Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 08:23
Stu,
This is an "cut" from a trip story I wrote a couple of years ago, late 2003, it happened at
Lake Boomanjin.
"We had our evening meal and were cleaning up when we noticed headlights on the track, sure enough a late model Pajero parks in the car park and two
young couples start unloading their gear. We were only momentarily distracted, thinking that they were brave to be trying to set up after dark. Also their torchlights seemed to be low on battery, the beams were very dim. They had put their tents up and were bringing the rest of the gear in when one of them tripped over a log, landing heavily face first on a stump and gashing his cheek quite badly... our friends in the Defender came to the rescue to tend
first aid and my wife assisted as nurse and used our
first aid kit, which luckily was
well stocked. (The "late" campers kit was a pack of band aids!) They worked on him for almost an hour before he settled down. This has taught me a couple HUGE lesson's;
1) With no phone service.... and no UHF contact with Rangers or anyone else... we might as
well have been on Gilligan's Island, or in the middle of Australia. We will be travelling with either Satphone or
HF radio in future even in semi-remote area's.
2) Our
first aid kit, I am proud to say, had the necesary items in it, but it needs more and we are planning to add to it before our next trip.
3) And although we always set up
camp by 4 pm at the very latest, this has reinforced that rule!"
If you read the info in the pack you get with the permit from QPWS, and LISTEN to the rangers when they come to talk with you, and APPLY the info to your
camp, you'll be fine. If your kids are old enough to read, let them read the pack as
well, and have them listen to the rangers. When our kids were smaller, we didn't let them out of our sight, but now they are a little older , we let them go a little way on their own, but only while BOTH are together. And if they see a
dingo, they know NOT to approach it, or call it, or whistle etc......
I always hire a sat phone these days, I get
mine from Lance at Satphone Hire although there is a guy on this board in BrisVegas who rents his out much cheaper, but I can't remember who he is. We have never needed to use it, but much better to know it's there.
Cheers
Brian
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