If Steve Parkin isn't a glutton for punishment, at the very least he's lining up for a second helping.
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After completing more than 4500 bone-rattling kilometres driving a 30 year-old VS Commodore as part of the 2023 Mystery Box Rally, he's getting ready to do it all again.
Not only that, but this time he's roped in his daughter, Laura.
"This is her first rally experience so she's excited in some ways , but a bit scared too," Steve said.
The event
The Mystery Box Rally is a long distance fundraising drive to aid cancer research conducted in cars that have seen better days.
This year's event will depart Airlie Beach Queensland on August 17 and then return to Airlie Beach on August 21.
The five day circuit is expected to take in about 4500 kilometres, not counting the drive from Gloucester to Airlie Beach and back again for Steve and Laura.
Similar in concept to the Shitbox Rally, which it is affiliated with, the Mystery Box event takes drivers through a course starting and finishing at the same location, but all the other details are kept under wraps, only given to the teams each morning.
The rally is in August so we're mad keen over the next few months doing some fundraising,
- Mystery Box Rally participant, " Steve Parkin
To qualify, cars must be over 25 years of age and each team must raise the minimum amount of $4000 to qualify for participation in the event.
Locals open their hearts and wallets
So far Steve and Laura's campaign has been met with an outpouring of generosity from the local community with a number of sizeable donations already made.
Among them have been a donation of $2000 from the Gloucester Community Shop plus $1,000 from the Gloucester prostate cancer support group, while the Gloucester Auto Club have thrown in $1500 for the cause.
Additionally, a number of businesses and individuals have contributed either in cash or kind, such as Manning Valley Motors sponsoring the car for parts and labour, and Carrs Windscreens who have fitted the vehicle with a new windscreen free of charge.
There has also been the donation of a trailer load of firewood being raffled off, drawn on the third weekend in May with the proceeds going to Steve and Laura's campaign.
"The rally is in August so we're mad keen over the next few months doing some fundraising," Steve said.
"We've got a little town here in Gloucester with a very, very tight community with an awesome bunch of people.
The cause
Raising money for cancer research is something close to the heart for Steve and his family.
His granddaughter was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of three which was followed by three tough years of treatment.
"When she was six they said to her 'you've just got one more test to go and you can ring the bell to say you're cancer-free' - then they did the last test to find that her spine was riddled with it and so had to start all over again," Steve said.
Fortunately that little girl is now 16 years-old and "going great guns" according to her grandfather.
For Laura, the event has taken on even more significance given that after signing on for the rally her husband was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer.
"After I signed up to do the rally my husband was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer," Laura said.
"We committed (to the rally) in the name of my niece, having had that lived experience in our family and now we're currently living another cancer battle at the moment, so it's double the motivation."
Harry Potter rides again
After completing last year's rally with Phil Maslen in their Blues Brothers themed car - along the way raising close to $13,000 - Steve passed the naming rights and decoration to Laura who has opted for a Harry Potter theme.
Dubbed the Hogwarts Xpress, their car is decked out with an improvised chimney on the bonnet, fabricated from an old cattle feed trough, along with a dementor on the roof and plenty of other Potter-esque touches.
They'll even be wearing costumes for the event, with Steve set to appear as Dobby the Elf and He Who Must Not Be Named, among others.
For Laura, it's the chance to have a bit of fun while undertaking some invaluable charity work.
"I was an avid Harry Potter fan in my younger years and that's kind of carried through to adulthood in the sense of, if we ever want to have fun and have a theme we go back to that one," Laura said.
"It just so happened that I had a lot of the props at home that we were able to incorporate into the car for a bit of fun."
You can donate to Steve and Laura's fundraising through the Mystery Box website: 2024.mysteryboxrally.com.au/hogwarts-xpress
