The 35th Outback Car Trek raised in excess of $1.58 million for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, thanks to the 240 trekkers driving from Bathurst to Cairns on 30 May to 8 June 2025. This brings the total raised over the Trek’s history to more than $37 million.
Surprise guests send off the Trek
The Trek kicked off with Just Cuts-sponsored Cut-A-Rama in Bathurst, where trekkers receive colourful and creative hairstyles for the trek, with all proceeds from the event going towards the RFDS.
Veteran Trekker, and current TV personality and motor racing driver, Grant Denyer, was a surprise guest at the Cut-A-Rama to cheer on trekkers before the big send-off the next day.
Surprise guests kept on coming, with the Daily Telegraph’s Editor-at-Large Matthew Benns and Cartoonist Warren Brown joining as honorary trekkers in their 1925 Bean 14 Sundowner. Benns and Brown returned from a months-long trip from London to Melbourne in January, also raising funds and awareness of the RFDS. The Bean Team took part in the Trek between Bathurst and Dubbo.
The Outback Car Trek’s retiring Chief Excitement Officer, Bill Patrick, said the Trek is like no other fundraising event.
“The support we receive from the Trekkers and from like-minded supporters and communities is enormous," Bill said. "Yes, the novelty factor with more than a hundred decked out cars is there, but what you don’t see is the months of preparation and hard work into making sure every vehicle is ready to take on the rigours of the thousands of kilometres of dirt road driving that make up the Trek.”
The road less travelled
The Trek stopped in towns like Bourke, Wyandra, Blackall and Longreach, providing opportunities for trekkers to spend time in the communities the RFDS supports, as well as hear about the RFDS’s impact firsthand from communities and frontline Flying Doctor staff.
“It is always very gratifying to have the Trek travel through the communities we most support. These communities are often far off the beaten track, with little to no access to healthcare services. When the trekkers visit, they can see firsthand just how important their fundraising efforts are,” Greg Sam, CEO of RFDS South Eastern Section said.
More than your typical fundraiser
In addition to raising funds to deliver services, the trekkers also provide a significant economic boost to the communities they pass through, with an average of $75,000 spent per day over the course of the trek.
This doesn’t include fundraising efforts to support local causes, with nearly $19,000 spent on school raffles during the ten-day event.
Spirits were high when the Trek arrived in Cairns on 8 June, with only one or two cars needing a helping hand to make it over the finish line.
“Trekking the outback is no easy task, but try doing it in a vehicle that's more than 30 years old and all on a dirt road. That's what the dedicated trekkers sign up for year after year, and it's all to keep the Flying Doctor in the air,” said Bill Patrick.
RFDSSE CEO Greg Sam was in town to congratulate the trekkers in person.
“This $1.58 million ensures we can continue to deliver essential healthcare where it’s needed most,” Greg Sam said. “We are grateful to every trekker, organiser, volunteer and individual who donated to support the Flying Doctor. It has been another successful Trek, and the first Trek since the RFDSSE has officially taken over the ownership of the Outback Car Trek. If the enthusiasm and passion we have experienced over this Trek is any indication, the Outback Car Trek has a very bright future,” finished Greg Sam.
Next year’s Outback Car Trek planning is already underway, with the destination for Trek 2026 set to be Tasmania.
