The Cost Of Helping Others on Fraser Is.

Submitted: Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 17:44

ThreadID: 41905 Views:3950 Replies:6 FollowUps:7

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Member - AU-2

This is a post by my son on:- 4wd monthly. Look for the eader below in general discussion forum as I can't post the photo's.

HOT Tip! Literally

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This is what I did helping push a Mazda Tribute out of a bog on an inland track from Kingfisher to Lake Mckenzie on Fraser island on Sat morn 27/1/07

The story goes something like this...

On the island for a wedding on the wknd and couple of us decide to go to lake Mckenzie for the morn as it's only 14km's from Kingfisher bay resort.

Not more than 2k's out we encounter this mazda tribute with an asian couple bogged up to there you-know-whats. So I quickly leapt out and helped push them through the very sandy party of the track, this happend 3 times in a space of 1 km. They didnt really understand english too well either so by the 4th recovery we decided that it was better for them to wait off the track for everyone else to pass, cause by now there were 3 tourist buses waiting, and a few other vehicles as well, and for them to turn around and go back cause they didn't really understand how to drive this softroader and to put it bluntly we, in the stocko prado, were doing it tough through these very very soft sandy patches along the way.

As I and 2 others were trying to push this mazda (which had been sitting for a while by now still running) into a bypass area, I stood bare foot in some very HOT sand, and as a result have serious burns on my left foot. The HOT sand was from the car sitting on it's belly and the exhaust heating the sand up. I had thongs in the car but because the sand was so soft they are a nuisance, so just bare footed it as I had done on the previous 3 occassions not thinking this could happen.

As a result we turned around as well and headed back for some 1st aid for my foot and I had a very uncomfortable wedding event.

So as a tip if you're going to help recover a vehicle, especially a soft roader or some vehicle which, when its bogged, its exhaust can be sitting on sand or ground of some sort, make sure you're wearing enclosed shoes or are wary of where the exhaust is and step round it while pushing.

Hope this helps somehow as we all love getting out and about specially casually in bare feet.

Yeah we were getting bit tired off it by the 3rd time thats why myself and one of the tour bus drivers were saying thats it's time to turn around etc. Also it's only single lane mostly there with the small passing bays here and there, so we needed to help to be able to keep going too.

I try to think if i help out then the karma will be returned to me or maybe a relative if ever a time comes around. It wont stop me from helping in future an at least I know now to watch for HOT sand due to exhausts.

Im gonna be wearing old sneakers or something from now on when at the beach, its a lesson learnt and my missus is a practise manager for 2 doctors so im getting it all taken care of every day so far with fresh dressing and the like....with few days off work too so i can sit here and read all the awsome stuff from everyone else and play sony games too...plus a few beers..don't tell the missus though.
Muckinhell
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A reply:-

Christ, I pulled them out of a bog up near Indian Head on Saturday !!! same couple by the sounds of it.

Not to mention 2 other Mazda Tributes found on the island, 1 Nissan X trail, and a couple of Vitara's !!

I watched a couple of CQ boys do something similar on Saturday Morning too.
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Reply By: Andrew (Bris) - Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 22:12

Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 22:12

I just got back Monday night after 10 days on the island.
After regular trips to Fraser a couple of times a year I thought the inland tracks were in some of the worst condition I've ever seen. The island was really dry. I've never seen so many vehicles getting stuck. We were there in the GU together with our daughter in her Pathfinder, as well as 3 other friends cars - 2 more GU's and a GQ.

Some of the sights on the roads were quite incredible.

1. The cake went to the 7 people in the Pathfinder that were stuck between Mackenzie and Central Station. Bogged badly, 6 people pushing, driving with his foot flat to the floor and sand flying everywhere. I went up to them and offered to help, only to be told in no uncertain terms that help wasn't needed - we've been stuck in the same spot 3 times in 3 days, we know what we are doing.

2. The GU driver sitting behind a troopie being pushed by it's 9 passengers having a chuckle about their antics, only to get stuck in the same spot himself when the troopie finally got away. After watching him make several attempts to get out, I walked up to offer help only to see the passenger skimming through the owners manual looking for help. A friendly word about better gear selection, and they were on their way.

3. Came across a large jam of vehicles behind a very heavily loaded suzuki bogged badly. Watched a Rodeo driver trying to get him out with a fully extended winch cable attached to a snatch strap which was attached to the suzukis towball. We eventually took control and needed two GU's to do a double snatch to get him out. By this stage we had a 15 vehicle convoy getting very frustrated.

4. A bogged troopie was blocking our way. Managed to get around him and offered to snatch him out. He was most appreciative because he'd already been bogged 3 times that day. I attached a snatch strap to my car, and gave him the other end which he promptly tried to attach to his grille - oops - had to give a quick lesson in better recovery techniques.

