wicked camper van crushed by falling tree branch.

Santa · Guru

wicked camper van crushed by falling tree branch.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Very lucky campers for sure. I just hope her leg is ok and they can continue on their exciting journey of this great country.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Those gum trees are like our pollies - ya can never trust em cry

Good to see only minor injuries to one ... they will have a good story for 'happy hour'.

Now, if those frenchies hadda teamed up with Yeoeleven like all the other frenchies do, they wooda bin safe problee.

Cheers - John

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Been told by many work mates ..
They don't call them widow makers for nothing..
Mind you as an ex lineworker they possibly doubled my income...

gypsynolmate · Senior Member

So glad to hear only one was injured, considering 5 in the vehicle. Definetely dangerous trees, we are caretaking a camping ground, and the caretaker's spot is under 2 gums, so we have decided to move from there and are now where the campers are, not taking any unnecessary risks with our motor home or lives. Still awaiting confirmation, that they will be cut down, but will probably be moved on by the time that happens.

Same with that park, that those people were parked up in, they shouldn't of been placed in that danger in the first place.

deverall11 · Guru

How many backpackers have to die or get seriously injures before the sharks that hire them camper vans and all the gizmos warn them about camping under a gum tree.
Larry

elliemike · Guru

deverall11 wrote:
How many backpackers have to die or get seriously injures before the sharks that hire them camper vans and all the gizmos warn them about camping under a gum tree.
Larry

How many Backpackers have Died in the last ten years from Tree Falls !

Bruce and Bev · Guru

does it apply to all gum trees?

Thought it was only one - and it earned the nickname "widow maker".............

If someone can clarify and perhaps post a pic of this tree if this is indeed the case.

If we stopped camping under gum trees (including those in C/Ps), we would have no shade at all as there aren't other trees about than gums (unless you go to Tassie)

Gerty Dancer · Guru

You're right Bruce n Bev, trees in most campgrounds, sometimes hard to dodge and still get a bit of shade.

I've heard the Coolabar trees are safer than the type that squashed this van.

One particularly dangerous tree is the Murray River gum, they drop huge branches for no reason, on a calm hot day when you could be enjoying the
shade.

-- Edited by Gerty Dancer on Saturday 3rd of January 2015 11:55:59 AM

Dodger · Member

Many campsites do warn of the dangers of camping under trees. But,sit back and watch them do just that,camp under the trees.

Bruce and Bev · Guru

most C/Ps have gum trees planted behind or down the side of each side (powered or tent) - theres bugger all other trees that will grow large enough and survive in our climate to be suitable for this use.

As Gerty says - I thought it was only the Murray River red gum that was a real risk and would drop branches without strong winds (apparently more likely to happen after a long dry spell as the tree sheds branches to survive)

TechnoGypsy · Veteran Member

Back when you were allowed to camp in the Barmah State Forrest the damn things (Murray River Gums) dropped branches at night too ! You'd be sleeping soundly and then "Boom" you'd hear in the distance - - there goes another one.

eureka · Senior Member

But hang on a minute.... 5 sleeping in the van....does that mean 5 also travel in the van? If so are there 5 seatbelts fitted to comply with the law?

Gerty Dancer · Guru

eureka wrote:
But hang on a minute.... 5 sleeping in the van....does that mean 5 also travel in the van? If so are there 5 seatbelts fitted to comply with the law?

The girl who was injured was sleeping on top of the roof!!!

PeterD · Guru

Bruce and Bev wrote:
1. - theres bugger all other trees that will grow large enough and survive in our climate to be suitable for this use.

2. As Gerty says - I thought it was only the Murray River red gum that was a real risk and would drop branches without strong winds

1. There are quite a few others. There are several Melaleucas, Erythrinas (flame trees,) Brachychitons (kurrajongs) and so the list goes on. It's just that the lazy Australians think tree = Eucalypt. There are also a number of tropical species that I am not familiar with.

2. There 3 variations/subspecies of river red gums. It's only the the riverine varieties that are dangerous. The ones in NT & Qld are fairly safe. The box tree group are also particularly bad, the bastard box (Eucalyptus tereticornis) in particular.

Weevil · Guru

Gerty Dancer wrote:
eureka wrote:
But hang on a minute.... 5 sleeping in the van....does that mean 5 also travel in the van? If so are there 5 seatbelts fitted to comply with the law?
The girl who was injured was sleeping on top of the roof!!!

Some Hi Ace vans layouts have three seats in the front and two in the rear (convert to bed) that have seat belts.

Regards the sleeping on the roof, Yeoeleven will recall when we were camped at Cosy Corner (WA) free camp a young South Korean girl (or Taiwanese girl) backpacker driving a small sedan slept on her blow up mattress on the roof of her car.

Just recently a very large Peppermint tree opposite our place dropped a huge branch which straddled part of the road. I was outside when it happened, no wind, just dropped suddenly.....

Woody n Sue · Guru

Gerry the reason the drop large branches on a calm day is the the water in them expand so much in the heat that they shatter ,or so I were told many years ago

neilnruth · Guru

We also wondered how they had 5 in the van but there was an expanding tent on the top by the look of it. We have 'apple gums' in our yards and they are 'silent' droppers. You don't know when a branch will drop and often don't hear them.

03_Troopy · Guru

From this site Don't sit under Eucalypts :

"It's just the normal thing that eucalypts do. It's a way of preserving their life. They shed limbs to retain the moisture within the rest of the tree, so the tree can survive."

Also referred to as "self pruning"

PeterD · Guru

You left the "old" out of your heading. Do you dislike eucalypts and are trying to give them all a bad name?

One thing I have noticed is the shedding mainly occurs at night. This is even more reason not to camp under old large trees.

03_Troopy · Guru

Hi Peter, were you referring to my post? if so, it wasn't intentional, I was just clarifying the post about water causing the branches to drop.
And no I don't dislike eucalypts, I don't ever recall having a conversation with one anyway. Actually we have planted a few local species in our yard at home, and have had to pay to have a couple removed when i decided to build a bigger shed.. That was a bit of a bugger.