Peter Margetts to drive outback in Cure 4 Cystic Fibrosis Great Escape rally

The Vietnam veteran, along with mate and president of the East Maitland RSL Sub-Branch, Tony Mulquiney, will head-off from Dubbo on Saturday, August 12.

They will head west of Lightning Ridge before driving the dirt roads of outback Queensland, eventually finishing at remote Karumba on Sunday, August 20.

It is the third time Mr Margetts from Ashtonfield has raced in the CF Cure Great Escape. He and Mr Mulquiney have been fundraising since they returned from the 2022 edition.

"Some of the places you go to, you've never even heard of the name, it's unreal the places you end up in - it's all a very mateship sort of thing, it's a great group of people," Mr Margetts said.

Mr Margetts said he has made friends for life on the car rally with the added benefit of raising awareness in the fight to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that mainly affects the lungs and digestive system. In Australia the disorder affects with more than three thousand children and young adults.

Management requires intensive chest physiotherapy daily to break up the mucus in the lungs and assist breathing.

"It's marvellous how many people you run into back home that have been affected by cystic fibrosis," Mr Mulquiney said.

"(They say) I know someone that has it - a lot of them have had children that have been affected by it, it's more prevalent than you realise."

The pair will jump in Mr Margetts' 1999 Ford LTD V8 excited for adventure and ready for some bumpy roads. Last year the rally was impacted by heavy rain and flooding through outback Australia.

"The rain takes like months to come down from the Gulf of Carpentaria and all the rivers were flooded," Mr Margetts said.

"The police came around and said we've closed all the roads, you can't get through.

"We ended up going down the Birdsville track which is a four-wheel drive track and it did a fair bit of damage to the car."

Mr Margetts is the president of the Maitland Vietnam Legion and the car is named 'the veterans'.

"We run the flags through all the towns, they have street parades and all that sort of thing when you get to a different town," he said.

"We've got bloody air horns going and sirens and some of them have got bloody big water cannons on the roof - it's a lot of fun."

Mr Margetts said local businesses had provided the car with valuable sponsorship. If you are wanting to donate towards the worthy cause Mr Margetts can be contacted on 0432 791 566.

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