If ever grey nomads need any extra warnings about the perils of driving in the Outback at dusk, then ‘bushie’ Andrew Hallett is happy to give them.
Having lived in outback Australia for the past 42 years, Mr Hallet thought he had seen pretty much everything, but he’d never had a kangaroo leap across the bonnet of his moving 4WD avoiding certain death by millimetres … until now.
He was driving with a friend were driving along a wide-open plain dirt track near Whyalla in South Australia, when the maniac marsupial – which either had a death wish or perfect judgement – bounded across the car, taking out the aerial.
The incredible incident was caught on dashcam, and has gone viral since being uploaded to Dash Cam Owners Australia.
“It was 5.15 in the afternoon and it’s common knowledge to take care, the roos always come out at night,” Mr Hallett told Yahoo7. “I’ve heard stories of a roo coming over a bonnet but I’ve never seen it!”
He said kangaroos were a major problem in the area and warned drivers to take care.
“It’s nothing for us to drive 50km down a highway and see 20-30,” he said. “I’ve had two cars written off by them in five years”.
And Mr Hallet insisted to Yahoo7 that he wasn’t driving fast when the incident happened.
“It was a freak thing, there was nothing to do with speeding,” he said. “Don’t speed in the bush, that’s how you get killed.”
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5W7V8_NPwQ
In the latest online magazine, there is an article about dumping points for Effluent liquids in certain towns and areas. This has become a fundemental talking point in New Zealand and especially in the South Island because we are more remote than anywhere else.
I personally do not blame the people who overflow, or defecate around the area, and lay the blame for this behaviour at the lack of planning and facilities which is bring provided by the various councils and department of conservation. I suggest that Grey Nomads should contact the New Zealand DOC and ask what their forward planning, project management plans include for New Zealand,
I suspect that there will be a shortage of information because I don;t belive that they have the projections or the correct numbers.
Frankly speaking, if you have erected a toilet then there should also be a dump point there as well….. Its just plain logic !
the members comments and thoughts would be appreciated. Do not let this matter die, more fundemental work needs to be done here and across the Tasman too