When it comes to risky travel plans, driving from Mackay to Hobart in a beat-up motor car is nearly on par with relying on a 6pm budget airline flight to get you to a 7pm dinner date on time.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Luckily, the annual Shitbox Rally, which this year features more than 200 cars worth $1000 or less, allows only two passengers per car - meaning there are plenty of spare seats should some vehicles not last the journey.
Longford 18-year-old Alysha Verwey is one of a handful of Tasmanians competing in this year’s event; teaming up with dad Paul in an orange Nissan 720 ute to cross the country from top to bottom.
“My dad was into it before me,” Miss Verwey said.
“You have to be 18 to participate in the rally and I just turned 18 in November so he went “yep, you're doing the race with me”.”
This year’s rally is seeking to raise $1.4 million for the Cancer Council, which would take the event’s cumulative total to nearly $8 million.
The Verweys have already gone well past the required $4000 fundraising requirement.
“I'm pretty sure we're up to $5000 at the moment and we're still going, so hopefully we'll raise a bit more,” Miss Verwey said.
The rally will finish up in Hobart on Friday after completing the ferry trip into Devonport on Thursday night.
Miss Verwey said she was hoping to spend most of the day behind the wheel.
“I haven't really driven from Devonport to Hobart, I've driven through Launceston way but we're going through Queenstown so hopefully I can drive a fair bit that way.”