5. No thanks to the impatient driver of the landcruiser at Indian Head who couldn't wait for the other cars already making their way through the soft sand, and tried to charge through and sideswioed one of our cars. Unlucky for her, the GU she hit was at least siz inches higher than the cruiser and had very solid steel front and rear bars - the result - Patrol had a little dint in the Kaymar bar, Cruiser lost its wheel flare.

Everywhere we went the softroaders seemed to be having trouble. With the sand so soft they tended to be bulldozing the middle of the road whereever they went.

In ten days we saw a Rodeo, Explorer, Hilux, Landrover and Honda CRV to tilt trays, as well as a GQ limping along with a broken diff.

We had a great time despite the heat and flies.

AnswerID: 219365

Follow Up By: Bware (Tweed Valley) - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 00:03

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 00:03

"We've been stuck in the same spot 3 times in 3 days, we know what we are doing" - that cracks me up!

Glad you had a good time anyway.

FollowupID: 479914

Follow Up By: CLC50 - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 07:16

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 07:16

Please don't forget all the Backpackers, with 10 people in a trooper & tires @ road pressure, gee what a mess.
Note they are not allowed to let down tire pressures I believe, I saw 7 hire troopers that will now require new clutches, Also as they are so top heavy with low tire pressure the can roll tires of the rims, & roll over.
Then the result more bad Press by people who don't Know what they are doing.

Well I had my say,

FollowupID: 479927

Follow Up By: Andrew (Bris) - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 12:56

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 12:56

A couple of photos.

Pretty well stuck.

Stuck here three times - we know what we are doing.

More photos at andrewpanshin.fotopic.net/c1197904.html

FollowupID: 479977

Follow Up By: Dave from P7OFFROAD Accredited Driver Training - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 23:19

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 23:19

CLC50, it's not all of the hire companies that don't 'allow' the backpackers to air down. Many companies do, and actually provide guages in the glovebox to help them.

FollowupID: 480113

Follow Up By: CLC50 - Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 08:49

Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 08:49

Hi Dave
Thanks for the Information,
Its great to see some Companies have some Brains.
It's a shame the others don't learn. & show some responsibility & just not give them a 4WD.

FollowupID: 480141

Reply By: Member - Jeff H (QLD) - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 03:00

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 03:00

What can one say?
Been over 30 years since I fished Fraser, and the Lady has 'never' visited, although we now live 2hrs distant. We drive one of them soft-roader, Rodeo thingies.
Folks, I would nominate Fraser Island as the Inexperienced Driver Capital of the [locally known]World/Universe.. We have our own City folk: we have Backpackers; Honeymooners with unlimited financial resources;Cretins such as myself, all vying for the same space.
No thanks.
You get a hire car bingle 200km from the coast,(possibly anywhere in Aust., apart from the Adelaide/Darwin run) and it's possibly a Troopy. Both wallet and ego damaged.Rollover. No lasting damage.Stop.
Similar vehicle, Fraser Is., and you stand the chance of major trauma: head-on? "muckin around", bleep again (now I wouldn't know about that, would I?)
I guess what I've blabbed on about AU-2, is that population pressure is rapidly making itself evident. Good on yer for persisting: maybe you had no option, but twice is my limit.(See a prior post where a member helped a goose, Repeatedly.
Mate, I dread the day when I drive on ice/snow -----.Maybe sand and gravel just seem sexier.

AnswerID: 219393

Follow Up By: Member - AU-2 - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 11:22

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 11:22

The island sure has changed since we first went there in '85. Muckinhell was 10 then and we had an old Landcruiser and towed a borrowed backyard trailer 'cause there were 6 of us. Got up Indian Head after 3 tries - tires deflated - nearly went over the side one day on a trip heading to the beach from Orchid beach resort; no problems due to No 2 knowing what to do. Less traffic then, but good grounding (pun) for three sons. Actually, Muckin is a rabid 4wder because of those times. We only live 30mins drive from F. I. but haven't been back there yet. I think I would prefer to go out of season as I am becoming averse to the crowded camping scene. Spoiled I guess, by camping ( with owners permission) solitarily on private properties, when we go prospecting. When we started last year, I was a bit wary of being so far away from everyone/thing. Now, after camping once in a public camp, I don't want to camp any other way. If you are organised, you don't need anyone/thing else. After seeing my son's blistered, raw foot, I now carry a very large tube of Silvazine burn cream (prescription only) in our first aid kit. I also think that if he had been wearing any sort of footwear, sneakers or the like, which have a lot of synthetic material, they would have melted onto his foot and may have caused a deeper burn before it could be safely removed.
OzeSheila.

