'You just need your dad': Karl Bushby's son says his return after 28 years walking around the world 'doesn't seem real'

The son of a Yorkshireman who has spent the last 28 years walking around the world has spoken about the sacrifices of growing up while his father pursued his journey – and the surreal prospect of finally seeing him come home.

Yorkshire adventurer Karl Bushby, 57, has been attempting an extraordinary feat – making his way from the southern tip of South America back to his mother's home in Hull along one continuous route without using transport.

The former British Army paratrooper set out from Punta Arenas, Chile, on November 1, 1998, on what became known as the Goliath Expedition, with two rules: no transport to advance and no going home until he arrived on foot.

The journey has taken Karl across four continents and seen him overcome formidable geographical and political obstacles, including crossing the frozen Bering Strait between North America and Russia.

Now, after almost three decades, the prospect of Karl finally returning home is becoming increasingly real - with him due to arrive back next month

For his son Adam Bushby, 36, who lives in Belfast, the idea of his father reaching the end of the challenge is still difficult to comprehend.

In the 28 years since his father set out, Adam has travelled to see him just four times.

He said: "I'm not going to lie. It doesn't seem real."

There will also be another significant family moment when Karl returns.

Adam has a 12-year-old daughter who has spoken to her grandfather through video calls but has never met him in person. Karl has also spoken to Adam's partner but is yet to meet her in person.

Adam said: "When he's back, he's going to meet his granddaughter for the first time in person and my partner and that doesn't feel real to me yet.

"A lot of this really doesn't because it's, again, a bizarre situation to be in. It's unique."

Adam expects considerable attention when his father eventually reaches the UK, with people already telling him they want to come out to cheer Karl on during the final stretch.

But for Adam and his grandmother, Angela Bushby, the defining moment will come at the very end of Karl's journey.

Adam plans to be waiting alongside his grandmother outside her home in Hull as Karl approaches.

"We're going to be waiting for him outside the gate as he's walking down the street. So once he hugs my Nana and gets to that gate, that is when the walk officially stops," he said.

Back in Hull, the community is already thinking about Karl's return.

Neighbours have contacted Adam to ask what his father's favourite meal is because they would like to prepare something for him, with Adam describing a community wanting to pitch in with food and celebrations.

After spending much of his life waiting for that moment, Adam has not prepared any grand words for when father and son are finally reunited.

Adam said: "I don't know. I don't have anything that comes to mind.

"It's just one of those things. I'm just going to let it happen naturally."

But behind the extraordinary story of Karl's journey is that of a son who has grown from a young boy into a father himself while his dad has been away.

Adam was eight when his father set out and says growing up with the expedition as a constant presence in his family's life has been a "surreal" experience.

As a youngster, Adam would try to explain to other people what his father was doing, only to find they did not believe him.

He said: "When I was younger, I would tell people what my dad was doing and people would think I'm just making stories up. They wouldn't believe a word I was saying.

"It's a very bizarre, surreal feeling and situation to be in. It's a hard one to say, because you've got all this pride of what he's been doing, what he's done, what he's achieved.

"But there's always a flip side to everything. There were parts of my life where you just need your dad for it. But in my case, that couldn't really be helped."

It was not until Adam was around ten or 11 that he began to understand the scale of what his father was attempting.

In 2004, aged 14, he travelled to Alaska to see Karl for the first time.

The pair were finally able to spend time together and have what Adam described as a "well-needed talk".

It was on the flight home that Adam came to an important realisation.

He said: "I just sort of accepted the fact that he's not going to come back home until this is done.

"At that point, we didn't really know how long it was going to take. But regardless of that, I was like, right, you know what? This is his thing.

"This is his journey. This is something he has to do."

As the years passed, Adam built his own life while his father continued his journey.

Karl remained in contact, initially through letters in the early 2000s and later through phones and video calls, but his long absences inevitably meant there were milestones he could not be there to witness.

"He has missed out on pretty much everything in that regard. There was me going to school, leaving school, college, the birth of his granddaughter, me passing my motorbike licence and then my car licence, birthday parties, celebrations, Christmas, New Year's,” Adam said.

"He's not been there because he's been doing the walk. So in that regard, I would say he has missed out on all of that. But he's fully aware of this."

Adam kept his father informed about the important moments, including messaging him when his daughter was born and when he passed his tests.

He said he had learned from a young age to adapt to the unusual situation, knowing that a response from his father could sometimes come a week later.

There have also been times when the distance has been considerably more difficult.

Adam recalled going weeks without hearing from Karl while knowing the risks he could be facing.

Over the years, Adam has had to contend with knowing his father has faced dangerous situations, including being robbed at gunpoint, jailed and banned from countries.

He also cited the Covid pandemic as another major challenge.

"All you can really do is hope and go, right, he knows what he's doing. He knows the consequences.

"He knows the risk. Let's just hope he can pull through it because that's literally all that we could do."

He described waiting for a message from his father to confirm he was safe as "very nerve wracking".

When he was younger, Adam admits there were times when he simply wanted his father to abandon the expedition and return home.

"When I was younger, yes. I was like, just come home," he said., but he added that feeling has changed dramatically.

Adam said: "At this point I'm just like, keep going.

"You've gotten this far. You need to finish this.

"Regardless of what happens, regardless of what you have to do, just finish it because it's 28 years in the making."

Despite the extraordinary stories surrounding his father, Adam describes Karl as stubborn, motivated and someone with a dry sense of humour.

Of all his father's achievements, however, it was crossing the Bering Strait which particularly stayed with him.

Adam said: "When I found out that was done, that blew my mind."

For now, the prospect of his father's journey finally ending after 28 years brings a mixture of emotions.

Adam said: "I'm excited, but I'm scared. It's an unreal feeling."