Outback car trek

2008 Trek raises over $1million for Flying Doctor               

Tim Fischer, Chairman of the RFDS, braved a chilly Mudgee Racecourse at 7am on Sunday 1 June to drop the flag on the 2008 Royal Flying Doctor Service Outback Car Trek. Tim stood in line for two hours to wave off every one of the 300+ drivers and crewmembers.

  “This is the spirit that started the RFDS 80 years ago, and it’s still going strong,” said Tim Fischer as he waved off the first car – a Dodge Kingsway Coronet driven by regular Trekker Norman Rydge and his wife Loretta.

This year’s Trek included seven Mustangs, a handful of Dodges and Chevrolets, a Rambler, a De Soto Firesweep, a couple of Mercedes Benz, dozens of Valiants, Fords and, last but not least, legions of old Holdens, all of them pre-1971. 140 cars took part and well over $1million will be donated to the RFDS as a result. Participants in the Outback Car Trek have donated over $14 million to the RFDS in the past 19 years.  

There were some challenges along the way (like drenching rain and the HG Holden Panel Van that drove for 170kms in first gear) but the Trek lived up to its ‘mission statement’ - to have fun, explore Outback Australia and raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Mudgee to Byrock – 517 kms

First stop was the NSW town of Byrock. Gloria and Peter Pimlott from the Mulga Creek Hotel put on a feast of epic proportions and added their own contribution of $1400 to the Trek, collected through RFDS ‘parking meters’ outside the pub. Not bad in seven months for a town with only 16 people in it.

Byrock to Cunnamulla – 522 kms

Day Two saw drenching rain hit parts of central NSW - the first in seven months – and the dustbowl around Byrock became thick, slippery mud. Some drivers took a long detour on ‘black top’ to reach Goodooga and Cunnamulla. Others took their chances in the dirt. Many lost control, sliding helplessly off roads caked in mud as thick as treacle and 4WD support cars were kept busy pulling cars out of trouble well into the evening.

Cunnamulla to Isisford – 611 kms

Day Three was another challenge. With roads closed and diversions in place, Stephen Knox was forced to divert the Trek. It went from Cunnamulla to Charleville, then Augathella, Tambo, Blackall and finally Isisford - a journey of over 600 kms. The meal and entertainment at the end of the night was well worth the slog. Isisford supplied bush poetry and the excitement of a ‘dog jumping’ competition.

Isisford to Barcaldine – 498 kms

Day Four saw the Outback Car Trek still waterlogged and forced to stay on bitumen as it headed for Barcaldine, birthplace of the ALP. En route the Trekkers spent some time at the QantasMuseum in Longreach - an appropriate choice given that the first aircraft used by the RFDS 80 years ago was leased from the fledgling Qantas airline.

Barcaldine to Rubyvale – 396 kms

The sun came out on Day Five. Trekkers eager for another taste of dirt were ready to hit the road at 7am for the 400 km drive to Rubyvale. The gravel track cut through wooded hillsides, past remote properties and penetrated deep into the Queensland gem fields of Emerald, Sapphire and Rubyvale (where electricity only arrived in 1977.)

Rubyvale to Cracow – 476 kms

Minor roads and steep crossings over grids, creeks and dry river beds characterized Day Six, which took drivers to the small town of Cracow, famous for its quirky hotel run by circus folk Fred and Sandi Brophy. A bar full of memorabilia and a garden full of fire eaters and singers kept Trekkers entertained long into the night.

Cracow to FraserIsland – 360 kms

The first cars were on the road well before 7am on Day Seven, heading towards the coast and lunch at Maryborough. Some of the 4WD support cars took a barge across to Fraser, while other cars were left in secure parking or shipped home. Everyone enjoyed a last night dinner and a well earned rest at the Kingfisher Bay Resort on FraserIsland.

The Outback Car Trek has been run for the past 19 years by Stephen Knox and his wife Jill. “The Royal Flying Doctor Service is an iconic charity and just about everyone we meet on the tiny outback towns we travel through has a story to tell about the RFDS. It’s a charity worth supporting and we’re delighted to be able to do that,” says Stephen. “I’d like to thank all of the participants, volunteer officials and support crew who took part, and we all want to express our appreciation to the many people who hosted this year’s Trek along the route.”