In 18 days time a couple of local lads will be involved in a great escape - of sorts - as they navigate the back roads of northern NSW and Queensland bound for Port Douglas in a 1987 XF Falcon.
If you can imagine it, Matt Hunter, Angus Waddell and Daniel Cooper will spend nine hours a day, pedal to the metal and eyes on the road as they zoom north to their destination, with several objectives in mind – staying on route, getting there and raising money for cystic fibrosis.
The Great Escape Car Rally has been an annual event on the Cystic Fibrosis Australia calendar for the past 10 years. This is the second year Matt and Daniel have participated. Angus, Matt contends, probably doesn’t know what he’s in for.
“I’m very confident in the crew,” Matt said, “we’re one down on last year so hopefully we won’t strangle each other.”
So, car 313 “White Noise” (because it’s white and noisy) is ready and so are the boys – and with around $14,000 already raised - all that remains is a trip to Tamworth where the 4500 kilometre rally kicks off.
Over 10 days the trio will be taking the road less travelled as they scoot up through the middle of Queensland alongside 49 other vehicles.
Matt is looking forward to it.
“It is a great thing to do, you’re up there with a groups of people you wouldn’t normally come across – they’re not just farmers, but people from all walks of life, not everyone has ties to cystic fibrosis, but we are all there for the same cause, to help raise money,” he said.
Matt and his wife Steph have a young son Charlie who has the condition, and Matt feels this is a great way to raise awareness and support research and development into CF.
And Matt knows only too well the challenges ahead. Last year the route took them from Echuca to Bateman’s Bay, via Kangaroo Island in South Australia, but they nearly didn’t make it.
A blown engine outside Deniliquin almost dashed their hopes, but urged on by the organisers and many litres of water, they eventually crawled into Echuca. That night while rest of the rally teams were celebrating the start, Matt and the others were pulling the engine apart to get it re-machined. Twenty-four hours later they’d caught up with the rest of the drivers.
Magnificent roads last year. This year Matt has been told the Queensland roads may not be quite so kind.
Getting lost is also high on the probability list.
“You’d think with that many cars on the road going in the same direction we’d end up following each other, but we get quite a spread on – it isn’t that hard to get lost especially if there’s no dust to follow,” Matt said.
The Great Escape is a timed event, Matt says, “but the majority don’t take it seriously, it is primarily a charity fundraiser,” he added. Serious fundraiser. In 2010 $390,000 was raised by all participants.
The drivers raise awareness of CF by calling into schools and services clubs, but in their highly decorated vehicles they won’t be missed by the curious outbackers.
Along the way they can debate the outcome of the Club 100 competition that they ran to raise funds. The draw last Saturday night at Bribbaree’s Railway Hotel had the hopes and expectations of 100 locals raised, then sunk by the winners Emma and Duncan Lander of Grenfell, who won the $4000 cash first prize. Then there was the second prize – a Thailand Holiday voucher – won by Morris Henry who locals suspect may never have ventured far from Bribbaree in his lifetime.
It has to be said the real winner on the night was CF, who will receive $6000 from the competition.
Special mentions must go to Bribbaree Public School for their $450 donations and one woman who missed out on buying a Club 100 ticket, so donated $200 to CF instead.
Matt said the trip would not be possible without the support of local businesses as is evidenced on the car and his two travelling companions who have given up 10 days of their time to support CF.
“It is a pretty big commitment on their part,” he said, “and it’s a long way from home, so I appreciate their part in this.”
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