Two young Germans were lucky to survive a trip into the Australian wilderness after a navigation app led them to a remote region. The tourists had left the city of Cairns in tropical north Queensland at the beginning of the month, according to the local Department of Environment (DES). Accordingly, the men were traveling in a four-wheel drive vehicle to the town of Bamaga on the Cape York Peninsula, one of the few almost untouched areas in the world.
The app then asked the Germans to leave the main road and turn into the Oyala Thumotang National Park – via an unpaved track called Langi Track. It was said that their car got stuck there. “Where we were stuck looked really dry. The surface was dry, but underneath it was really wet and muddy,” said one of the men. It was impossible to free the vehicle.
Walking for days
The tourists had no choice but to make their way back to civilization on foot – with backpacks weighing twelve kilos in which they carried all their equipment and supplies. For days they hiked mainly in the early morning hours and rested in the heat of the day. They then continued until late into the night.
On the way, they also had several encounters with dangerous Australian wildlife, including a crocodile, a snake and numerous spiders, the Germans said, according to the statement. It was only after about a week that they arrived in the coastal town of Coen and informed the authorities that they had to leave their car in the national park.
“They’re both very lucky to be alive,” said ranger Roger James. This was not the first incident in which a navigation app sent people off the main road into national parks, where they then got lost or their vehicles got stuck. Instead of using an app, they should follow signs and use official maps or other navigation devices.
