Hardi will provide direct backing to a team led by Qantas Airbus A330 first officer Andrew Edwards in his bright red 1972 Datsun 1600 - known as ‘the Hardi Datto'.

The company will also offer support through a network of local dealers, who are based in many of the towns that Beyond Bitumen will visit.

This year these will include AgLand in Cootamundra, Intersales in Temora, Total Ag in Wagga Wagga, South West Tractors at Young and Carruthers Machinery in Cowra.
Other Qantas staff, including A330 captain Carl Seaver and his wife Carlu, will be joining the team.

All Hardi's team members share a love of driving, fundraising and being in the bush - making Beyond Bitumen their ideal cause.

The 2018 Beyond Bitumen rally visited numerous towns across the NSW Western Slopes and raised over $400,000 for Beyond Blue. However, the event's decade-long success is about more than money. Whenever the rally rolls into town, it helps to raise awareness - and, importantly, acceptance - of anxiety and depression in the surrounding community.

Farming is a naturally challenging and often lonely business, making farmers and their families especially vulnerable to mental health pressures. With the added stress of drought conditions prevailing in NSW, Beyond Blue is a vital response to a continuing crisis in the bush.

For information about anxiety, depression and suicide prevention visit www.beyondblue.org.au

For advice and support, contact the Beyond Blue Support Service on 1300 22 4636.