Thread: How careful do we really need to be??

Originally Posted by weeds

these guys are friendly

Dunno, I find kids to be pretty scary things!

Originally Posted by Bush65

The biggest danger from wildlife is swerving to miss the blighters in the middle of the road (or in the air) and many beside the road will try to cross at the last second as you approach. Be very careful near dawn or dusk and at night.

This is a real danger, and it is difficult to control natural instincts. Large animals will do much damage if you hit them however, and you wouldn't like some of them inside the cab with you - they have no respect.

Excellent point, I've had one friend in an horrific accident and a friend's wife die as a result of wildlife or livestock. Fair few close calls myself.

Cheers
Simon

Originally Posted by 29dinosaur

How careful do we really need to be??

Very - especially of WASPS

Probably more Poms raped murdered and pillaged by them then any blackfellas or the local fauna.

God, yes. Bloody wasps. My wife and I got stung and then some by a swarm in Mossman. I could have sworn that when they got you, they didn't so much sting you, as pull a piece of flesh out!

Just be aware as has already been mentioned and keep your eyes open. You get used to it eventually.

My wife had a barney with this bloke in the pool not long ago,


This other fella dug up her newly planted herb patch,



and a couple of weeks ago whe went down to feed her chooks late one night only to find a python lurking about looking for a free feed.

Cheers,

Here is my 2 bits worth.
1.Don't make your swag/bed up and leave it, snakes and other nastys like to get in it. Of course if you do and you notice a blonde nubile nude in ya swag just tell ya missus you are feeling really tired and you gonna retire early
2.Don't drive at dusk or early morning, if you can avoid it, we have these really big grasshoppers over here and they have no brains and like to commit hari-kari on the front of your vehicle. Not much fun if one comes through your windscreen and is trying to occupy the same space you are. So watch out for kangaroos. Same for pigs, if you hit a big razorback at 100klm/h tends to make them a tad cranky.

3. Latrines should be sited well away from your camp. There are things that live in the dark that just love to dig up yesterdays breakfast that you thought was well buried.

4.Camp fires should be well cleared. Not much fun having to fight a major bush fire in the middle of the night. Besides the local cockys (Farmers) will more than likely tar and feather you later.

5. DO NOT put your tent under that really lovely gum tree, more than one idiot has been killed by falling tree limbs.

6. Snakes have right of passage! You would be surprised by the number of fools you have been biten trying to pick up a snake. Australia is home to the Taipan the most venomous land snake in the world, we also have King Browns too, both of these make the Yank's Rattlesnake look like an overly large earthworm. Leave the blighters alone, throw things at them if you must, but from a safe distance and make sure you have a clear escape route when the damn thing gets upset with you.

7. Keep well clear of B Doubles, the drivers are mad, not really fun to get lodged between the 4th and 5th trailer as they come sliding around the corner doing 6000 mile an hour (Google B Double and RoadTrain) you will soon see what I mean.

8. Don't set up camp in that really lovely dry river bed, it is there for a purpose.

9. Not really wise to pick up hitch hikers, particularly if they are beardered and have wide staring eyes. Its okay to pick up Nubile Blondes but only after you have driven passes then a dozen or so times to make sure that there is not a bevy of male wannabees hiding in the scrubbery.

After all of this please feel free to enjoy our wonderful country, Oh it might pay to bring a band-aid or two as well.

Originally Posted by RobHay

7. Keep well clear of B Doubles, the drivers are mad, not really fun to get lodged between the 4th and 5th trailer as they come sliding around the corner doing 6000 mile an hour (Google B Double and RoadTrain) you will soon see what I mean.

We old road train operators regard tourists as the most dangerous animal in the outback. Our justice system does not permit people to be shot for ignorance or stupidity though.

When a road train is approaching get right off the sealed portion of the road (assuming you are on a major sealed road) onto the shoulder, and slow down until the dust has settled enough for safety, as the RT won't, too bloody dangerous to be dropping up to 21+ axles down into the dirt on one side. Many of our outback roads that are sealed are only sealed to the width of one vehicle. Cost is the reason, long distances and low population means sealed roads are an unacceptably high cost to outback shire councils. Etiquette among road users is that cars/light vehicles drop half off the bitumen when approaching another car, and get totally off the bitumen onto the shoulder when approaching a truck.

Edit:- for the advice in the above paragraph, I assumed you were travelling on a single lane bitumen road. On a major highway with room for two vehicles on the sealed portion, of course there is no need to get half off the bitumen unless the approaching road train has a wandering trailer.

Avoid driving after dusk in kangaroo infested areas. Likewise much of our outback grazing country is unfenced. Hitting a half tonne steer with your passenger vehicle is not recommended. This would in most cases end your holiday.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

We old road train operators regard tourists as the most dangerous animal in the outback. Our justice system does not permit people to be shot for ignorance or stupidity though.

When a road train is approaching get right off the sealed portion of the road (assuming you are on a major sealed road) onto the shoulder, and slow down until the dust has settled enough for safety, as the RT won't, too bloody dangerous to be dropping up to 21+ axles down into the dirt on one side. Many of our outback roads that are sealed are only sealed to the width of one vehicle. Cost is the reason, long distances and low population means sealed roads are an unacceptably high cost to outback shire councils. Etiquette among road users is that cars/light vehicles drop half off the bitumen when approaching another car, and get totally off the bitumen onto the shoulder when approaching a truck.

Avoid driving after dusk in kangaroo infested areas. Likewise much of our outback grazing country is unfenced. Hitting a half tonne steer with your passenger vehicle is not recommended.

What's it like to hit a cow, camel, etc with a road train? Does it just go splat? Do your attempt to slow at all? I've seen an aweful lot of truck skid amrks on WA roads up north - are they avoiding each other or what goes?

Good points though for poms or any other drongo who might think about taking on a road train....

Originally Posted by 29dinosaur

What's it like to hit a cow, camel, etc with a road train? Does it just go splat? Do your attempt to slow at all? I've seen an aweful lot of truck skid amrks on WA roads up north - are they avoiding each other or what goes?

Good points though for poms or any other drongo who might think about taking on a road train....

I never hit a camel, but did get a few cattle over the years. A big bullock(some are a tonne or more) can do considerable damage even to a heavy duty steel bull bar. Best to try to control your natural reactions and not swerve or brake as this could have you lose control and maybe get upside down and/or tangled up off road with the trailers. Try to hit them in line with a chassis rail as this will do least damage, or right in the middle of the bull bar. Some say get them with the outer edge or corner if you can and spin them off to the side, but this can bend the bar in on a tyre. Now try to remember this and do it whilst bouncing around at 100k's in the dirt and dust. Sheep and roos are no problem to a heavy truck. All animal contacts are unpleasant if the blood and guts get caught up underneath to rot and stink, or cook on the hot bits.