700km buggy trek for charity
THE finish line is in sight for a group of Rockhampton residents after a journey stretching more than 700km in a golf buggy.
Larry Riley, Rob McIntyre and Larissa Hagens will cross the state border at lunchtime today 24 hours ahead of schedule on their Buggy to the Border fundraising trip for Camp Quality.
The trio were greeted by Cr Neil Meiklejohn in Warwick yesterday, after stopping in at Leyburn on Monday.
Mr McIntyre, who hails from Mt Morgan, said the idea to do a trip for charity sprung out of a conversation with Mr Riley.
"Larry and I were just sitting around one day at my place thinking of things we could do," he said.
"We were originally hoping to raise $20,000, but we'll be happy to make $10,000."
After leaving Rockhampton on Tuesday last week, the trio and their buggy passed through a number of towns with the aim of arriving in Killarney on Thursday.
Mr McIntyre said the golf buggy proved to be faster than first thought, not losing as much speed on hills as predicted.
"We've met some marvellous people - Leyburn was fun," he said.
"Some of the pubs have been brilliant - we've passed around a bucket for donations."
Mr Riley and Ms Hagens said the buggy was surprisingly comfortable to drive.
"I've quite enjoyed it - it's been a great opportunity," Mr Riley said.
There have been plenty of adventures along the way for the crew, from helping stranded travellers to random donations from kind strangers.