FollowupID: 479962

Follow Up By: Member - AU-2 - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 12:31

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 12:31

Actually, thinking back, our first trip to F.I. was on Boxing Day, '83. We arrived there without a booking, which wasn't needed then, but with the required permit from what was then NPWS. Drove up the beach to a deserted spot next to a flowing creek (not Eli) somewhere between Eli and Indian Head. We had the whole stretch of beach and a lagoon from the creek, to ourselves for nearly a week.
Lots of Dingos and horses but never felt threatened by them. ( While looking for a map to find out the name of the creek we camped at, came across a warning not to swim in the ocean because Indian Head is a mating/birthing ground for sharks. Why wasn't I told?)
When we got home, we found that our neighbour had been there, too. He came home with severe burns caused by some idiot who had thrown petrol on their campfire to get it going while the neighbour was trying to coax it to life.
OzeSheila.

FollowupID: 479973

Reply By: dags666 - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 07:16

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 07:16

just had a good laugh bogged 3 three times in the same spot and know what im doing what a knob, have been going to Fraser for 30 years and never been snatched or pulled out in all sand conditions. at the stage now if we don't need to get around you or you don't have your own recovery gear pitch a tent. the trouble is hire companies should be made to show a video on at least the basics on sand driving and safety,most think because it is a 4wd it will go any where. the hire mobs tell them not to let air out of the tyres and that's have the battle the other have is me no speak English or the mobs that do have sold their encyclopedias because they know f...... every thing. old saying never too old to learn.on the tracks, we believe they leave them rough to slow the idiots down every time there is a accident on the island the 4wd bull.... starts up again Dags

AnswerID: 219399

Reply By: zha zha cruiser - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 08:23

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 08:23

Well I was in fits of laughter when I read that. Why would you keep going back there-just to get bogged again. Have to tell about the troopy that helped me... This is one for the ladies. I was on middle road, after dropping 2 kids and ex hubby at tangaloomer - I drove back over to the ocean side to pick up tent and stuff with my 13 year old son. We had to come to a complete stop as this huge tree had just been blown accross the road. Thank god it hadn't fallen on top of us or we would have been killed. So I tried to push it with my bull bar, but it was wedged against the walls of the track. Ricky and I tried to lift it - impossible. Couldn't snatch it in reverse either. Finally someone in a troopy came along - I thought typically my luck they won't speak english. Yep true, only one spoke broken english, but the boys all were muscly and without shirts. I showned them why we could not drive any further, so a couple more boys were summond from the back of troopy (muscles and no shirts) they all picked up this incredibly huge tree and were able to move it over to the side of the road to enable traffic to pass. Then suggested to my son- "get back to the gym".

I think they may have been sweedish, who cares they were very nice.

AnswerID: 219410

Reply By: Member - Brian (Gold Coast) - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 09:51

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 09:51

The hot sand thing is a good heads up!! Something I would never thought of, but will now!

We spent from Wednesday morning to Sunday morning there for the clean up and agree that the sand was softer than we had seen before. For the first time, we had several occasions where we were stopped by soft sand and had to reverse and get a bit more momentum to get through. South Ngkala bypass was three goes for me going north, but coming back south I had learnt and got through first time. Even Eurong, previously a "no-brainer" had to be driven properly. At Indian Head on Thursday I saw a Patrol attaching a snatch strap to a Suzuki Viatra, he had the strap shackled to the "D" ring on the rear of the Patrol and no dampener on the strap. A recipe for disaster I thought.
A club mate in a Suzuki Sierra got stuck outside Eurong, we were behind him and offered to help but he was adamant that he (and his shovel) were fine.... proven a few minutes later when he drove off as though he was on bitumen, proving that a shovel is your best friend in sand and snatch straps should stay in the recovery kit iuntil all avenues are exhausted.

Our "help" tally was two;
1) A couple in a Challenger who were very new to 4wd'ing, stuck in the soft sand behind Happy Valley, they were very keen to find out the right way to do it, I helped them deflate tyres and gave a few sand driving tips, then Voila! They drove straight up the track!!!! Very nice people who were willing to learn and are now thinking of joining a club.

2) A Japanese tourist who swam to the far side of Lake Wabby but got into difficulty on the way back. His tour guide swam out to help him, the Japanese guy was now in real trouble so I swam out and grabbed his other arm to help bring him in. Poor bugger could hardly move... he was very thankful!

Just my opinion

Cheers

Brian

AnswerID: 219420

Reply By: Upstart - Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 00:50

Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 00:50

I went to fraser last October for the first time and loved it but I think it is a bit too crowded. I couldn't believe that you could just pop down the shop to get the paper and an ice cream! I think people have to be patient over there and help out if the can.

AnswerID: 219570