Fraser Island Accident

[Banjo16]

Another tragic accident on the island. In the 10 years to 2013 tourists with an international license were responsible for almost half of all serious accidents on Fraser.

Perhaps it's time to have a serious look at driving experience before letting someone loose in a 4 wd.
Big difference between suburban driving overseas and what's required over here.  IMHO.

[Rumpig]

got a bit of a mention already at the bottom of page 50 of the What's Making News thread the other day http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=37070.1225
tonights news on the telly mentioned they were trying to overtake another vehicle on that track at the time they crashed
a bit hard to expect overseas tourist to be more experienced when we let Aussies with no experience loose on the island all the time also i reckon, them having half the major accidents still leaves Aussies responsible for the other half. I have no idea what the answer to the problem is though 

[Mik01]

I was up there last month, and coming through champagne pools access from beach. A car was stuck, and along comes the tag along tours.
Didn't stop, and went around the stuck car on wrong side of track.
Third car in the tour got stuck. So now 2 cars stuck and track totally blocked.
Other car gets free and I follow through. The lead car and second car in tag along tour turned around at the top, and literally flew past me coming down while I was going up. Worried me so much I yelled out for them to slow down. I 'might' have called them d$&@heads too. They were driving too fast.
Not the first time I have seen these tag along tours driving too fast, and both times it has been the young bloke who is leading them - ie the Aussie tour operator employee.

[Rumpig]

Not the first time I have seen these tag along tours driving too fast, and both times it has been the young bloke who is leading them - ie the Aussie tour operator employee.

I can't imagine the pay rate they get to do that job is fantastic, maybe the "fringe benifits" make up for it for the young fellas...lol. I also wonder what the requirement is experience wise to lead one of those tours around the island? Obviously there's a mininum requirement i'd assume, but i wonder exactly what it is?

[oldmate]

I can't imagine the pay rate they get to do that job is fantastic, maybe the "fringe benifits" make up for it for the young fellas...lol. I also wonder what the requirement is experience wise to lead one of those tours around the island? Obviously there's a mininum requirement i'd assume, but i wonder exactly what it is?

Big arms and a 6 pack?   Not the beer type either lol

[Mik01]

Well if she overtook that car then the lead vehicle did it first. Maybe was trying to keep up and overtook at the wrong time?

[UIZ733]

Big arms and a 6 pack?   Not the beer type either lol

You are not suggesting this are you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PfDro1UGUo

[Rumpig]

Well if she overtook that car then the lead vehicle did it first. Maybe was trying to keep up and overtook at the wrong time?

i'm only going on what the telly said tonight, not sure of exact facts as far as the accident goes as i don't trust the media these days as far as i could throw them when it comes to getting facts right. But that does raise the point you mention...the tour leader would have had to have done that first, and how fast was that person driving at the time?

[edz]

I can't imagine the pay rate they get to do that job is fantastic

Not sure what the rate is now, but the tour leader bloke we spoke to about two year ago said he got $200 a day + vehicle , food , fuel and permits paid  for 3 days on -3 days off roster, no helping set up just lead and give advice .
On the liscence side from memory he said it was a commercial tour operator endorsed liscence .or something along those lines .He was a local and had been beach driving for 20 odd years ,cant remember if he said he had to do a FWD driver traing course or not .
Actualy give it a thought of having a go at doing it too, but just couldnt bring myself to combine Fraser with work ..I'd have to go find somewhere as good  to holiday at then .

[Mik01]

If the tag leader bloke that I saw flying down the track had 20yrs experience, he was counting his baby capsule years!
Just remembered another story - coming out of waddy point bypass last year, there was a stuck car coming up. I passed the tour leader who had already gone around this stuck car up the wrong way and made it through, so the others were obliged to follow.
Don't worry about me or the road rules, the little German girl flogs the car around the stuck car up the wrong side, causing me to brake right at point of entry, and have to reverse back. I thought, you know, that road rules, and common courtesy would mean they wait for me to come through.
Then what do you know, she gets bogged.
We all know that sometimes you gotta go around people on the wrong side if bogged, but you must make sure no one is coming the other way!
When I got down there, mate and I gave them a couple of pointers about courteous and safe driving! 

I would support a ban on these sort of tours on Fraser. After the fatal accidents years ago, I think the only change was they had to watch a short DVD on safe driving, and have a lead vehicle. If the lead vehicle, driven by a competent and confident driver, overtakes a situation then the others are obliged to follow and they are left to make their own judgement about what is safe situation to do this.
These are kids who most probably were up until 5am on the booze and pills with 500 other backpackers. As much as I detest the bus tours, it's time to force young tourists to use them and ban self driving for say, under 25's.

