A COUPLE of intrepid Balnarring Beach women are hitting the road this autumn, and driving the length of Australia in seven days in a car rally with a twist.
Jane Pincott and Mel Poll are team “Double Parked” that will drive their $1500 car from Port Douglas to Melbourne in the “Shitbox Rally” to raise money for charity.
Shitbox Rally is not a race, but a challenge to drive cars worth $1500 through outback Australia via some of its toughest roads to raise money for cancer research. The event has raised more than $61m since the first rally in 2010.
To participate, each team must raise a minimum of $5000 with a target of $2.5m for the rally and thanks to the generosity of businesses on the Mornington Peninsula, “Double Parked” has raised the funds to qualify.
“Jane and I are stoked to be selected for the next Shitbox Rally heading off on 1 May driving our 1990 Nissan Pulsar from Port Douglas back home to Balnarring Beach,” said Mel Poll.
“It will definitely challenge us as neither of us know anything about cars.
“We expect to be driving mostly back roads, sleeping in swags next to our car and I’m sure we’ll be dusty, dirty and sweaty with no aircon or a shower for a week.
“But, we’re super pumped for the experience and the opportunity to raise funds for cancer research.
“Sadly, we’ve been touched by cancer, and we hope that our contribution will make a difference.”
Box Rallies (Shitbox Rally, Mystery Box Rally and Lunchbox Rally) were founded by James Freeman OAM, who lost both of his parents to Cancer within 12 months of each other.
“Shitbox Rally is not a race, but a reward for fundraising efforts. This is a chance to explore Australia, drawing teams from around the country to help achieve the extraordinary,” said Freeman.
“What interests and excites us about the 2026 autumn route is the tropics and humidity to the red dust of the outback, to the Victorian high country, all within seven days.
“It would be hard to find a rally route with more contrasts than this one. This is only the second time we have ventured into the high country. The best way to describe the road we take from Mount Hotham to Dargo is epic and that is after we have conquered vast sections of central Queensland and NSW.
“We have also never finished a rally in Melbourne.
“Teams not only pull together to help each other through the challenges of the rally itself, but also help and support each other through openness, mateship and camaraderie from people that have gone through similar hardships with their own cancer stories.”
If you would like to donate there is still plenty of time. For more details and to follow Jane and Mel’s adventure, check out their Facebook page: Team Double Parked – Shitbox Rally Autumn 2026.
If you’d like to make tax deductible donation visit:
autumn2026.shitboxrally.com.au/double-parked/donate
First published in the Mornington News – 10 February 2026
