Traversing more than 2000km of some of Australia’s most formidable roads is no easy task; especially when the car you’re driving is as old as you are and worth less than the latest iPhone.
But Stanhope locals Jack Graves and Jacqui Ball are planning to take off like Smokey and The Bandit.
Mr Graves and Ms Ball will be participating in the 2024 Spring Shitbox Rally this October and taking on the challenge to raise awareness and fundraise for the Cancer Council.
Starting from Bendigo in their 1996 Honda Accord, they will travel through outback NSW, South Australia and Queensland to reach Townsville.
The trip takes about 12 days, with stops in charming regional towns across eastern Australia.
Mr Graves found out about the rally a couple of years ago when he saw it while his family was on a trip to Uluru.
“When we were filling up at the servo and having breakfast, the shitbox rally was coming through,” he said.
“We got excited and saw everyone having a lot of fun.”
The rally is such a popular event that the pair have been turned away from participating for the past two years.
Only 200 cars can enter the race due to safety conditions. This year, the pair’s Accord has got the green light.
As for the rules and regulations for the quirky event, they are pretty lax, Mr Graves said.
One thing organisers are strict about though is the value of the shitbox itself, which cannot exceed $1500, including the purchase of the car and any upgrades made.
Mr Graves said he bought the 1996 Honda Accord for $700.
“We’ve had the little car for about five years and already had a few adventures in it,” he said.
And while some cars may not exceed $1500 in value, they might look like a million bucks.
Ms Ball, however, said there were penalties for those whose shitboxes did not look, well, sh*t.
“If your car looks like it’s worth more than $1500, you have to dance on a stripper pole,” Ms Ball said.
“I’m terrified because I feel like he’s done too good a job on it … he can’t help it; it has to look perfect.”
And if you’re wondering whether these cars make it the whole way — well, not necessarily.
In the rally, it’s inevitable that some of the 200 cars won’t make it to the end, so organisers warn participants not to get too attached.
If a car breaks down between stops, designated tow trucks pull it to the next stop, and if participants can’t get the car started by the following day, their vehicle is out.
“You just jump in with another car and finish your rally, and you leave the car in the town’s scrap pile,” Mr Graves said.
“Jack and I are pretty attached to the Honda, though,” Ms Ball said.
The upcoming Shitbox Spring Rally has already raised over $800,000, adding to the $47 million raised for the Cancer Council since 2009.
Ms Ball said the rally’s contribution to the Cancer Council was specifically important for her because of how cancer had touched her family.
“I lost my mum and my step-mum to cancer, and so we’re doing this in honour of them, really,” she said.
“We’ve always wanted to do something for the Cancer Council, so we saw this and wanted to jump in head first.”
The pair have already raised $8000, which goes completely to the Cancer Council, and are hoping to reach $10,000 before they set off in October.
They have already received sponsorships from local businesses, whose names will be emblazoned on the side of the Accord.
“Lots of people are turning their heads at the car now that we’ve painted up the car,” Ms Ball said.
“It’s good to get the support from the community and see them get behind us,” Mr Graves said.
On their first day of the trip, the pair will don clothes fitting their chosen theme, ‘Smokey and The Bandit’, and ride off into the sunset with their fingers crossed that their nearly 30-year-old car makes it to the finish line.
You can support Mr Graves and Ms Ball by donating at https://spring2024.shitboxrally.com.au/by-our-own-accord
If you want to sponsor the pair, contact Jack Graves at digger97@live.com.au