[Rumpig]

Not sure what the rate is now, but the tour leader bloke we spoke to about two year ago said he got $200 a day + vehicle , food , fuel and permits paid  for 3 days on -3 days off roster, no helping set up just lead and give advice .
On the liscence side from memory he said it was a commercial tour operator endorsed liscence .or something along those lines .He was a local and had been beach driving for 20 odd years ,cant remember if he said he had to do a FWD driver traing course or not .
Actualy give it a thought of having a go at doing it too, but just couldnt bring myself to combine Fraser with work ..I'd have to go find somewhere as good  to holiday at then .

if i didn't have a mortgage to pay and putting a couple of kids through school, i reckon i could live ok off of that 

These are kids who most probably were up until 5am on the booze and pills with 500 other backpackers. As much as I detest the bus tours, it's time to force young tourists to use them and ban self driving for say, under 25's.

generally i reckon you'll find most of the time the driver is the person who isn't a big drinker or a drinker at all, that's how they get nominated by others for the job i believe. Granted many of them party hard whilst on the island, but i wouldn't go branding all the drivers as drunken pill poppers myself.

[GUEY]

IMO the tour bus drivers are some of the most inconsiderate floggs that I have ever come across. Yeah they have a schedule to keep but that shouldn't come at the expense of common courtesy and safety.

As for the tagalong tours, after nearly ending up in the srub (finished in a ditch) on the miners road thanks  to a tagalong hero driving on the wrong side of the road on a corner they can go **** themselves also. Rude **** never even slowed down let alone stop.

Rant over. Back in my box.

[krisandkev]

It did not help that the poor girl was not wearing her seat belt. I think the driver will face some questions. All very sad but happens all over the world, perhaps it is time to put an age limit for all vehicles on Fraser, but at what age?  25 for example. Kevin

[dales133]

It happens everywhere though...inexperienced Japanese and Germans roll a winibago in NZ almost every other day, aussie in Bali that have no motorcycle experience coming unstuck... it's the risk you take for trying g something you've never done vs your skill level.
When your on holiday in some foreign place it's easy to be more complacent and confident than you usually would be

[edz]

perhaps it is time to put an age limit for all vehicles on Fraser, but at what age

Dont think this would realy help, granted a newer vehicle has more modern impact safety features, they may or may not help in these lower speed roll over type crashes.
 Though any vehicle not driven responsibly and to road conditions or  maintained properly can be a potential death trap regardless  of the age of the vehicle ...
Unfortunitely it all comes back to that old saying " You can't put an old head on young shoulders, only experience can do that " .

[wartim]

Been lucky enough to be on Fraser twice this year and each time I have seen heaps of the 'Rainbow Beach Adventure' cruisers absolutely chockers with backpackers, they are packed in so tight the don't look at all comfortable.  On my April trip I counted 6 or 7 cruisers coming off the barge at once and all with 2 in the front seat, 3 on the back seat and another 3 in the very rear seats.  I even commented to SWMBO that they look like an accident waiting to happen and where is all the luggage and supplies? 

There was also a few troopies with the side facing seats which were made illegal in Feb 2011 for all hire companies, not sure if these belonged to Rainbow Beach Adventures, however they were defiantly hire vehicles.

On the last trip Oct long weekend, I watched as four of their vehicles got caught on high tide at Eli Creek.  The tour guide ended up driving through water close to 800mm deep (I walked it) on the fresh water side of the mouth. He then went back to try to guide the other 3 vehicles through further down on the surf side, i d say he had a bit of water come through the door seals.  If timed right (as waves were going back out) the water was only approx 100mm deep, however he let the first vehicle drop in off the small ledge as the waves were coming in resulting in waves at coming in at top of wheel height and smashing against the vehicle.  At least 3 waves hit the vehicle before he  managed to move it on, not sure if they were understanding English as he was using a handheld 2 way, they just sat there for awhile?  It wasnt until the very last vehicle before he managed to get it right?  At the same time 3 other vehicles went through with perfect timing and minimal salt water exposure.

[edz]

Think  most all the camp gear is stowed in a trailer dragged by the group leader, then camp is set first day  down near One tree rocks before heading out for the next day and half  before packing to head back to Rainbow .
Or they just tag along again with the guide truck towing a trailer   to a pre set camp at the Aboriginal center and Cathedral beach  from memory  ..

[oldmate]

It did not help that the poor girl was not wearing her seat belt. I think the driver will face some questions. All very sad but happens all over the world, perhaps it is time to put an age limit for all vehicles on Fraser, but at what age?  25 for example. Kevin

Yes your right, expect with the age limit. There is just as many older drivers that have no idea as there is young. Go sit down your local caravan park with a beer and watch "experienced" generation reverse their flash 26' new vans.  It's like hanging at my local boat ramp.

[Homer_Jay]

Yes your right, expect with the age limit. There is just as many older drivers that have no idea as there is young. Go sit down your local caravan park with a beer and watch "experienced" generation reverse their flash 26' new vans.  It's like hanging at my local boat ramp.

Agree. On out last trip away we stayed I a caravan park for a few nights,  anyway this old mate comes in with huge van in tow. I watch as he has no idea on how to back it, he then goes and gets the CP manager guy to come and do it for him. I say to the mrs, if you can't drive it you shouldn't be on the road!
Later  on I was talking to the CP manager and made the comment about him having to back the van, he says most of these oldies expect it. He then goes on to say that the old bloke has just got out of hospital after having a heart attack and the doctors orders is that he can't drive (let alone tow). And here he is driving around this huge van. I don't give a stuff about him, but what about the poor innocent family he may kill! Obviously he has no consideration for anyone other than himself and what he wants to do.

So..... With age doesn't always come wisdom!