Leanne Beyer and Margie Simpson recently returned from their 7 day Spring 2019 Shitbox Rally, a Cancer Council fundraiser. The girls drove more than 3600 kms over some of the roughest roads in Australia with 500 plus other participants from Melbourne to Townsville.
According to Leanne and Margie making new friends and sharing fantastic experiences with them were highlights of the week.
Much of the country they travelled through is in drought and the communities are struggling to survive but the Rally was able to leave much needed funds in the towns through fuel and food purchases. Local organisations catered beautifully, managing to feed the hordes of hungry travellers who arrived slowly over many hours and then backed it up with breakfast and pre- packed lunch packs the next morning.
Life on the Rally is one queue after another, both in cars and out!!
The one queue Margie and Leanne that fascinated the girls was the one for bathroom facilities which was almost non-existent, a new experience for the women on the rally!!! It was quite funny to see the long line of men waiting to use the facilities.
Leanne and Margie consider themselves very lucky to have survived the drive without even a flat tyre and were very pleased not to spend any time in ‘rally triage’ although they spent many hours on the side of the road waiting for cars in their buddy group to be repaired!! Their 650km trip between Noccundra and Birdsville took 14 hours but included one of the most magnificent sunsets causing them to sit once again on the side of the road as it was impossible to see where they were driving.
Friday Fillies sincerely thank the Jamestown and district communities, family and friends for helping them raise a fantastic final sum of $16,032 with the 2019 Spring Shitbox Rally contributing a total over $2.3million towards Cancer Research.
If you are thinking you are safe from the Friday Fillies rally car, Marlea, driving around town and turning up in all manner of places you are going to be sadly disappointed as the car has arrived back from Townsville and will hopefully be heading off in the 2020 Spring Rally next October……from Mackay to Darwin.
Be on the watch out for a chance to help the girls in their endeavour to contribute once again towards ‘kicking Cancer’s butt’ and if anyone out there is interested in an amazing experience check out www.boxrallies.com.au for more information on how to take part.
Photo by Mel Kitschke
