Shitbox Rally lands in Broome, ready for a shower

AFTER 2000km of dust, the world’s most eccentric long-distance rally has arrived in Broome, ready for a shower.

WE are driving through the 4 per cent of Australia Telstra doesn’t cover, so we are constantly on our CB radios. Luckily I know all the technical language like “good buddy”, “ten four” and “breaker breaker”.

However, it did take me a while to work out why we stopped every time someone on our team called “code yellow”. I know about yellow snow but maybe I’m just slow.

After 2000km of dirt road, driving, sleeping and eating in the dust, clean toilets and hot showers are as good as a Michelin one-star. So one of the highlights of the rally so far has been the Broome Gateway caravan and camping park. It’s 30km out of Broome but it has showers that would put the Ritz to shame. Drop by on the way to the Cable Beach Club.

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The tide at Cable Beach was low when we dropped by. Low in Australia’s northwest means my co-driver Simon Ford and I had to walk about 10km to get in the water for a surf. We forwent the team breakfast at the Broome Turf Club for some serious coffee at Alastair Mcalpine’s former folly overlooking the beach, the camels and a hundred or so Italian backpackers.

Earlier, the rally had a Where’s Wally theme for a day and night. If Wally had been there to see 400 fairly relaxed shitboxers in various versions of his red-and-white striped top and beanie lolling around in the dust, he would now be dressing in black.

Right now we are on our way to Fitzroy Crossing. Our Ford ute is as tough as a Broome resident’s skin but we had a major disaster earlier when the cigarette lighter stopped working. We all gave up the smokes quite a few years ago but it means we have no way to charge all our electrical gear including radios, satellite phones and coffee maker.

The Shitbox Rally raises money for cancer research. Donate here.

Follow John Connolly on Twitter at @ConnollyShitbox