I think it's about time the Mob at the airports added a note to all immigration forms about the danger of leaving a broken down vehicle in the Bush, these people are lucky to be alive !!
Sounds like the Falcon they were driving wasn't even road worthy (like a lot of foreign back packers vehicles) when they have 3 tyres all "blow out" at the same time.
The problem is these packpackers sell the vehicles on to the next lot arriving either on the 'net and apparently in Brisbane and Sydney they have weekend vehicle sales (like a boot sale except theyre selling the complete vehicle). Obviously the new buyer has no idea what state the vehicle is in and what sort of roads (like these three above) its been driven on.
I have absolutely nothing against these folk - they visit us and promote Aust within their country on their return as well as various social media sites - not just to future packbackers - so I'm sure they generate a lot of tourist $$$'s directly or indirectly.
We have had to help out a few of them now - mainly water in outback WA where they had only a couple of litres of water and one bunch we ended up giving food to as they had been given an expectation that they would be able to get work in any local town they went into and of course, found that not to be the case and couldn't afford to buy anything. Perhaps our Border Protection staff should offer fact sheets to young visitors arriving in this county so that they don't get themselves into the trouble they too often do.
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
