The charity and agency of the Uniting Church, that grew out of the work begun in 1912 by the Rev John Flynn (‘Flynn of the Inland’), will use the Trial to focus community support on its national volunteer programme, ‘Outback Links’.
Outback Links aims to reduce isolation and disadvantage in Outback Australia by linking appropriately skilled and gifted volunteers with people who could use a helping hand.
The Trial’s 2,260km route will take around 50 competitors in pre-1995 classic rally cars and recreational 4WD vehicles through remote areas of New South Wales, starting in Forbes and visiting Coonabarabran and Glen Innes before arriving in the Tweed area, where competitors will share their final four of 21 stages with competitors in the Australian round of the World Rally Championship.
“The event is an excellent fit with Frontier Services,†said the outback charity’s National Development Manager David Sullivan. “The Trials route through remote and isolated terrain is a fantastic opportunity for us to draw attention to the Outback Links program through the Trial’s association with a major International event.â€
Frontier Services staff will travel with the event and support entrants with a cooked breakfast each day, as well as conducting essential fund-raising activities.
The organisation joins Murcotts Driving Excellence, Nissan Australia, Telstra Country Wide and Peter Lehmann Wines and the NRMA as major supporters of the Trial.
Murcotts are providing logistical support, Nissan Australia has supplied the event’s Official Route Survey vehicles, Telstra Country Wide is providing Satellite phones and other essential Outback communication services, Peter Lehmann Wines has opened its Barossa Valley cellars to ensure entrants and supporters enjoy the event’s Welcoming function in Forbes and Gala Presentation Dinner in Tweed and the NRMA is providing the event’s official maps.
Entrants in the Trial to date range from adventurers to experienced rally drivers, the latter headed by former Australian Rally Champions David (‘Dinta’) and Kate Officer in the same 1971 Mitsubishi Galant that they crewed to victory in last year’s 7,600 Red Centre to Gold Coast Trial.
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