You may have seen a poster or ad around the place over the years promoting charity rallies or bashes – driving events promising adventure for a cause.
But what are they really? Lets break it down.
- Are they really rallies
- Ties to social causes and issues
- The type of car you can use
- The destinations you can visit
- The people you will meet
are they really a rally?
This is the big first point to deal with. These events may be rally in name, but not in the same sense something like World Rally Championships. For these charity events, the words rally and bash are more related to the fact they’re a celebration and a coming together (or rallying together) for a great cause.
They’re still about driving though, just not quite the hectic, high octane variety you would think when you first hear those names.
how do these driving events tie into causes and social issues?
Variety Bash, Shitbox Rally, Great Endeavour Rally, the Outback Car Trek – all great times for good causes. From one to the next, they each have their own connection with their chosen cause/issue.
Some are privately run events that have chosen a cause that’s personal to the event’s original mastermind (e.g. Shitbox), while others are run directly by an organisation that works in the space (e.g. Great Endeavour Rally).
Depending on where these driving events go, they can also do their part to help regional communities in need of much-needed tourism income and connection from the big cities. So, pluses all around. So, if you’re up for it, set on out on an adventure that matches up with a cause you care for and make the most of it.
but what sort of cars are suited to be in a charity rally?
That all depends on the Charity rally you decide to join.
Take the Variety Bash for example. All cars used in this event must be a minimum of 30 years old – if you’re competing in 2021 your car needs to be at least from 1991. This could be a chance to dust off a car in the family that hasn’t been on the road in a long while.
Then there’s the Shitbox which sets a rather different rule – the car, regardless of age, make or model, must cost no more than $1000 and it must be 2WD (2-wheel drive). This again means you could grab off of Facebook Marketplace or GumTree.
Or there’s the Great Endeavour Rally, which allows you to take any 4WD or 2WD vehicle. This means that the drive is achievable for existing cars provided you have a good set of tyres (all terrain tyre preferred) and reasonable ground clearance.
Your choice of an event then comes down to your budget, how much effort you’re willing to put in for the car and what cause you would like to support.
where do you go on these driving adventures?
These sorts of events have been running for years, resulting in them crisscrossing Australia in every which way. The Great Endeavour Rally alone has toured more than 120,000 kilometres of Australia, ticking off iconic locations and rarely seen sights from the top of Queensland down to the country’s southern coast.
In other words, joining in on a rally or bash is a chance to explore more iconic sights and natural wonder than you would on your lonesome. This a major thing to think about as we start to wrap up 2020 – there’s never been a better time to consider a trip or adventure that enables you to see more domestically.
In 2021 alone, the Great Endeavour Rally will stop in at places like:
- The Nindigully Pub
- Tibooburra
- Cameron Corner
- Walkers Crossing
- Warburton and the K1 Line
- Birdsville
- Jundah
- Charleville
Not forgetting that there will also be Poeppel Corner, one of the most secluded outback spots you will ever come across. Or how about Cooper Creek, a place that symbolises the Aussie spirit of adventure, with it being the original resting place of iconic explorer, Rovert O’Hara Burke.
These events attract people from all walks of life and you’ll quickly become true friends – friends who have experienced unforgettable travel moments together in some of the most astounding locations Australia has to offer (while doing your bit to help others).
These friends prank each other, help each other out when bogged on the road, they’re even there for each other even between the adventure drives. They are larakins of the most lively and loveable sort, and we’re sure that’s exactly what you need for a great time and for a rally to remember.
so, is all that what a charity rally or bash really is?
Yes and no. Once you join in on the Great Endeavour Rally or any other charity driving event, you will see that they are all the above and so much more. Across all the events, what you get out of it is up to you (and how the event is set up).
No matter what charity rally/bash you choose you will have the time of your life and meet some of the greatest people you could ever meet. We only hope you choose the Great Endeavour Rally as your first charity drive.
