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Why we're driving 2,600 km in a $2,000 car
Why we're driving 2,600 km in a $2,000 car
Seven days, 2,600 km, one very questionable car. We’re doing the Dunga Run to help give families living with incurable illness time away together.
Megan Rorich
So… we bought a car for less than $2,000.
On Saturday 21 November we'll roll out of Orewa with it and spend the next seven days driving 2,600 km of remote North Island roads. With any luck, we'll roll into Otahuhu a week later. It's called the Dunga Run, and we're doing it to raise money for the TimeOut Charitable Trust.
What's the Dunga Run?
It's a charity road rally with one rule that matters, your car has to be a dunga. Road-legal, yes. Reliable, not necessarily. Aesthetically pleasing, absolutely not. Teams camp along the way, take the long way round on purpose, and fix whatever falls off as they go.
It's chaotic, it's a bit silly, and it's for a really good cause.
Why TimeOut?
TimeOut gives families living with incurable illness free holiday home breaks.
When someone in your family is seriously unwell, life gets taken over by appointments, treatment plans and logistics. The ordinary things, like a few days away together, a slow breakfast or a walk on the beach, can start to get left behind.
TimeOut gives those families a place to go and the time to just be together. No agenda. No waiting rooms. Just each other.
It gives family and friends the ability to make some special memories, and put the stress of illness and uncertainty aside for a while.
That's what got us. Because when you strip everything back, time with your people is the thing that matters most.
For Grant, TimeOut’s work hits close to home. Before his dad passed away, Grant and his family got to spend some time together at a mate’s bach. There was no big plan. It was just long days, a bit of fishing, good food and being in the same place at the same time. There were also some real conversations, a few tears were shed, and some beers to top it off. Those few days are still some of the memories he holds onto most.
Grant’s message to other families going through similar circumstances is “do it while you still can, because life can get away on you…”. If there’s one thing you’ll never regret - it’s spending time with those that matter most to you - especially if time looks to be running out.
Looking back, Grant realises how lucky they were to have that chance. Plenty of families never get it - because life is too stretched, or the right place isn’t there when they need it. We want more families to have what his did, a bit of time away, together, while it still counts. That’s a big part of why Grant’s behind the wheel of a $2,000 car later this month.
Better together
We talk a lot about doing things together. But the Dunga Run has reminded us what that really means.
Nobody does this rally alone. One of us drives, the other is in charge of directions, snacks, maintenance and music. And both of us get out and push when needed. The hard bits are easier with good people beside you.
TimeOut is about the most important version of that idea, making sure families get time together when it counts.
How you can help
We're aiming to raise $5,000 for TimeOut, and every dollar goes straight to the trust.
Please donate here. Anything helps, and we'll shout out everyone who's happy to be named.
For businesses that want to get behind what we’re doing - Form $250 you can get your company’s logo pride-and-place on the Dung Beetle here.
Follow along, we'll be posting from the road every day on Instagram, including breakdowns, bad camp dinners and a lot of North Island scenery.
See you on the road
We're under no illusion that this car will make it the whole way without a fight. But we'll get there together, and hopefully raise a lot of money for an amazing cause along the way.
Thanks for backing us.
Team Dung Beetle
tandym
So… we bought a car for less than $2,000.
On Saturday 21 November we'll roll out of Orewa with it and spend the next seven days driving 2,600 km of remote North Island roads. With any luck, we'll roll into Otahuhu a week later. It's called the Dunga Run, and we're doing it to raise money for the TimeOut Charitable Trust.
What's the Dunga Run?
It's a charity road rally with one rule that matters, your car has to be a dunga. Road-legal, yes. Reliable, not necessarily. Aesthetically pleasing, absolutely not. Teams camp along the way, take the long way round on purpose, and fix whatever falls off as they go.
It's chaotic, it's a bit silly, and it's for a really good cause.
Why TimeOut?
TimeOut gives families living with incurable illness free holiday home breaks.
When someone in your family is seriously unwell, life gets taken over by appointments, treatment plans and logistics. The ordinary things, like a few days away together, a slow breakfast or a walk on the beach, can start to get left behind.
TimeOut gives those families a place to go and the time to just be together. No agenda. No waiting rooms. Just each other.
It gives family and friends the ability to make some special memories, and put the stress of illness and uncertainty aside for a while.
That's what got us. Because when you strip everything back, time with your people is the thing that matters most.
For Grant, TimeOut’s work hits close to home. Before his dad passed away, Grant and his family got to spend some time together at a mate’s bach. There was no big plan. It was just long days, a bit of fishing, good food and being in the same place at the same time. There were also some real conversations, a few tears were shed, and some beers to top it off. Those few days are still some of the memories he holds onto most.
Grant’s message to other families going through similar circumstances is “do it while you still can, because life can get away on you…”. If there’s one thing you’ll never regret - it’s spending time with those that matter most to you - especially if time looks to be running out.
Looking back, Grant realises how lucky they were to have that chance. Plenty of families never get it - because life is too stretched, or the right place isn’t there when they need it. We want more families to have what his did, a bit of time away, together, while it still counts. That’s a big part of why Grant’s behind the wheel of a $2,000 car later this month.
Better together
We talk a lot about doing things together. But the Dunga Run has reminded us what that really means.
Nobody does this rally alone. One of us drives, the other is in charge of directions, snacks, maintenance and music. And both of us get out and push when needed. The hard bits are easier with good people beside you.
TimeOut is about the most important version of that idea, making sure families get time together when it counts.
How you can help
We're aiming to raise $5,000 for TimeOut, and every dollar goes straight to the trust.
Please donate here. Anything helps, and we'll shout out everyone who's happy to be named.
For businesses that want to get behind what we’re doing - Form $250 you can get your company’s logo pride-and-place on the Dung Beetle here.
Follow along, we'll be posting from the road every day on Instagram, including breakdowns, bad camp dinners and a lot of North Island scenery.
See you on the road
We're under no illusion that this car will make it the whole way without a fight. But we'll get there together, and hopefully raise a lot of money for an amazing cause along the way.
Thanks for backing us.
Team Dung Beetle
tandym