TR07 The Legends of Tinny Rally – Final Night Awards & Charity Auction
Every Tinny Rally writes its own stories.
You can plan the route, brief the crews, and prepare for every possible scenario – but once 80 boats hit the river, the Rally takes on a life of its own.
By the final night, a few stories always rise above the rest.
Not because they were perfect, polished, or even successful at every turn… but because they were unforgettable.
From breakdowns and bush-mechanic repairs to questionable decisions, side missions, and moments that had the entire Rally laughing, these are the stories that became part of Tinny Rally legend.
The Wild Card Award – Rohan Murray
Rohan arrived at scrutineering and quickly realised he’d made a small mistake during registration.
When entering the Rally, he had accidentally registered his own name “Rohan Murray” as the team name — without realising that it would become the official team name used throughout the event.
Then, during check-in, Cathy Ross from the crew burst out laughing and handed him his boat sticker displaying “Rohan Murray” across the side.
And just like that, it became official.
For the entire Rally, “Rohan Murray” travelled up the river looking less like a team name and more like a fully thought-out personal brand.
It wasn’t.
And somehow, that made it even better.
The Matt Voigt Flat Out Award- It’s Pronounced Fish
Before the Rally had even officially begun, the mechanics were already making predictions.
As a 1980 blue band Mercury rolled through scrutineering, there was a quiet but shared agreement among the crew working the line:
“That one’s going to cause trouble.”
As it turned out, they weren’t wrong.
The Rally quickly became a test of persistence for the crew, with motor issues, breakdowns, and eventually a complete engine swap to a Honda 30 along the way.
Because they weres struggling to get on the place, they had to jettison everyohting they could, including their careful made seats just for the rally. At one point, things had deteriorated so far that the crew were lying on the floor of the boat under a tarp, making tea in the rain, largely because the seats were no longer part of the equation.
But somehow, once the new motor was fitted, they didn’t back off.
They doubled down.
There were side missions, late arrivals, broken props, missed meals, and constant setbacks… yet somehow the crew remained in good spirits the entire time.
No matter what the Rally threw at them, they kept pushing forward, usually with a smile on their face.
The James Mckee Battlewagon Award – The Reef Hunters | John & Christian
While some crews approached the Rally with a minimalist mindset, this team took the complete opposite approach.
Their boat arrived loaded with enough supplies to survive what looked less like a week on the river and more like a month-long expedition.
There was food packed into every available space, multiple slabs of beer stacked onboard, and enough gear to make the boat sit noticeably lower in the water before the Rally had even begun.
As the Rally progressed, reality quickly set in. The boat was overloaded, and before long they were forced to offload a significant amount of gear just to keep moving efficiently.
But despite the overpacking, questionable beverage choices, and constant reshuffling of supplies, the crew’s attitude never changed.
The spirits stayed high from start to finish, proving that sometimes the best Rally stories come from the crews who bring absolutely everything except the ability to pack light
Jason Wright Rally Spirit Award | Chicken Ship/The Barge Bandits | Rob & Nath
The WA crew documented almost every part of their journey to the Rally, sharing the road trip, the preparation, and plenty of the chaos along the way.
But it wasn’t until everyone met them in person that their real impact became clear.
They were simply good people. Generous with their time, easygoing with everyone around them, and fully invested in the spirit of the Rally from beginning to end. The kind of crew that reminds you what Tinny Rally is really about — not just the boats or the kilometres travelled, but the people you meet along the way.
That attitude was put to the test when they discovered a problem nobody had anticipated.
The boat had been thoroughly tested in saltwater… but the Rally was running in freshwater.
And as it turned out, the difference mattered.
No matter what they tried, they simply couldn’t get the boat up on the plane.
So, naturally, they came up with their own solution.
At every pub stop along the river, the crew would quietly collect handfuls of salt shakers before heading back out onto the water. Then, somewhere in the middle of the Murray, the operation would begin.
Leaning dramatically over the bow in full Titanic-style formation, often with Celine Dion playing in the background, they would shake salt into the river in an attempt to “fix” the water density and help the boat perform.
Whether it achieved anything mechanically remains highly questionable.
But it certainly became one of the more memorable sights of the Rally.
By the final day, they were battling headwinds and relying on the wake of another boat just to keep moving forward. Yet despite the struggles, their attitude never changed.
In true Rally spirit, they still stopped roughly 30 kilometres from the finish line to cook breakfast for everyone around them.
Because that’s who they were.
Long after people have forgotten whether the boat ever managed to plane properly, they’ll remember the WA crew for something far more important — their generosity, their sense of humour, and the reminder that Tinny Rally has never really been about getting there the fastest. It’s about the stories, the people, and the memories created along the way.
The Farmer Dave Anchor Award – Shark Fin Tin | Chris & Tim
The crew’s Rally was powered by an ageing Johnson outboard that seemed to have one consistent talent: shaking itself apart at every possible opportunity.
As the kilometres added up, the repairs became increasingly creative.
At one stage, the starter motor had to be physically held in place by hand, with a snatch strap somehow becoming part of the engineering solution.
Bolts were borrowed from other sections of the engine simply to keep the motor alive long enough to continue downriver.
From a mechanical standpoint, it probably shouldn’t have worked.
But somehow, it did.
And despite the constant breakdowns, improvised repairs, and growing list of mechanical issues, the crew never gave up and never stopped pushing forward.
The Dom Azzo Never Give Up Award | Will, James & Lewis Bignell
For one crew member, the Rally came with a very specific mission:
Find a few hours of peace and quiet away from the kids.
Somewhere mid-rally, a deal was struck. Boats were swapped, the kids were handed off to another crew heading toward the pub, and an opportunity for temporary freedom finally presented itself.
As it turned out, everyone involved came out ahead.
The kids had the time of their lives bouncing between crews and enjoying the adventure, while he managed to score a rare few hours of uninterrupted quiet on the river.
A successful operation all around and arguably one of the more relatable victories of the entire Rally.
The Loch Ness Monster Award – Twin Tin | Ben, Spencer & Hugo Radlof
When the crew arrived with a very old 25hp Jonno motor mounted to the back of the boat, and two kids in tow, there were more than a few quiet predictions being made around scrutineering.
Most people were convinced the setup wouldn’t survive the Rally.
It looked like the kind of configuration that would eventually end in breakdowns, towing, or a very long week on the river.
Instead, the exact opposite happened.
The old motor ran flawlessly from start to finish, handling the conditions without issue and consistently outperforming expectations along the way.
In a twist nobody saw coming, the boat that many expected to need rescuing eventually became the one rescuing other crews throughout the Rally.
Charity Auction
The venue was packed with crews reliving the stories that had unfolded across the river throughout the week.
As the night rolled on, attention eventually turned to one of the most special traditions of the Rally, The Charity Auction.
Each year, the auction brings together a collection of unique items, plenty of competitive bidding, and a room full of Legends willing to dig deep for a good cause while celebrating the end of another unforgettable adventure.
What starts as an auction quickly becomes something much bigger.
It becomes a reminder of the kind of community Tinny Rally has built.
A community prepared to show up not only for the adventure itself, but also to support others along the way.
This year, the Rally community proudly raised $5970 for ManKind Project, supporting mens mental health. An achievement made possible by the generosity of everyone who contributed throughout the night.
The auction may officially mark the end of the Rally, but for many crews, it also becomes one of the moments they remember most.
