Thread: Gunshot creek, a disaster waiting to happen?

Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

To start with, I can't imagine why the responsible road authority have allowed the track to get in that state. Is it that 4WD lunatics have dug it out for a ****ing contest? "Mines bigger and better than yours". There must be other ways around. Thousands of tourists go up the cape these days. Modern 4WD's with an excess of power, ABS, ECT, etc. Nothing on the current peninsula roads should worry them. Did you go there in the 1950's-1960's? Mail men and carriers used 2WD light trucks on unspeakable tracks. Peninsula Transport (Arthur and Toots Holzheimer) ran up to the top using Leyland Hippos pulling semi-trailers. Hot, heavy, under-powered, slow, no power steering, rough ride, and did it on a weekly basis out of Cairns. Toots drove her Hippo in a floral dress and blucher boots. The pedals got too hot for bare feet or light footwear.

Going way back they ran a telegraph line for communications to the tip. The OTT (Old Telegraph Track) which Gunshot is on was the track that serviced that line. A lot drive Gunshot, a lot go around it. A long time ago the telegraph line was decommissioned in favour of wireless technology. The OTT, like a lot of lines tracks is quite a difficult track to negotiate, and these days its really just a 4WDing highlight for the area, there is a lot of really interesting stuff along it and some great campsites. People that want to see the beauty and wonders of the Cape travel this road and as far as I know it is maintained only by passing 4wds, the roads crews up there are busy enough after each wet season.

There is also the Developmental Rd which is the main road that runs up to Weipa and off to the tip, thats a whole different corrugated story that I think they were talking of sealing. This is the main road access that the trucks etc travel along. If the sole aim is just to go to the tip, then you would drive this road. Actually, you wouldn't drive, you'd fly or go by boat.

So why, if a warehouse loads a truck and the load shifts and causes damage or death, the driver is responsible?

Good question. Has it ever been to court?

The OTT is not maintained.

Originally Posted by Marty90

So why, if a warehouse loads a truck and the load shifts and causes damage or death, the driver is responsible?

Because it's the drivers responsibility to secure his load.

Deano

Originally Posted by DeanoH

Because it's the drivers responsibility to secure his load.

Deano

Yep, years ago I was driving a truck that wasn't loaded by me and I got pinged at the weigh station for being 1.1 or 1.5t over on one of the axles. I got the fine, but it was paid for me. From then we put the trucks on the weigh bridge and it was surprising how may trucks that were ok were actually not.

Originally Posted by DeanoH

Because it's the drivers responsibility to secure his load.

Deano

but it's the passenger's responsibility to make sure the wheel nuts are tight.

Originally Posted by weeds

Doesn’t gunshot have by-pass options......we only ever see the worst entry which everybody rips up, than the monsoon rains continue to erode it until the masses return.

They call it the chicken track. Anyone with any sense uses it.

Originally Posted by Marty90

So why, if a warehouse loads a truck and the load shifts and causes damage or death, the driver is responsible?

These days there is the COR (chain of responsibility) and yes, they will backtrack to whoever loaded the truck and charge them also.