Travellers in a wizz bang type campervan, said they were blown off the road, and overturned
Lady trapped but luckily draged out of vehicle
Vehicle then caught fire and was totally destroyed
Just a very friendly reminder, to first timers, from someone who has crossed the Nullarbor severl times, in the last few years
It can sometimes get a bit boring driving long distance, it is important to stay alert I once drove through a willy willy, (on the Nullarbor), without seeing it, as it must have approached from a blind angle of my rear mirrors
Just because the speed limit is 110 KPH, it is better to go a bit slower, on a road with very few facilities
If you think you are getting a bit drowsey, just pull over, (off the road), and walk around your vehicle to refresh yourself up a bit
Good advice, Tony! BUT the one issue is that this sort of info needs to be displayed at Back Packer Hostels, etc.
Many young European & British come to grief on NQ roads because they are unfamiliar with the vastness of Australia & the different driving conditions. I wonder whether they had a 3way fridge going in the van & working on gas - how they got out of the car, I don't know. They were extremely lucky.
Aus-Kiwi said
10:34 AM Dec 31, 2018
We stopped every 4 to 5 houres at most . Every time we stopped we saw different things . So we ended up taking shorter trips .?
Tony Bev said
10:37 AM Dec 31, 2018
Warren-Pat_01 wrote:
Good advice, Tony! BUT the one issue is that this sort of info needs to be displayed at Back Packer Hostels, etc.
Many young European & British come to grief on NQ roads because they are unfamiliar with the vastness of Australia & the different driving conditions. I wonder whether they had a 3way fridge going in the van & working on gas - how they got out of the car, I don't know. They were extremely lucky.
Also good advice from you, Warren, about the backpacker being warned about our road conditions, re the long distance, etc
Drove passed a burnt out wizz bang type camper van, on the 28 December As it had a newish police sticker attached, then I assume this was the vehicle in question I can also report that it was upright, which probably assisted the girl to be dragged out
It was on the long straight stretch of road, (west of Caiguna), so this eliminates any speeding on a bend, scenario
I did wonder if the driver had really been pushed off the road by the wind, as up to seeing this vehicle remains, there had been no wind, to write home about
BUT... From Caiguna to well passed the WA/SA border, there was plenty of changing winds I had never experienced such changing winds for such a long distance, (over two days), on the Nullarbor It was enough to start pushing my 3,850 Kg motorhome from side to side, and I had to adjust my speed to the conditions
At one stage, I stopped at the #1 tourist lookout, (about 100 kilometres) east of the WA/SA border, for a break, and was nearly blown off my feet
I also saw a burnt out caravan, on 30 December, approximately 16 Kilometres north of the Snowtown turnoff, on the Port Wakefield road, in South Australia I have no idea how it happened, (it was in a ditch)
I too wondered if the cause of both fires, was because people were travelling with either their gas fridge working, or their gas bottle turned on
It just goes to show, that we can never be too safe
Tony Bev said
10:44 AM Dec 31, 2018
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
We stopped every 4 to 5 houres at most . Every time we stopped we saw different things . So we ended up taking shorter trips .?
You have given some more good advice, Aus-Kiwi
I also stop periodically, (the wife likes her ciggys), I use the time to walk around and check the vehicle, and also to limber up a bit
Another accident on the Nullarbor
Travellers in a wizz bang type campervan, said they were blown off the road, and overturned
Lady trapped but luckily draged out of vehicle
Vehicle then caught fire and was totally destroyed
Just a very friendly reminder, to first timers, from someone who has crossed the Nullarbor severl times, in the last few years
It can sometimes get a bit boring driving long distance, it is important to stay alert
I once drove through a willy willy, (on the Nullarbor), without seeing it, as it must have approached from a blind angle of my rear mirrors
Just because the speed limit is 110 KPH, it is better to go a bit slower, on a road with very few facilities
If you think you are getting a bit drowsey, just pull over, (off the road), and walk around your vehicle to refresh yourself up a bit
The link is below
https://au.news.yahoo.com/holiday-nightmare-couples-van-catches-fire-outback-road-033507362.html
Many young European & British come to grief on NQ roads because they are unfamiliar with the vastness of Australia & the different driving conditions. I wonder whether they had a 3way fridge going in the van & working on gas - how they got out of the car, I don't know. They were extremely lucky.
Also good advice from you, Warren, about the backpacker being warned about our road conditions, re the long distance, etc
Drove passed a burnt out wizz bang type camper van, on the 28 December
As it had a newish police sticker attached, then I assume this was the vehicle in question
I can also report that it was upright, which probably assisted the girl to be dragged out
It was on the long straight stretch of road, (west of Caiguna), so this eliminates any speeding on a bend, scenario
I did wonder if the driver had really been pushed off the road by the wind, as up to seeing this vehicle remains, there had been no wind, to write home about
BUT...
From Caiguna to well passed the WA/SA border, there was plenty of changing winds
I had never experienced such changing winds for such a long distance, (over two days), on the Nullarbor
It was enough to start pushing my 3,850 Kg motorhome from side to side, and I had to adjust my speed to the conditions
At one stage, I stopped at the #1 tourist lookout, (about 100 kilometres) east of the WA/SA border, for a break, and was nearly blown off my feet
I also saw a burnt out caravan, on 30 December, approximately 16 Kilometres north of the Snowtown turnoff, on the Port Wakefield road, in South Australia
I have no idea how it happened, (it was in a ditch)
I too wondered if the cause of both fires, was because people were travelling with either their gas fridge working, or their gas bottle turned on
It just goes to show, that we can never be too safe
You have given some more good advice, Aus-Kiwi
I also stop periodically, (the wife likes her ciggys), I use the time to walk around and check the vehicle, and also to limber up a bit