Susan and I are heading to the Woolshed at Jondaryan to join the one day rally this weekend.
It’s got us thinking about why we swapped our normal five-star girls’ trips for the Great Endeavour Rally.
1. Adventure
If you’re like us, you’re in charge of the family calendar.
You know who has what sport on which afternoon. You schedule weekend activities, family gatherings, pay the bills and cook dinner every freaking night!
Our normal escapes from the every day involve cocktails and long lunches, but last year we swapped our usual five star accommodation for swags under a million stars!
Imagine waking up each morning with no idea what the day holds, who’s making lunch or what’s for dinner?
We cannot stress it enough: not knowing is SO. MUCH. FUN.
By the morning briefing you’ll know which outback school P&C is making lunch and how to get there, but the rest of the day stretches out in front of you.
What’s around the next corner is yours to discover.
The best part? After a long day’s drive, dinner is waiting for you and you didn’t have to lift a finger!
2. Challenge
Like many adults, the vast majority of our life is routine. We’re rarely faced with a challenge we’re not certain we can tackle.
As we drove down the highway towards the start line last year, we reassured each other that we were well prepared. We shared nervous giggles about what might lay ahead.
We had no idea what to expect, whether our car was up to the challenge and if we’d be capable of fixing it should something go awry.
Our 80 series – whom we affectionately named Kenny after Kenny Rodgers – handled the terrain without a hiccup*.
3. People
It goes without saying that if you put eighty odd like-minded people in a group for nine days, they’ll become friendly.
But when those eighty participants are adventure-loving, challenge-embracing folk who are motivated to raise money and support a great cause – they’ll become rallytives.
The mates we made on the rally come from all over the country and all walks of life. Over nine days and 3000 dusty kilometres we really got to know each other.
While cars compete for the overall rally win, when your “check brake” light comes on in the middle of nowhere, it becomes clear that we’re all on the same team.
Each year the Endeavour Foundation bring three clients along on the rally – they’re #TeamPossible! If you find yourself feeling tired from a long day driving, a quick chat with the Endeavour Team is enough to remind you to look around and remember how special it is to be exploring parts of Australia you never thought you’d experience. Getting to know the Endeavour Team was one of the highlights of our rally last year.
4. The Cause
The Endeavour Foundation was established in 1951 by parents of children with a disability in response to their kids being ostracised from public schools in Queensland. These wonderful parents argued that children with intellectual disability should have the same rights to education and other life opportunities as everyone else.
This belief has underpinned the Endeavour Foundation’s approach throughout the decades. The Foundation provides its clients with education and fulfilling employment; focusing on inclusion, a feeling of purpose and self worth.
Last year the Great Endeavour Rally raised $330,000 for the Endeavour Foundation’s latest focus: using virtual reality to help train their clients for real world situations.
Clients can now practice crossing the road, using an ATM, recharging their go card, navigating to the right platform and getting on the right train all in a safe environment before they tackle it in the real world.
Some clients are even learning how to be baristas – practicing in virtual reality before they master the (high temperature) art and graduate to the Endeavour-run cafe.
5. The Ultimate Road Trip
There’s no better way to get to really catch up with your mates than nine days on the road.
Road trips mean singing to favourite old songs the radio, laughing at each others bad jokes and long uninterrupted chats that you just don’t manage in normal (busy) life.
You might know your #girlsquad well, but I guarantee that you’ll have a whole new respect for each other after a day in the dust.
So what are you waiting for?
Come join us!
*Our bush mechanic skills weren’t tested in Western New South Wales but who knows what North Queensland will throw at us this year.
