What a journey!

We kicked off in style at Melbourne’s iconic Queen Victoria Market on Wednesday 10 August, the city – and its stresses – becoming dust as we drove north to celebrate our first night in Mildura on the mighty Murray.

Kids (and kids at heart!) love all the colour and fun of the Variety Bash and each year our huge charity convoy visits local schools and organisations, injecting funds into regional communities. This year was no exception as we made two stops to present special grants at Maldon Primary School on day one and later in Elliot in the Northern Territory. Hundreds of kids came out to greet our awesome entrants and thank them for their incredible donations.

Leaving Victoria behind, the Bash travelled through the renowned dirt tracks of South Australia to the remotely beautiful Wilpena Pound. Coober Pedy was our next destination, known for having the largest opal fields in the world. A special highlight was the journey through the picturesque Painted Desert – notable for its distinctive mountains and geological formations. Of course, our long days driving are punctuated with fun stops and shenanigans, which this year were filmed for an upcoming episode of the hit TV show ‘Resto My Ride’.

With new found friends and many miles under our belts, we took our huge convoy, to the delight of locals , to our final destination – the coastal waters of Darwin. The ocean view was a welcome sight after 10 days of mostly red dirt and driving. The final night of the 2016 Bash event was a true celebration of the incredible journey we had completed, and included incredible fundraising achievements, fun awards, personal acknowledgements and the sharing of many stories.

For fun loving crews with a sense of humour and adventure, who love cars, don’t mind getting a little dirty, and most importantly who want to help make a difference to the lives of kids in need, the Variety Bash is a must. See you in 2017!