby said: “There’s not many people I would have met on the top of a mountain and then be travelling three or four weeks later with.

“There was a bit of a click. I guess it was less to do with the romantic click more like this could actually physically work, and I thought we could make a good team out of this.

“It’s nice to have a bit of company because it’s really long nights now and it’s all getting a bit boring in the evenings.”

Bobby handed over his company, RNB Construction, to his business partner and decided to sell everything he owned to convert his former 4x4 man truck into a “boujee apartment on wheels.”

The £40,000 transformation took less than three months to complete.

“The idea was I wanted to wipe the slate clean and restart my life and I thought no better way to do that than a journey to the far side of the world,” said Bobby.

“Australia for me is not the be-all and end-all for this trip because it’s a journey for me.”

Marie has taken her own dog along and says the choice was an easy one to make.

She said: “It wasn’t a hard decision. I was buying an apartment and I was doing a certification to be a fitness coach which I gave up too.

“My family were the first ones telling me to go: just give up everything and go, so I am listening to them.”