THE Mystery Box Rally will be leaving right where Sh**box Rally left off in May 2015 – the stunning tropical setting of Townsville. Departing on August 22, the convoy of teams from all over Australia will embark on a five day rally of the Queensland outback.
Like its older sibling, Mystery Box Rally promises a once in a lifetime adventure, mind blowing scenery, camping under the stars and of course, lots of laughs. As the name suggests there’s also a few mystery’s thrown in along the way.
The first being the itinerary. Participants arrive not knowing anything about the trip or where they are headed. Destinations and routes are kept secret and revealed just before they take off for each day. The only thing they know for sure is that they’ll be making a round trip, so they start and finish in the same location.
The next surprise for teams is finding out which car they’ll be driving. All of the vehicles for the rally are owned and provided by Manheim Auctions Australia, who ensure they are registered, roadworthy and ready for teams to bid on at the private auction held, the night before the event starts. This is the first time participants get to lay eyes on their ‘dream’ Mystery Box.
James Freeman, Founder of Box Rallies said by providing the cars, as part of the Mystery Box Rally they’ve taken the hard work out of finding a suitable vehicle, getting it road ready and transporting it to the required location.
“It means you don’t need to know a great deal about cars or how they work – anyone and everyone can get involved,” Mr Freeman said.
Over the last three years, teams of mates, gal pals, siblings and partners have travelled together through small country towns and magnificent outback landscapes united in their efforts to raise money for charity.
Previous Mystery Box Rallies have raised a combined total $432,000 for vital Cancer Council research programs, with a target of $350,000 for the August event.
“This is an important cause given that around 360,000 Australians are currently living with cancer, it is unfortunately a disease that has affected most Australians in some way,” Mr Freeman said.
“Losing both my parents to cancer was the catalyst for me wanting to get actively involved in the fight for a cure,” he said.
“Mystery Box Rally is a way for all of us to raise funds for the treatment of cancer and bring awareness to the achievements made possible through this important funding.”
To enter teams need to raise a minimum of $3,000.
Some hot tips from Mystery Box teams include:
- Pack clean clothes for arrival back into Townsville; zip lock bags are handy for keeping out the dirt from the road.
- Bring something to decorate the car, think the Mad Max: Fury Road ‘post-apocalyptic’ look. Removable stickers, funky car seat covers, disco balls or fluffy dice are fabulous accessories and are a great way to a fun way to make friends along the way.
- Townsville boosts an average of 300 days of sunshine a year so both sunscreen and hats are rally essentials.
