LAURA Orr and her dad Steve Parkin are preparing for their second Mystery Box Rally.
The five-day-long distance event will raise funds for the Cancer Council and its medical research.
Teams of two will set off from Broken Hill on 15 August in cars more than 25-years-old.
They will then follow a mystery route that is only revealed as they set off each morning.
Generally, the terrain is off-the-beaten-track, so the old cars need to be up to the challenge of heavily corrugated dirt roads.
Four-wheel drives and AWD vehicles are not permitted.
Laura said this will add to the adventure and fun and, more than likely, the probability of mechanical issues.
Last year the long-time Korora resident and her dad, a former Coffs local, drove a 1993 Ford Falcon sporting a Harry Potter theme that was dubbed the “Hogwarts Xpress”.
This year the pair has gone for an Alice in Wonderland theme, decking the car out in playing cards and whimsical characters and naming themselves The Mad Hatters.
Having raised $17,180 for the cause in 2024, they are keen to match, if not exceed, that effort.
“We travelled 2631km in five days, with 1253km of that on unsealed dirt roads, on a round trip from Airlie Beach all the way up to Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria,” Laura told News Of The Area.
“We also won a trophy for best dressed team.”
Most of the 300-plus participants in 2024 had been affected by cancer in one way or another, whether that be their own diagnosis or that of a loved one.
“Many people had lost family or friends to this disease, and the experiences and stories we shared over the five days will stay with us forever.
“One couple had travelled from their home in France just to participate, and after signing up, received news that their father was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer.
“Sadly, he passed away a few months after they returned home.
“Likewise, last year, after signing up to do the rally in honour of my niece who survived childhood leukemia, both my husband and best friend were given cancer diagnoses.
“Thankfully, both are doing amazingly well,” she said.
Since their launch in 2009, the Mystery Box Rallies have funded 63 cancer research projects in partnership with Cancer Council Australia and run five fundraising projects annually.
To support The Mad Hatters, go to the rally website or follow their journey on Instagram @madhatters_mysterybox.
By Andrea FERRARI
